Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Sentiment: Picturing the Enemy

(Hardback, Second Edition)

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In the minds of many Americans, Islam is synonymous with the Middle East, Muslim men with violence, and Muslim women with oppression. A clash of civilizations appears to be increasingly manifest and the war on terror seems a struggle against Islam. These are all symptoms of Islamophobia. Meanwhile, the current surge in nativist bias reveals the racism ofanti-Muslim sentiment. This book explores these anxieties through political cartoons and filmmedia with immediate and important impact. After providing a background on Islamic traditions and their history with America, it graphically shows how political cartoons and films reveal Americans casual demeaning and demonizing of Muslims and Islama phenomenon common among both liberals and conservatives.Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Sentimentoffers both fascinating insights into our cultures ways of picturing the enemy as Muslim, and ways of moving beyond antagonism.

Reviews

As Islamophobia threatens to become the new anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Sentiment becomes 'must' reading. Gottschalk and Greenberg perceptively and graphically demonstrate the extent to which prejudice and discrimination against Islam and Muslims have become inherent in American mainstream culture. -- John L. Esposito, author, What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam and Sharia: What Everyone Needs to Know
Islamophobia is an important contribution to the understanding of prejudice as a common factor in American culture, particularly in the media. The analysis of political cartoons convincingly shows how pervasively anti-Arab and anti-Muslim attitudes have become accepted, even by people who probably consider themselves fair-minded. This study needs to be read by everyone concerned with the problems of religious and racial bias in America today. -- Carl W. Ernst, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This ground-breaking book should be read and rereadreaders will become acutely aware of how cartoonists have repeatedly disparaged all things Muslim and Arab. The book teaches us to see beyond damaging stereotypes. It is a remarkable achievement, illustrating that there exists a fine line between satire and racism. -- Jack G. Shaheen, author, Reel Bad Arabs

Author Bio

Peter Gottschalk is professor of religion at Wesleyan University. His bookswhich includeAmerican HereticsandReligion, Science, and Empiredraw on his research and experience in India, Pakistan, and the United States. Gabriel Greenberg serves as the rabbi of a synagogue in New Orleans, where he lives with his family.