Though the word itself literally means an irrational fear or distrust of Islam and Muslims, similar to other phobias, Islamophobia is the idea that Islam is inherently incompatible with Western ideals.
Though the word itself literally means an irrational fear or distrust of Islam and Muslims, similar to other phobias, Islamophobia is the idea that Islam is inherently incompatible with Western ideals.
Ali Asani is Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures and Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University. A scholar of Islam in South Asia, Prof Asani's research focuses on Shia and Sufi devotional traditions in the region. In addition, he is interested in popular or folk forms of Muslim devotional life, Muslim communities in the West and the role of the arts in promoting religious literacy.
Eli Clifton is a reporting fellow with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute who focuses on money in politics and US foreign policy. Clifton is a co-author of the Center for American Progress's report "Fear Inc.: The Roots Of the Islamophobia Network In America," which tracked millions of dollars of funding for Islamophobic organizations in the U.S.
Matthew Duss is a Policy Analyst at American Progress, where his work focuses on U.S. national security policy in the Middle East, with a concentration on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Duss’ work also focuses on the issue of Islamophobia in the United States. He is a co-author of the Center’s 2011 report, “Fear, Inc: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” which tracked millions of dollars of funding for Islamophobic organizations in the U.S.
