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Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms
When a murderous psychopath goes on a killing spree, law enforcement officials and the media never make his religion the central issue—unless he happens to be a Muslim. Then it sets off another frenzied wave of commentary about the inherent evils that lurk within the Muslim faith. From Fox News talking heads, who regularly smear Muslim leaders as secret terrorists, to Bill Maher, who has made Islam a routine target, it has become widely acceptable to libel a religion with a following of over 1.5 billion people—nearly one-quarter of the world’s population. Now popular commentator Arsalan Iftikhar—better known as “The Muslim Guy”—offers a spirited defense of his faith that is certain to win him wide acclaim—and yes, another round of overheated scolding from the usual media quarters.
Iftikahr’s spirited defense of his faith is certain to hit a chord during the 2016 campaign season, as politicians and pundits vie to be the toughest on the block when it comes to escalating the hostilities in the Middle East, often demonizing Islam in the process. With his witty and levelheaded demeanor, the author will cut through all the sound and fury as a voice of sanity and reason.
Iftikahr’s spirited defense of his faith is certain to hit a chord during the 2016 campaign season, as politicians and pundits vie to be the toughest on the block when it comes to escalating the hostilities in the Middle East, often demonizing Islam in the process. With his witty and levelheaded demeanor, the author will cut through all the sound and fury as a voice of sanity and reason.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
19 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Arsalan Iftikhar
5 books15 followersArsalan Iftikhar (born September 1, 1977, Norfolk, Virginia, United States) is an American human rights lawyer, global media commentator and author of the book SCAPEGOATS: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies & Threatens Our Freedoms which President Jimmy Carter called “an important book that shows Islamophobia must be addressed urgently.”
Arsalan is the founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and he also serves as senior editor for The Islamic Monthly magazine. He has been an adjunct professor of religious studies at DePaul University and he is also a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders). He also won the 2013 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
In May 2011, Arsalan was named one of the top 12 Muslim Twitter accounts in the world by The Huffington Post, and he was also a featured interview for a December 2012 ABC News documentary called "Back to the Beginning" by Christiane Amanpour, on the shared origins of the major world religions today.
Arsalan is the founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and he also serves as senior editor for The Islamic Monthly magazine. He has been an adjunct professor of religious studies at DePaul University and he is also a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders). He also won the 2013 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
In May 2011, Arsalan was named one of the top 12 Muslim Twitter accounts in the world by The Huffington Post, and he was also a featured interview for a December 2012 ABC News documentary called "Back to the Beginning" by Christiane Amanpour, on the shared origins of the major world religions today.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 22, 2017
A short but very timely read, I breezed through this book and by all the quotes I added here, you should be able to tell that I found most of it very useful and quite interesting, even if disheartening at times. Definitely a must read for our current times....although sadly it most likely won't be read by the portion of the population that could benefit from it.
June 20, 2016
“Terrorism … The word that means nothing, yet justifies everything.” —Glenn Greenwald
Washington, DC author Arsalan Iftikhar presents his second book – his first ISLAMIC PACIFISM: Global Muslims in the Post Osama Era published in 2011. Now pesents a most timely new book – SCAPEGOATS: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms. Arsalan is an international human rights lawyer who according to NPRs Michael Martin has ‘become a go-to voice in American media, playing a variety of roles—explaining Islam, decrying Islamic extremism and also what he sees as rising islamophobia.’ Arsalan is also the founder of TheMuslimGuy.com, senior editor of The Islamic Monthly, and has spoken on the major media outlets.
