Arora & Rana on Islamophobia
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Sikhs are often mistaken as Muslims, they look different and have multiple religious symbols which makes them stand out but also put in the same "category" as the Muslims, but my question is why just "Muslims" and why not Jews or Hinduism or any other religion that displays their respective religious symbols. As Arora speaks about anti-sikh violence, she doesn’t throw Muslims or other racial minorities under the bus. If anything she brings forth a feeling of being ‘one’ as Sikhs and Muslims, as the minorities go through the same hatred crime. “I refuse to identify myself as 'not Muslim' and thus validate hate crimes against Muslims,” (Arora). Kamal is making a strong stance against Islamophobia, acknowledging that discrimination against one minority group feeds into the larger cycle of racism and xenophobia. Even though the Wisconsin shooting took place before 9/11, we can see that there was racism perpetuated before the incident. It makes me wonder if it’s the lack of knowledge or ignorance towards other religious minorities that the Western countries fail to address in their societies or if it’s simply the fear of the unknown. Kamal responds to islamophobia by creating common ground through religious symbols worn by Sikhs and Muslims, “turbaned Sikh men and Muslim women who wear hijab are united in the fact that it is often those who wear visible signs of religious difference on their gendered bodies that are targeted for such hateful attacks.” Her reference to the turbaned Sikh men and Muslim women in hijabs being targeted due to their visible religious symbols invites a deeper reflection on how the Western gaze often fixates on outward expressions of cultural or religious identity. In doing so, Kamal touches on the intersectionality of religion, gender, and race, pointing out that those whose religious markers are visible on their gendered bodies are often subjected to more intense scrutiny and violence.
Rana brings forth a really interesting theory, moving from race to culture to analyze the differences created in society. This "post-race" notion where race is dismissed as a biological concept, at the same time islamophobia is excluded when we discuss racism because religion is seen as a social practice, not something biologically determined. Rana suggests that the secular logic of religious beliefs and practice means that religion is treated as a personal or cultural choice rather than an inherent or biological trait. The idea of a secular perspective reduces Islam to a cultural practice, disconnecting it from racial categories and thus framing islamophobia as cultural bias. But what about perspectives that see religious differences as a natural, inherent trait? And how do we account for "anti-muslim" identity? Understanding Islamophobia as a form of racism requires acknowledging these connections, rather than relying on secular assumptions about religion as merely a cultural practice.