Islamophobia Politics Gender and Discrimination Essay

Ali, Y. (2012). Shariah and citizenship. California Law Review 100:1027

Ali (2012) focuses on the pernicious trend towards institutionalized Islamophobia and racism in America. Starting with the 2010 "Save Our State" amendment in Oklahoma, several states have adopted similar approaches that essentially legislate discrimination. According to the author, such legislation is not only based on mistruth and has no basis in fact or evidence; the legislation is overtly unconstitutional and deprives Muslim Americans of their legal rights and protections. Anti-Muslim legislation creates a "second class citizenship" class for Muslims. Moreover, Ali (2012) clarifies the nature and definition of Sharia law and shows that Sharia law has been grossly distorted by the media. What is frequently called "Sharia" is actually a set of personal religious obligations and practices, not the inhumane punishments sensationalized by the media. The author also provides policy recommendations.

This article is instrumental in a cogent discussion about the distortions made by the media regarding Islam, and Sharia law in particular. The article addresses issues related to institutionalized Islamophobia and the legal implications thereof, and is therefore a critical source in my research.

Anti-Defamation League: http://www.adl.org/

The Anti-Defamation League started as an organization devoted to rooting out anti-Semitism and has done a brilliant job with its public relations campaigns, public awareness campaigns, and influences in public policy related to hate crimes and discrimination. The same organization has since broached a wider subject area, targets a broader swath of hate crimes, and can therefore be a valuable source of information on how to inhibit the spread of Islamophobia in concerted ways.

Byers, B.D. & Jones, J.A. (2007). The impact of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on hate crime. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice 5(1).

Using sociological methods, Byers & Jones (2007) analyze the FBI's UCR data to show that instances of hate crime directed at Muslims increased in the eight weeks following September 11 and rates remained relatively high thereafter too. The research showed that hate crimes against Muslims were conspicuously absent in the two cities directly hit by the terrorist attacks of September 11: New York and Washington, D.C. Rather than hypothesize that the lack of hate crimes in those cities was due to their being multicultural hubs, the authors suggest that in-group/out-group patterns of socialization are at play. Specifically, a crisis has a tendency to create a sense of community against a mutual enemy or in favor of shared goals.

This research is instrumental in showing how Islamophobia works and how it can potentially be minimized in America. When Muslims are viewed as neighbors and citizens instead of nebulous enemies, the communities can rally together against terrorism and other perils instead of creating artificial boundaries and fragmentation. In fact, creating community can help improve national resilience against terrorism and domestic crime as well.

Carland, S. (2011). Islamophobia, fear of loss of freedom, and the Muslim woman. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 22(4): 469-473.

Focusing on fear of loss of freedom as a variable, the researcher shows how Islamophobia impacts Muslim women in particular. Fear of loss freedom is presented as a possible cause for Islamophobia, and is based on outmoded beliefs about the nature of Islam and its cultural elements including head covering. Bans on head covering have spread throughout Western Europe and have become entrenched in law precisely for the reasons the researchers suggest: the head covering hearkens to deep-rooted fears about loss of freedom. Signs of Muslim identity have become skewed to mean affronts to "Western" values like freedom.

As a large portion of the research will focus on the specific effects of Islamophobia on women and on gendered hate crime, this article is critical in elucidating some of the causes and effects of anti-Muslim sentiments in America. The article's focus also offers a novel approach to addressing issues related to how Muslim women and their dress is perceived by Americans.

Center for Security Policy

The Center for Security Policy encapsulates the prevailing beliefs of Americans, as its policies reflect values, norms, and biases lurking in the American consciousness. As a security policy organization, the Center for Security Policy does reflect the ways Islamophobia may become entrenched in law, and what policies can replace those that are ill-informed.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism: http://www.investigativeproject.org/

The Investigative Project on Terrorism links to news sources from around the world, focusing on articles portraying Islam as a violent movement. This website, like Jihad Watch, can be used as…