06 Jul 2023 | Policy/Law

Report on #BankingWhileMuslim Analyzes Financial Islamophobia

A March 2023 study from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) analyzed survey data on banking challenges from financial institutions which millions of American Muslims face today. The study highlighted the impact these restrictions have on the ability for millions of American Muslims to run civic/charitable organizations, open personal bank accounts, or even buy movie tickets via PayPal and Venmo. read the complete article

12 Dec 2022 | Terms/Tropes

Western Double Standards & 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup

The recent controversies surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup revolve around an ongoing orientalist lens where Western pundits still continue to view the greater Muslim world laced in condescension and double standards not given to other non-Muslim countries, (like China or Russia) who get to host global sporting events without much controversy at all. read the complete article

31 May 2022 | Policy/Law

The Misappropriation of Islamic Terminology

Phrases such as “Christian Sharia Law” and “election jihad” do two things: 1) use Islam and Muslims as a point of reference for all things bad, evil, and unjust, and 2) acknowledge the negative connotations around Islamic terminology in the post-9/11 world and misappropriate these terms to manufacture a threat. Both scenarios are successful because the association of Islam and Muslims with danger is already ingrained in the public’s mind. It’s not only a replay of age-old orientalist thinking — everything “over there” is bad/uncivilized, and “we” are not “them” — but it’s also a sort of linguistic Islamophobia, instrumentalizing Islamic terminology to connect Muslims with danger, violence, and oppression. read the complete article

27 Sep 2021 | Terms/Tropes

Factsheet: Reconquista Trope

IMPACT: The historical myth of the Reconquista has been one of the most recurrent tropes used by far-right parties in Spain. The controversial concept—contested by many scholars— has been reappropriated, misinterpreted, and misused to build... read the complete article

27 May 2021 | Terms/Tropes

Factsheet: Unaccompanied Minor Children (Los MENAs)

MENAs (Menor Extranjero no Acompañado, or “Unaccompanied Foreign Minors”) is the term used to describe minors (under the age of eighteen) who arrive in Spain with no parents or guardians. The children come primarily from North Africa and are predominately Muslim. In recent years, right-wing politicians and groups in Spain have targeted and stigmatized them by employing anti-Muslim tropes.  read the complete article

27 May 2021 | Terms/Tropes

Factsheet: Menor Extranjero no Acompañando (Los MENAs)

España se ha convertido en un país receptor de emigrantes. Entre estos emigrantes también hay menores de edad que no tienen referencias personales en España. Son los denominados MENA (Menor Extranjero no Acompañado). Se trata de menores de 18 años procedentes en su mayor parte del Norte de África y por lo tanto musulmanes. En los últimos años, los MENA han sido objeto de crítica por parte de algunos sectores de la sociedad española. read the complete article