Islamophobia: An Introduction to the Academic Field, Methods, and Approaches

Abstract

Academic fields, even those with established records of examining marginalized communities, are still early in the process of examining 'othering' of Islam and Muslims and the racialization of its followers. Moreover, in a broadly secular society and in secular universities in areas such as the USA and Europe, Islam and its adherents are not considered participants or partners in the affairs of 'civil society', thus relegating the subject to a single field of religious studies or possibly Middle/Near Eastern Studies. This has resulted in a structural marginalization of the study of Islamophobia at the university. The 'war on terror' single focus on the Muslim subject and Islam created a global context for the deployment of Islamophobic discourses to rationalize pernicious and highly discriminatory policies across the world. It also brought the field into an early and speedy level of maturity, giving researchers accelerated engagement with power, racism, militarism, and scholarly production and an accelerated level of scholarly production. The Islamophobia Studies field is a budding enterprise, and this volume and its unique contributions in the intersectionality of healthcare, mental health, and anti-Muslim discourses are an illustration of this precise point. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)