In response to the events of 9/11; the Bush administration launched a “war on terror;†ushering in an era of anti-Muslim racism; or Islamophobia. However; 9/11 did not create the image of the "Muslim enemy." This book examines the historic relationship between anti-Muslim racism and the agenda of empire building.Beginning in the eleventh century and the context of the Crusades; Deepa Kumar offers a sweeping historical analysis of the changing views of Islam and Muslims in the West; examining the ways that ruling elites throughout history have used the specter of a “Muslim enemy†to justify their imperial projects.The language of Islamophobia that was developed in the context of the European colonization of the Middle East continues to thrive today in the United States. Kumar expertly exposes and debunks various myths about Muslims and Islam that have become widely accepted in the US.She goes on to analyze the US's checkered attitude towards the parties of political Islam; outlining how it has treated Islamists as both allies and enemies. By examining local conditions that have allowed for the growth of Islamists; Kumar shows that these parties are not inevitable in Muslim-majority countries but are rather a contemporary phenomenon similar to the rise of Christian; Jewish; and Hindu fundamentalisms.The final section of the book sheds light on how the use of Islamophobia in justifying foreign policy necessitates and facilitates political repression at home. Attacks on Muslim Americans have spread to attacks on dissent in general. Kumar concludes by making a powerful case for a grassroots movement that challenges anti-Muslim racism and the projects of empire.Deepa Kumar is an associate professor of media studies and Middle East studies at Rutgers University and the author of Outside the Box: Corporate Media; Globalization and the UPS Strike. Kumar has contributed to numerous outlets including the BBC; USA Today; and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
#580253 in Books 2013-03-13 2013-03-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.20 x 1.00 x 5.60l; .65 #File Name: 1605984140336 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Extremely well-written memoir of Japanese-Americans interned during WWII. Informative and moving.By Diane L. LybbertThis is a wonderful memoir. The author as an adult interviews her Japanese grandmother; whom she never really knew that well while she was growing up. As she spends time with her; she comes to know; understand; and love the old woman. She learns the details of the difficulty those Americans of Japanese extraction faced after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in WWII and the subsequent distrust; prejudice; and ultimately imprisonment of many of them as the war played out. Kimi's grandmother was a teenager when her family was forced to rid themselves of their home; most of their worldly goods; and their relationships after many years living in California. They could take with them only what they could carry; and were placed on a bus to an internment camp in Pamona; CA; and then to a camp in Wyoming which was to be their 'permanent' home until....? They didn't know how long or what would become of them later. Her young grandmother meets a boy in the camp; and they soon become engaged. Once married; they tried to make as normal a life as possible in the camp; and faced an uncertain future. The book is very well written; and brings to life a shameful time in our country's past. We learn about the hope and resilience of the internees; who continue to love America even while being imprisoned there. My only negative comment is that I wish the author had included some pictures. She describes several photographs in the narrative; but I would love to have seen them in the book.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful!By Jujy-NebraskaI really loved this book! It is a not often told story of the resilience of some of our Greatest Generation.Many are not familiar with the Japanese interment during WW II and how our citizens of Japanese ancestry were treated.The author's sensitivity to her grandmother's story and their relationship made the story profound for me0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Understanding More about WW2 Japanese IncarcerationBy Yvonne PittsI had a friend in junior high and high school who was born in a Japanese relocation camp in Albuquerque NM. She didn't; of course; remember much about it; and her parents never talked about; certainly not to her friends. I remember feeling embarrassed that this has happened in my town. Learning more about that time and the peoplethat we're affected; has helped me realize again that we Americans must not repeat this. An entire culture or ethnicity must not be blamed and punished for the acts of some members of that culture.
