Diagnosis of the Syndrome of Islamophobia: History, Interpretation and Critique

Diagnosis of the Syndrome of Islamophobia: History, Interpretation and Critique

HO Wai-yip

This article explores the emerging and the global proliferation of Islamophobia in the Post-9/11 era. It is argued that the 9/11 terrorist attack not only inaugurated the “War on Terror,” altering the Post-Cold War geopolitics, it also gave rise to Islamophobia, a neglected but hostile culture that shapes the global perception towards Islam (as a religion) and Muslims (as a community). This article asserts that Islamophobia has its historical roots and sociological significance in the West. Tracing from the legacy of Orientalism, the Western project of modernity, and the Abrahamic monotheistic tradition, this article contends that Islamophobia, as a contemporary expression of social exclusion, is rooted in the Occidental perception of the Orient, the inherent logic of the modernity project, and the selections of inter-religious impacts within the Judeo-Christian-Islamic heritage. Understanding the globalization of Islamophobia as a possible wave of new Holocaust, this article concludes by critiquing Islamophobia and appealing to the Christian ethic of caring for the “Other” during the process of cultural globalization.