Islamophobia in the Making

About this lecture

In this powerful lecture, the speaker examines Islamophobia as part of a long American history of fear-based persecution of minorities, drawing parallels to the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and anti-Semitism. He argues that Islamophobia is not really about Muslims — it is about the erosion of constitutional rights, showing how post-9/11 policies like the PATRIOT Act and selective prosecutions undermine the very freedoms America was founded on. He challenges American Muslims to move beyond self-preservation and take up the mantle of defending civil liberties for all Americans, framing this as both a civic duty and a path to genuine acceptance and leadership.