Muslim Perspectives on Islamophobia: From Misconceptions to Reason

The Islamic positioning of Islamophobia is presented in this book. Through ‘Islamic’ or ‘Muslim’ perspectives, the book engages with various Islamic texts and discourses (spoken and written) emanating from preachers and scholars of Islam to discuss the points of convergence and divergence with the Western interpretation of the phenomenon. The book aims to look at Islamophobia from a hitherto unexplored angle by first analyzing the points of convergence and divergence between the internal (Muslim) and external (Western) perspectives, and then by providing new approaches to curbing Islamophobia through a holistic spiritual dimension of Islam and cultural memory. The book contends that the bridges of understanding between the ‘East’ and the ‘West’ can only be built if some of Islam’s theological concepts, such as the place of reason in Islam, are reinterpreted by considering the Islamic perspectives. While the book acknowledges previous work on Islamophobia, it contributes to a deeper understanding of Islamophobia in its internal and external manifestations by considering the theoretical frameworks of racism and xenophobia. Readers interested in Islamic studies and anti-racism narratives would find this book’s eclectic approach and balanced perspective of the phenomenon informative and enlightening.

Zouhir Gabsi is a senior lecturer in Arabic and Islamic studies and Course Director (languages) at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Zouhir’s recent contributions to research on cultural studies and Islamophobia pushed the boundaries of knowledge and reinstated the place of language in sociological, political, and religious narratives.