A Global Racial Enemy Muslims and 21st-Century Racism

Prejudice against Muslims has a long and complex history, shaped over many centuries. In recent decades, discrimination, violence, and human rights abuses against Muslims have taken a significant turn, with rising reports and discussions of Islamophobia across the globe. However, as the authors of A Global Racial Enemy argue, much of the conversation has missed the key features of this increasingly insidious phenomenon.

This original book puts race at the center of the analysis, exposing the global racialization of Muslims. With special attention paid to the United States, China, India, and the United Kingdom, the authors examine both the unique national contexts and – crucially – the shared characteristics of anti-Muslim racism. They uncover how a range of counterterrorism policies, from hyper-surveillance to racialized policing, and the ensuing representation of Islam have taken a decisive role in shaping social life for Muslims and have worked across borders to justify and institutionalize an acceptable, state-sponsored face of racism.

Ultimately, A Global Racial Enemy argues that Islamophobia is a symptom of a global and powerful form of twenty-first-century racism.

Saher Selod is Associate Professor of Sociology at Simmons University.
Inaash Islam is Assistant Professor of Sociology at St Michael’s College.
Steve Garner is a sociologist, formerly of Texas A&M University.

Introduction – Muslim Global Racialization: 21st-Century Racism

Chapter 1 – Muslim Histories: Contextualizing the Global War on Terror

Chapter 2 – The Media and the Racialization of Muslims: Constructing a Global Threat

Chapter 3 – The Global Racialization of Muslims and the Rise in Nationalism and Populism

Chapter 4 – Global Counterterrorism Policies: Racializing Muslims via Surveillance, Policing, and Detention

Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here? Possibilities for Resistance and Further Securitization