Islamophobia and anti-Indigenous racism
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Rana links anti-Indigenous racism to Orientalism and Islamophobia. Before the Europeans arrived in America, Christians were fighting Muslims and Jews. They were the enemies of white Christianity. In America, Christians faced Indigenous people. In both the old world and the ‘new’ world, Christians considered the other people with a different religion as inferiors. The philosophers of the Enlightenment wrote about the ‘uncivilized’ Muslims and Indigenous people. Islam was considered at the margin of Europe; they were “the infidel savages” and “the slaves/ captives” in North Africa. The pretend inferiority of Muslims in North Africa was considered a ‘good’ enough reason for Christians to enslave them.
Indigenous people were also at the margin of European philosophical thought. Encounters with Indigenous people in America led people in Europe to believe that they were “savages.” Even the romanticized image of the “noble savage” was still condescending and racist and contributed to the creation of a hierarchy by Christians where Indigenous people were inferiors. As we have seen before, the romanticization of the Orient is also harmful and racist.
In both cases, Christians considered the sexual practices of Muslims in North Africa and Indigenous people immoral. Indigenous women were perceived as promiscuous because they did not fit the European ideal of how a woman should behave. Indigenous men and Muslims in North Africa were seen as perverse and not masculine enough.
Islamophobia and anti-Indigenous racism were intertwined. Husains explains that racism is “a system of oppression underpinned by material interests and state power” (p.4). It showcases the fragility of white Christian supremacy and the need to create hierarchies to reinforce the system. I wonder if today, Islamophobia and anti-Indigenous racism are still intertwined. -
To me, Islamophobia and anti-Indigenous racism are deeply intertwined and continue to persist today. Both Indigenous and Muslim identities are complex and differ across the world, making it easier for those in power to create hierarchical narratives. What makes these struggles so connected is that 'Indigeneity' takes different forms. For example, the Indigenous peoples of North Africa, such as the Amazigh, are often Muslim, creating a layered identity that can be exploited to perpetuate white Christian supremacy. As you pointed out, both Indigenous and Muslim identities have been historically portrayed as ‘savage’ and uncivilized, reinforcing the same colonial and dehumanizing narratives.
On a more personal note, I recently had an experience highlighting the need for solidarity. In a discussion about our environment class, I mentioned my interest in exploring the intersection of colonialism and environmental issues. The person responded bluntly: ‘I don’t care about Indigenous or whatever.’ At the time, I was unsure how to respond—not just as an Amazigh person, but out of respect for Indigenous communities everywhere.
Reflecting on it now, that comment reaffirmed for me that even though Islamophobia and anti-Indigenous racism may manifest differently today, they are deeply intertwined through a shared colonial history. This connection makes solidarity all the more important in confronting both.