Questioning Islamophobia

Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens our Freedoms by Arsalan Iftikhar is a powerful discussion about medias scapegoating of Muslims. As a graduate student in Media Literacy and Digital Culture, I have become increasingly aware of the power of media and the implications that are attached to it. I strongly agree with Iftikhar’s arguments and conclusions that Islamophobia needs to be addressed immediately. His book teaches us that race, religion, and ethnicity in the 21st century are deeply human factors that need to be fully understood before judgments are placed on any individual pertaining to a particular group. This remains true whether the discussion is around the government’s or media’s efforts to promote Islamophobia as well as individuals we may know. At the end of this review, I would like to incorporate insights from the film Edward Said on Orientalism in addition to Iftikhar’s book. Executive producer and director Sut Jhally provides viewers with a deeper understanding of orientalism through an interview-style film with professor of literature and public intellectual Edward Said.

In the beginning of Scapegoats, public intellectual Reza Aslan provides us with a powerful foreword. His opening remark is, “A June 2015 front-page article in The New York Times noted that since 9/11 more than twice as many Americans have been killed in acts of domestic terrorism by ‘white supremacists’ than by Islamic extremists” (v). This concept alone should be enough for us to question Islamophobia, which is generally defined as dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force. Now lets think about the definition of scapegoat, which is a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency. It is no wonder that Iftikhar was inspired to shed light on medias scapegoating of Muslims. It is important to note that although media is a large source of the problem, we are the consumers which is why we all need to pay attention (vi). Aslan points out that ignoring Islamophobia is simply insulting and if we strengthen our relationships with Muslims then media won’t have to be relied upon (vii).

Iftikhar teaches us a great deal about Islamophobia in his introduction alone. As a public figure and human rights lawyer, he finds that he is constantly trying to neutralize the hysteria about Muslim terrorism (xiii). He finds that he is constantly reminding society, “We’re not all terrorists, we’re a peace-loving religion, we condemn the destruction of innocent lives” (xiii). While the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001 was horrible to say the least, it created a huge amount of misrepresentation of the vast number of Muslims in the world who are simply not terrorists. It has made someone like Arsalan Iftikhar form his existence around presenting a genuine Muslim voice in the mainstream media (xiii). When considering the fact that 99% of the 350 mass shootings in The United States in 2015 alone were not committed by Muslims, it makes you wonder, why does media portray anyone from the Islamic world as dangerous human beings (xiv)? As I have learned in my graduate courses, media literacy is defined as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms. Scapegoats is an effective demonstration of a media literacy approach to this specific case study, especially within the first three aspects of the definition. We have access to his powerful book which can be considered a form of media and we are forced to analyze and evaluate the topic of Islamophobia which is so heavily tied to media’s construction of this idea.

Iftikhar’s first chapter titled “When Life Gives You a Don Lemon” is a prime example of why Islamophobia needs to be addressed. News anchor for CNN Don Lemon once asked Iftikhar, a human rights lawyer, if he supported jihadist terrorist organization ISIS simply because he is a Muslim post 9/11 (2). It is important to note Iftikhar’s relevant theme in the form of a theoretical question that forces readers to ask themselves, what if the situation were reversed? For example, he points out that when Christians commit acts of terror, Muslims don’t ask priests to condemn the acts on television (6). How would Christians react if Muslims portrayed them as the most dangerous group of individuals? Iftikhar’s book teaches us that religion is highly misunderstood because the Muslim religion is not based on violence or domination like the media has made many people believe.

The second chapter in Scapegoats titled “The Media Crusade Against Islam” reveals the connections between Islamophobia and politics in media. For example, the 2016 presidential campaign was fueled by false messages about Muslims (26). While president Barrack Obama validated the feelings of Muslims in America, by assuring them they are Muslim and American, our current president Donald Trump spent a great deal of his candidacy promoting falsehoods about Obama, who does not happen to be Muslim. Iftikhar points out, “There should indeed be a political price for scapegoating millions of people simply because of their religious faith” (32). I passionately agree with Iftikhar’s level of concern about media’s portrayal of the Islamic world, especially in regards to politics.

Xenophobia, generally defined as intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries, is highlighted in Iftikhar’s third chapter titled “The Sharia Bogeyman”. He quotes Aslan, “Bigotry is a result of fear. Speaking about it as a phobia makes sense. . . . Bigotry resides in the heart, not brain . . . . The problem with an emotional response like fear is that it is impervious to data and information” (35). He quotes Rabb regarding the concept of Sharia, “the ideal law of God according to Islamic tradition” (46). Anti-Sharia efforts in the West interfere with Muslim’s ability to practice their religious principles within their lives and it stigmatizes their religion (48). Iftikhar’s reversibility idea is emphasized again when he forces us to ask ourselves the question, what would happen if the houses of worship of other religions were disrupted in the same way? (36). In terms of media, the show “All-American Muslim” had advertisements pulled because organizations deemed it ‘Sharia propaganda’ (52). What does this say about the priorities of media in today’s society?

