Racism and stereotyping of muslims in post 9/11 USA

“Ethnic identity and aspects of belief and cultural practice are relatively long lived in many cultures. This is witnessed acutely in the way Muslims have been treated since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Any distinctive features of dress, especially headscarves, hijab, or other traditional Muslim coverings have been seen to mark out Muslims”. Muslims are being isolated from other communities after 9/11.

Analysis using Marxist Theory:

Marx defines racism simply as a capitalistic weapon which it can use to exploit the colonies or to create colonies. Racism is always exploited by capitalism to justify the exploitation in the colonies or the working class. After 9/11 Muslims were stereotyped as terrorists both inside and outside of USA which helped in a creation of racism against their religion. It not only helped to weigh a war upon Afghanistan but it also helped to justify war against Iraq.

Capitalist has been using different justifications for making colonies. The racism against Muslim world has helped US to get a moral support from other communities which ultimately help US in modern type of colonization. Since racism is not a universal concept but it is constructed socially as per the need, this helps the elite to take a legal authority of ideology and intervention. As per Marx, racism against the Muslims helped the United States to weigh war against Iraq and exploit the oil resources present there. 

Analysis Using Foucault’s discourse Theory:

In this case, Foucault’s discourse theory explains this racism as a different way. It argues that racism is another type of government which is bio-political and created to manage and control the population. So, racism is a designed by government itself.

The discourse developed after 9/11 also helps to explain this. The image constructed by the western Medias about Muslims created a different effect upon the other communities. Now the world divides into two distinct Muslim and non-Muslim community and it is very easy for the super power to manage the unwanted attacks. It has not only divided the world into two different communities but also helped to neglect the extreme government policies by the general public. This theory of what must live and what must die has helped to fragment the society and helped the government to control all the fragments whenever it wants.

Analysis using Bourdieu Theory:

The theory of Bourdieu known as “habitus” explains this event in a different way. The construction of image or stereotype during a discourse of a certain community is affected by the environment of the individual he grows up with. The surrounding of the individual and his exposure towards different aspects of life makes him shape his thinking towards a particular group. From a long time in the history the Muslim has been potrayed as dangerous people by the media. The use of name Muslim terrorists to denote the terrorists of muslim religion by media has been frequently repeated by the media which has shaped the stereotypic image of Muslims in the west. Followed by 9/11 the image grew worse. This is the main cause why the racism against muslims in the west grew much crucial. This image later worked easily on the individuals of other communities to make their view towards the muslims. This helped the western governments to get moral support from its own people to weigh war against Iraq and Afghanistan.

Looking at this case, the Bourdieu’s theory can explain the case in much simpler way than the others. The concept of Muslims in the western people’s mind and the potryal of media over a long period of time has created a very bad image of Muslims in them. So, this type of racism has commonly evolved and taken this form.  

References:

Spencer, Steve. Race and Ethnicity: Culture, Identity and Representation. London: Routledge, 2006. Print.