Overview
In the minds of many Americans, Islam is synonymous with the Middle East, Muslim men with violence, and Muslim women with oppression. In the post-9/11 world, a clash of civilizations appears to be increasingly manifest and the War on Terror seems a struggle against Islam. These are symptoms of Islamophobia. The term "Islamophobia" accurately reflects the largely unexamined and deeply ingrained anxiety many Americans experience when considering Islam and Muslim cultures. Historically, Americans have seldom given voice to these anxieties since they have had, until the last half-century, few connections to Muslim cultures and a small domestic Muslim minority. However, in times of crisis, such as the Iranian hostage situation or, most recently, the September 11th attacks, the long-simmering resentments, suspicions, and fears inherited along with a Christian European heritage manifest themselves most directly in conditions that appear to affirm Americans' darkest concerns. Like a vicious cyclone feeding off of its own energy, Islamophobia takes uncommon events as evidence fitting its worst expectations and turns these into proof that perpetuates those ill-informed expectations. Islamophobia explores the presence of these anxieties through the political cartoon—the print medium with the most immediate impact. This book shows graphically how political cartoons dramatically reveal Americans' casual demonizing and demeaning of Muslims and Islam. And the villainizing is shown to be as common among liberals as conservatives. Islamophobia also discusses the misunderstanding of the Muslim world more generally, such as the assumption that Islam is primarily a Middle Eastern religion, where as the majority of Muslims live in South and Southeast Asia, and the misperception that a significant portion of Muslims are militant fundamentalists, where as only a small proportion are.Synopsis
In the spirit of Edward Said's Orientalism, this book graphically shows how political cartoons-the print medium with the most immediate impact-dramatically reveal Americans demonizing and demeaning Muslims and Islam. It also reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the Muslim world in general and issues a wake-up call to the American people.
Publishers Weekly
Gottschalk, a professor of religion at Wesleyan University, and his former student Greenberg analyze what Islamophobia is and how it is manifested through political cartoons, many of which are included with revealing results. The authors say that Islamophobia-a racistlike bias against Muslims based on stereotypes-is very real, manifesting in some cartoons that are obviously biased and others that appear on the surface to be more sympathetic. Cartoons, symbolic of wider feelings and paranoia about Islam, reflect misunderstandings and prejudice among Westerners and, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, often serve to widen cultural chasms, particularly between Muslims and American Christians. Symbols and caricatures, like the veil, the mosque, scimitars and large-nosed profiles, can be misused or conflicting; for example, the scimitar, frequently used to depict Muslim violence, is of doubtful Muslim heritage but is actually used in American military uniforms. Gottschalk and Greenberg offer a particularly chilling comparison of cartoon depictions of Jews prior to World War II and their Muslim counterpart caricatures today. Even cartoons mocking conservative Christians are more neutral and less intentional in their hatred, say the authors. With its incendiary cover art and on the heels of the Danish cartoon controversy, this book should attract well-deserved attention. (Oct.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Jack G. Shaheen
This ground-breaking book should be read and reread-readers will become acutely aware 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 although there exists a fine line between satire and racism.Bruce Lawrence
If 9/ll jolted Americans into a new awareness of Islam, it has produced less insight and understanding than caricature and fear. Part of the knowledge gap is due to Muslims themselves, but the larger problem derives from deliberate distortions projected via the media (radio, TV, print and the Internet) in concert with scurrilous scholarship and Christian right Islamophobes. This deftly constructed and amply illustrated volume by Gottschalk and Greenberg will expose Islamophobic distortions while also providing a much needed antidote to their public venom.John L. Esposito
As Islamophobia threatens to become the new anti-Semitism, Islamophobia: Making Islam the Enemy 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.Carl W. Ernst
Islamophobia is an important contribution to the understanding of prejudice as a common factor in American culture, particularly 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.Yvonne Haddad
A must read for anyone interested in understanding the underlying challenges that Muslims face in America. Provides an important insight into the stereotyping of Muslims that daily projects them as the different 'other.'Jane Smith
Islamophobia. Making Islam the Enemy is a very well-written, timely and incisive book about a topic that is finally starting to win the attention of the American public. The authors take the reader through a journey of Western suspicion and prejudicial depiction of the religion of Islam, from the Crusades to more recent political encounters with Muslim powers. They present a fascinating review of American media presentations of Islam and Muslims, including film, television and political cartoons. Islamophobia is a fairly presented, sharply critical exposé of the roots and manifestations of western fear and suspicion of this important world religion. It should be required of every high school and college student of history, political science and American social studies.Winter 2008 Middle East Journal
Contains a thoughtful discussion and is bound to stimulate interest among readers.Contemporary Islam, December 3, 2008
This slim volume by Gottschalk and Greenberg is a splendid teaching tool for classroom use, not only because it provides a readily accessible narrative about American stereotyping of Islam and Muslims, but also due to its focus on the political cartoon.This would be a beneficial text for undergraduate courses on Islam or the Middle East, since it is both accessible and tackles a popular art form that has almost universal appeal.
Publishers Weekly
Gottschalk, a professor of religion at Wesleyan University, and his former student Greenberg analyze what Islamophobia is and how it is manifested through political cartoons, many of which are included with revealing results. The authors say that Islamophobia-a racistlike bias against Muslims based on stereotypes-is very real, manifesting in some cartoons that are obviously biased and others that appear on the surface to be more sympathetic. Cartoons, symbolic of wider feelings and paranoia about Islam, reflect misunderstandings and prejudice among Westerners and, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, often serve to widen cultural chasms, particularly between Muslims and American Christians. Symbols and caricatures, like the veil, the mosque, scimitars and large-nosed profiles, can be misused or conflicting; for example, the scimitar, frequently used to depict Muslim violence, is of doubtful Muslim heritage but is actually used in American military uniforms. Gottschalk and Greenberg offer a particularly chilling comparison of cartoon depictions of Jews prior to World War II and their Muslim counterpart caricatures today. Even cartoons mocking conservative Christians are more neutral and less intentional in their hatred, say the authors. With its incendiary cover art and on the heels of the Danish cartoon controversy, this book should attract well-deserved attention. (Oct.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information