Towards a Theoretical Understanding of the Racialization of Religious Identity in the Post-9/11 Era
Concurrent Session C3 / Saturday.2008.Aug.9 / 11:00 AM / Mudd 100
Jaideep Singh, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA: singhplant@aol.com
In the contemporary United States, white and Christian supremacy have long been intertwined, often jumbled with a healthy dose of reckless nationalism. This sometimes lethal combination of bigotries has long blighted the daily lives of non-Christian communities of color. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Muslim Americans, and those mistaken for them- such as Sikhs, other South Asians, and dark-skinned people in general- suffered from a national hate crime epidemic of historic proportions, and an air of suspicion which continues to follow them through their daily lives.
While intense prejudice against members of these communities existed prior to 9/11, varying in intensity depending upon the specific site, the dilemma has been greatly magnified since the terrorist attacks. No longer are assaults on the theological beliefs, sacred sites, personal property, and bodies of non-Christian people of color clandestine Klan matters. Open Islamophobia pervades numberous Christian pulpits across the nation, not to mention talk radio and local rumor channels. The vulgar xenophobia embedded in the remarks of numerous, irresponsible public figures-primarily white men who profess allegiance to Christianity- has lain the groundwork for widespread, sometimes violent, expressions of bias-laden loathing directed at targeted communities by the masses. Vigilante racism has been normalized.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, not only have non-Christian faiths been openly denigrated by members of the majority, but the xenophobic cores of the nation's white and Christian supremacist streams of thought have melded and transformed. The consequence has been a condition in which minority faith traditions have accrued negative associations that have historically been coupled with race in the United States. Although race itself is still a determining component of this racialized coding, the identity includes dual aspects with racial and religious specificity. Again, although not a new phenomenon, this racialization of religious identity has been intensified in the post-9/11 era. This paper seeks to begin a discussion leading towards a theoretical understanding of this nationwide phenomenon.