In Search of Monsters to Destroy: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and US Imperialism

Deepa Kumar, Associate Professor of Media Studies & Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University

VIDEO

Febuary 29, Noon-1:20pm,  Fairhaven College Auditorium

2015 has been the worst year on record for Muslim Americans with an alarming rise in hate crimes. In this presentation, Prof. Kumar explains why fully 15 years after the events of 9/11, anti-Muslim racism has only continued to grow despite the fact that only 45 people have been killed in the US by Jihadists during that time. She argues that Islamophobia isn't simply about hate crimes; rather it is an ideology tied to a set of practices that serves the interests of various sections of the imperial state. Islamophobia is central to the logic of the War on Terror.