Muslim by Nature
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Islamophobia is a form of racism because it goes beyond mere religious prejudice, where individuals are targeted based on cultural, racial, and ethnic markers.
The racialization of Islam began historically with the Spanish Inquisition, where Muslims (referred to as Moors) were associated with darker skin, despite no real difference in appearance from Catholics. Over time, Islam became racialized through cultural traits like language, dress, and customs, even when physical characteristics were not distinct.
This process of racialization extended well into the 20th century, which can be seen clearly in cases dealing with citizenship rights. The United States struggled with issues of racial identity and citizenship for Syrians and South Asians. In one case, Faras Shahid, an Arab Christian, was denied naturalization based on his "Arab" identity, which was wrongly conflated with Islamic practices. This demonstrates how religious affiliation was used to racialize individuals. In fact, Rana points out that "Arab Christians who, paradoxically, were racialized as the religious other of white European Christianity" were treated as outsiders because their ethnic and cultural practices were inherently seen to be Muslim by nature.
For a long time, scholarship on race largely ignored the relationship between religion and race, until the 1990s. This silence, Rana argues, was shaped by a shift in academic thought that emphasized culture and ethnicity over race and biology. During this period, "concessionary multiculturalism" sought to acknowledge cultural diversity while downplaying the role of race, as the concept of race was often dismissed as "outdated" or rooted in "biological determinism.” This shift, she claims, left little room for understanding how religious and cultural differences were historically racialized. Ironically, this led to a failure to recognize how Islamophobia is not a matter of religious prejudice but racialized discrimination.
In light of this, the Conservative objections to Bill M-103, which sought to address Islamophobia in Canada, can be better understood. Some MPs criticized the bill for "singling out" Islamophobia and argued that it would inhibit free speech and criticism of Islam. However, this argument fails to distinguish between legitimate theological debate and the racialized, prejudiced attacks Muslims face as a group. Critics who argue that addressing Islamophobia could limit free speech are misunderstanding (or intentionally misconstruing) the issue, ultimately conflating free speech with racialized bigotry.