In Iftikhar’s fourth chapter titled “White Terror” he notes, “In the wake of yet another ideologically motivated, home-grown act of American terrorism, I again tried to point out the media’s double standard when it came to covering mass shootings by white guys from the anti-government underground” (68-69). Unfortunately, if any over-looked anti-government acts of violence were committed by someone with a Muslim-sounding name then the media would be all over them (63). In regards to Craig Stephen who murdered three Muslim college students, the double standard is further emphasized when Iftikhar points out, “Some vicious acts of ‘white terror’ are directed specifically at American Muslims, and still the American press can’t bring itself to call this hate-inspired violence what it is” (71). It is out of pure ignorance or prejudice when the media refuses to accurately characterize crimes (73). Furthermore, American Sniper and Homeland are examples of popular media productions that portray Muslims as less compassionate than their counterparts (74). Unfortunately, hit television shows and movies also prove that the media has work to do, not just mainstream news.

The responsibility of organizations like They New York Police Department are in question in the fifth chapter titled “When Islamophobia Wears A Badge”. Iftikhar disproves the Muslim monopoly on terrorism when he points out that thirty-three out of three hundred plus Americans were killed by Muslim extremists, as opposed to political violence or mass shootings on domestic soil (77). There was even an NYPD spying program in which undercover officers were sent into Muslim neighborhoods at stereotypical hangouts (80-81). The ironic part is that even the FBI criticized the program and he believed that those efforts threaten constitutional rights and freedom of religion (83). Even more ironically is that efforts of the spying program never generated leads or triggered a terrorism investigation (85). Media literacy comes into play when we are forced to wonder, did the media highlight the wrongful efforts of the NYPD spy program?

In Iftikhar’s sixth chapter titled “What Would Muhammad Do?” Iftikhar poses a theoretical answer, ‘absolutely nothing.’ Even when Danish cartoons came out about the Prophet Muhammad specifically to induce violence, Iftikhar still believes we must ignore the efforts. He notes, “It is difficult to simply turn one’s cheek when one is struck in the face, whether literally or figuratively, as Christians—and Muslims and Jews—down through the ages have learned, despite their religious teachings. But that is what we must do, unless we want the world to descend any further into brutality and misery” (113). Now that we know one of Iftikhar’s solutions to the worldwide problem of Islamophobia, I would like to offer insights from the film Edward Said on Orientalism.

In Iftikhar’s seventh chapter titled “We Are All Scapegoats” we are reminded that we are consistently turned against each other based on our race, religion, and ethnicity (116). In the previously mentioned film we discover the meaning of orientalism, which Jhally notes is the distorted lens through which we view the Middle East. Considering the idea of the media scapegoating Muslims, it is interesting to understand Said’s point of view. He explains that the orient is now considered a static notion, that it is a place of secrets and monsters, but the reality is that the orient does not always stay the same. When considering the objective nature of the history of imperial conquest, Said notes that it is clear that orientalism is based on abstractions. In terms of media, Said points out that the Disney movie Aladdin is a major cliche and “Jihad in America” sacrifices many Muslim bodies. One unfortunate aspect of orientalist that he emphasizes is that there is no information policy in the Middle East to try to get anyone to think differently because they need The United States to support them and this creates further insubordination and inferiority to the West. Said is clearly as alarmed as Iftikhar when he points out that media has called him for insight into supposed Muslim violence simply because he happens to be Muslim. It is clear that public intellectuals who happen to be Muslim agree that Islamophobia and orientalism are urgent matters to be addressed.

I would like to point out two important ideas that Marxist philosopher and politician Antonio Gramsci came up with, as highlighted in the film Edward Said on Orientalism. He points out that we, as humans, are a book of traces with no orderly guide to it. For this reason, Gramsci believes, “The task is to compile an inventory of the traces that history has left in us.” In other words, we should try to make sense of history, according to Said. Complimentary to Gramsci’s remarks, Said believes we need to transform ourselves into a unitary identity where we include others without suppressing differences and that would be an example of writing a historical inventory. I passionately agree with Said when he points out that we should understand ourselves in relation to others and we should understand others in relation to ourselves. While there are no shortcuts, Said believes we can replace the current authoritarian hierarchical model of our culture. In the final remarks of Scapegoats, Iftikhar reveals words from the Prophet Muhammad, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action” (126). It is clear that Iftikhar agrees with these words as well as Said when he closes the book with this statement, “But in these dark times, we must also hold within ourselves the impossible dream of elusive peace for all people. May the God who we all share grant us the wisdom to achieve it together” (136). As a student of Media Literacy and Digital culture, I believe it is crucial for society to understand the deep power media has to shape our views of individuals who happen to be different and that our differences should be peacefully celebrated.

Iftikhar, Arsalan, and Reza Aslan. Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms. Hot Books, 2016.