FYS 15 Islamophobia, Anti-Arab Racism, and Muslim Exceptionalism
Arabs and Muslims are exceptional figures in the American imagination. A "bad" Muslim is exceptionally religious, violent, conservative, and anti-democratic. Conversely, a "good" Muslim can only be an exceptional one. This course will introduce students to approaches in religious studies, ethnic studies, and critical race theory toward a critical examination of Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in the US. We will ask: How do race, religion, and ethnicity interact to produce exceptional stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims? How are non-Arab Muslims racialized as Arabs and non-Muslim Arabs as Muslims? How does such racialization foster a culture of suspicion and normalize practices of surveillance against Arabs and Muslims? How do efforts to combat Islamophobia as a form of religious prejudice end up obscuring anti-Muslim racism? Finally, how do we make sense of exceptions to free speech, international law, human rights, academic freedom, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that undermine the rights and human dignity of Arabs and Muslims? Open only to first-year frosh.