By: The American boogeyman of terrorist threats, often used to further war and military intervention, comes with domestic consequences. In the United States, Muslim houses of worship have been inundated with threats of bodily harm and property destruction, as well as seen items like pig’s heads and desecrated Qurans left on their doorsteps.
According to a recent report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), there was a 91-percent spike in hate crimes against Muslims in the first part of this year compared to the same period in 2016. The abuses Muslims have faced include targeted harassment, FBI intimidation, discriminatory legislation and violent assaults.
The role that the media has played in stoking fears of a Muslim menace can’t be discounted, especially when it comes to how they cover violence. Journalist Mehdi Hasan has argued that this disparity is most obvious when a Muslim is involved in a terrorist act, as the media tends to give it much more coverage than similar incidents involving non-Muslims.
From print media to the programs and films watched on a daily basis, Muslims are often seen through a single lens: as barbarians. This portrayal has real-life impact. Nearly half of Americans believe U.S. Muslims are “anti-American,” and the overall view of Muslims remains deeply negative.
