Frequently Ask Questions
Can I volunteer for the Center?
Yes, please email and get in touch with us at hello@iphobiacenter.org. We can provide resume credit for high school and college students as internships for operational support for our live events and projects.
I am a scholar and want to have my research on islamophobia published. How can you help me?
Respond to our call for papers for our conferences, where your work can be marked for presentation and subsequent publication. Special reports and projects for mass specialized and targeted circulation can also be published on our networks provided the correct qualifications and expertise are met.
How useful is academic research on islamophobia?
Our reports are sent to congressional members for speaking engagements and we provide data points for speakers. Our research has also been entered into the congressional record. Outside of legislation our political allies are able to advocate on behalf of the community using academically sound research. This aids in moving away from reactionary to proactive policy making.
Isn’t Islamophobia is just a new made up word?
The use of the term Islamophobia in both French and English can be traced back to the early 20th century (with earlier versions like Mussulmanophobia and Turcophobia appearing in the late 19th century). Interestingly, the term racism itself emerged in the 1930s, making it a more recent addition compared to Islamophobia.
The key consideration is the purpose a word serves. Islamophobia helps us recognize and address cruelties and injustices directed at expressions of Muslim identity, whether real or perceived, that might otherwise go unnoticed and unchallenged.
Are there some things that are Islamophobic in all circumstances?
No, context is essential. A useful guideline is to substitute the word 'Muslim' in a statement with another minority and assess how it appears and sounds. Context is not solely about private intentions; it's a matter of public and social factors, taking into account what is said or done, who is saying or doing it, and the consequences. The risk of Islamophobia increases when the perpetrator holds a position of authority, influence, and has a history of making inflammatory statements, such as politicians, individuals writing for national media, or those with a substantial social media following. Discussions on comparable forms of racism also indicate that the risk of Islamophobia varies based on whether the perpetrators identify as Muslim and how they treat expressions of Muslim identity.
I am critical of all religions, including Islam; does that make me an Islamophobe?
Merely being critical of Islam or religions doesn't automatically categorize you as an Islamophobe. The label applies if you use language associated with Islamophobia to express your views. There exists a well-established but adaptable set of memes, references, phrases, and practices through which, in a given context, Muslim identity is expressed in an Islamophobic manner.
By Hisham Audi
There is much to say about Chouki El Hamel’s Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race and Islam (2015), but I will focus the discussion below on six points: 1/the “ancient hatreds” argument he constructs to explain racism and slavery in Morocco, in particular the culturalist thrust running through the book, whereby complex economic and political processes are reduced to racist or theological beliefs; 2/El Hamel’s claim that much writing about slavery in North Africa claims the institution was benign 3/how he categorises Moroccans into three bounded categories – Black, Arab and Berber 4/his claim that the Gnawa Sufi order is a “diaspora” and a “distinct ethnic group” that longs for an imaginary homeland 5/ his questionable use of national archives, and selective rendering of classic writing on slavery and jinn belief in Morocco and 6/ his reluctance to address how colonial (and post-colonial) state policy affected ethno-racial politics in Morocco.