More than two decades after 9/11, Islamophobia remains a force in American public life. Government policies, post-9/11 surveillance, social media, and political rhetoric have contributed to persistent suspicion toward Muslim Americans, despite President George W. Bush’s early statement that Islam was not the face of terror.
FBI statistics recorded 481 reported anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2001, up from 28 the previous year. Today, anti-Muslim rhetoric continues online and in electoral politics, while public opinion about Islam has become increasingly polarized.
How did Islamophobia become embedded in American political discourse, and what role do government policies, social media, and election campaigns play in perpetuating it?
Joining us on Arab Talk is Mobashra Tazamal, Associate Director of the Bridge Initiative, whose work examines the discourse surrounding the War on Terror and state-sponsored Islamophobia worldwide.
