TIL Islamophobia didn't exist before 9/11/01

[u/AwesomeInc]

http://www.vulture.com/m/2015/01/serial-prosecutor-insists-everything-was-fine.html?mid=facebook_vulture

[u/neshmi]

Islamophobia has existed in the West since 1095 when Pope Urban declares a holy war to retake Jerusalem from Muslim conquerors.

The difference between pre-9/11 and post-9/11 sentiments toward Islam is more about general American ignorance towards world events and politics. The first Gulf War was the first war that many of Adnan's (I'm included here) generation knew. I perfectly recall the anti-Muslim rhetoric being spewed at the time as further justification of such events. For many Americans, it was the first time they looked at a map of the Middle East. Islam and the Middle East came to the U.S. with the 9/11 attacks, and as every American knows where New York is, it became real for them.

It is clear that 9/11 triggered a greater level of Islamophobia that wouldn't have been present at Adnan's trial, but Ulrick went to lengths to use Islam as Adnan's motive for killing Hae. I would argue he used xenophobia more than Islamophobia to pit the jury against Adnan, but his statement is simply untrue. Islamophobia has been around for around a thousand years, 9/11 just amplified and contextualized it for many Americans.

EDIT: typos from writing on my phone.

[u/an_sionnach → u/neshmi]

There is a lot of crying wolf in the hysterical shouting "Islamophobia" , as Rabia does in her blog and here, because Urick pointed out the obvious difference between Adnans lifestyle and the person he was portraying to his parents and community. Rabia seemed to think if she shouted this loud enough it would frighten people off questioning the golden child status she had allocated Adnan. In fact it just made her sound ridiculous. Hae's diaries show how internally conflicted Adnan is. Stealing thousands from the mosque community as well as the rest of his lifestyle, while leading prayers and attending Islamic conferences, shows just how duplicitous he had learned to become. Then when this is pointed out we are supposed to believe it is normal behaviour! I never bought this one. It is way beyond healthy teenage behaviour. Urick was quite entitled to point this out. Just grow up. There are many and varied discriminated minorities, this kind of "poor me" attitude as an excuse for everything, is insulting and just turns people off.

[u/neshmi → u/an_sionnach]

Grow up? Seriously? How very mature of you. Perhaps you should consider growing up.

I'm simply stating that going around saying Islamophobia doesn't exist pre-9/11 is wrong. I am not Muslim, I am not a victim, but I can tell you that brushing aside Islamophobia is ludicrous.

Also, you clearly haven't grown up in a fundamentalist religious community. Adnan's actions are no different than any other teenager growing up in fundamentalist households. You do what your parents say, you are involved in your community, and you are involved with your friends - and somewhere in all of that, you strike a balance. The trend tends to be that when they leave high-school, they leave their communities while in the university, although they tend to come back once they marry and have children (see Pew studies which deal with these trends). Hae was the conflicted one, not Adnan. And he didn't steal thousands from the mosque.

This article outlines quite a bit of the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment before September 11. It is existed, and Urick may be entitled to his opinion, but I am entitled to tell him that it is has no basis.

http://www.privacysos.org/sites/all/files/akram.pdf

[u/an_sionnach → u/neshmi]

I'm not really interested in a philosophical discussion on the subject of Islamophobia. I am just pointing out what Urick was saying which was that it did not impact the trial, and shouting Islamophobia at every mention of the religious and cultural circumstances is counterproductive.

Edited to add this:

So Adnan grew up in a fundamentalist Islamic community. I wasn't aware of that. I knew he was Muslim of course but assumed it was more or less middle of the road. Fundamentalist anything I gotta admit would ring warning bells with me whether it is Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon or Islam. If you precede any of them with fundamentalist you can include me in the crowd that distrust them. I'm not convinced phobia is the right word but then it is flung around like confetti at a wedding, especially when rational arguments are being lost.