A conference on “Islam, Political Islam, and Islamophobia” will be held on March 29-30, 2013 at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
Muslims representing all strata of society throughout the world face an extraordinary degree of negative attention from both public and government eyes often resulting in discriminatory practices. These practices, born of stereotypical descriptions and definitions of “Islam” and “Muslims,” are connotative of the level of fear and hatred in many parts of the world when topics concerning this religion and its adherents arise.
This conference will attempt to clarify this phenomenon by examining intersections between Islam, political Islam, Islamophobia, and human rights. How does Islamophobia resemble other forms of social prejudice, and in what ways does it differ? What is the political function of Islamophobia? To what degree and in what ways is Islamophobia fed by the actions of political Islam? To what degree does the politicization of Islam exacerbate the victimization of Muslims? To what degree do the militant operations of political Islam serve as an excuse for those who intend to legitimize and institutionalize prejudice against Muslims? To what degree is prejudice a result of ignorance or lack of understanding of Islam and its followers?
For more details, contact turk@indiana.edu