In his Introduction he states, ‘As I was preparing to submit my first draft of this book to my publisher, I began to hear breaking news about the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, which ultimately claimed 130 innocent lives. For the next week, I spent all my time running between TV and radio studios here in Washington, D.C., doing interviews with Anderson Cooper on CNN, Chuck Todd and fellow panelist Tom Brokaw on NBC’s Meet the Press, on ABC News Nightline and National Public Radio, as well as on overseas networks like Al-Jazeera English (twice in three days) and CCTV, the largest English-language television news network in China. That was just in one week alone. Then, just as I was finishing my revisions on the book, news broke about the December 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, where a husband and wife Muslim couple named Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik murdered fourteen people in cold blood during a holiday party for the San Bernardino County health department where the husband worked. As the American public reeled from the latest explosion of mass violence— this one in an otherwise unremarkable suburban California community— the media was once again dominated by discussion of the purported “Muslim” nature of the mass murder. Lost in the all the frantic chatter about San Bernardino was the revelation that the male shooter, Rizwan Farook, had stopped going to mosque over two years prior to the bloodbath, and that one of his victims was a female Muslim colleague who actually attended the same mosque as the shooter once did. It also turned out that the killer’s own brother, Raheel Farook, is a decorated US Navy veteran, who has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. As with the Paris attacks less than three weeks before, I was again swept up in the media frenzy, asked to appear yet again on CNN, BBC World News, Al-Jazeera English, NPR, and ABC. Again, that was in just one week after San Bernardino. Welcome to the life of a Muslim public intellectual in post-9/ 11, post-Paris, post-San Bernardino, and post-whatever-comes-next-in-the-world. When irresponsible political leaders and media talking heads rush to demonize Islam and lump all Muslims— all 1.7 billion of us— with murderous terrorists, it falls to a few “go-to” professional Muslim public intellectuals like me to try to talk America down from that precipice ledge of hysteria. We’re not all terrorists, we’re a peace-loving religion, we condemn the destruction of innocent lives.’ This information about the author is pertinent to the drama that follows.
The excellent synopsis states, ‘When a murderous psychopath goes on a killing spree, law enforcement officials and the media never make his religion the central issue—unless he happens to be a Muslim. Then it sets off another frenzied wave of commentary about the inherent evils that lurk within the Muslim faith. From Fox News talking heads, who regularly smear Muslim leaders as secret terrorists, to Bill Maher, who has made Islam a routine target, it has become widely acceptable to libel a religion with a following of over 1.5 billion people—nearly one-quarter of the world’s population. Now popular commentator Arsalan Iftikhar—better known as “The Muslim Guy”—offers a spirited defense of his faith that is certain to win him wide acclaim—and yes, another round of overheated scolding from the usual media quarters. Iftikahr’s spirited defense of his faith is certain to hit a chord during the 2016 campaign season, as politicians and pundits vie to be the toughest on the block when it comes to escalating the hostilities in the Middle East, often demonizing Islam in the process. With his witty and levelheaded demeanor, the author will cut through all the sound and fury as a voice of sanity and reason.’
But all of this chatter from a reader profoundly moved by this book is impossible to review, so important are the issues. Add to the list of above mentioned events the recent Orlando, Florida PULSE slaughter, and we are left speechless. We MUST re-think our country’s attitude and look at each other as individuals – some consumed by madness, others cowering in the shadows of fear.
This is a powerful wakeup call. It is a must read book
Washington, DC author Arsalan Iftikhar presents his second book – his first ISLAMIC PACIFISM: Global Muslims in the Post Osama Era published in 2011. Now pesents a most timely new book – SCAPEGOATS: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms. Arsalan is an international human rights lawyer who according to NPRs Michael Martin has ‘become a go-to voice in American media, playing a variety of roles—explaining Islam, decrying Islamic extremism and also what he sees as rising islamophobia.’ Arsalan is also the founder of TheMuslimGuy.com, senior editor of The Islamic Monthly, and has spoken on the major media outlets.
In his Introduction he states, ‘As I was preparing to submit my first draft of this book to my publisher, I began to hear breaking news about the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, which ultimately claimed 130 innocent lives. For the next week, I spent all my time running between TV and radio studios here in Washington, D.C., doing interviews with Anderson Cooper on CNN, Chuck Todd and fellow panelist Tom Brokaw on NBC’s Meet the Press, on ABC News Nightline and National Public Radio, as well as on overseas networks like Al-Jazeera English (twice in three days) and CCTV, the largest English-language television news network in China. That was just in one week alone. Then, just as I was finishing my revisions on the book, news broke about the December 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, where a husband and wife Muslim couple named Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik murdered fourteen people in cold blood during a holiday party for the San Bernardino County health department where the husband worked. As the American public reeled from the latest explosion of mass violence— this one in an otherwise unremarkable suburban California community— the media was once again dominated by discussion of the purported “Muslim” nature of the mass murder. Lost in the all the frantic chatter about San Bernardino was the revelation that the male shooter, Rizwan Farook, had stopped going to mosque over two years prior to the bloodbath, and that one of his victims was a female Muslim colleague who actually attended the same mosque as the shooter once did. It also turned out that the killer’s own brother, Raheel Farook, is a decorated US Navy veteran, who has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. As with the Paris attacks less than three weeks before, I was again swept up in the media frenzy, asked to appear yet again on CNN, BBC World News, Al-Jazeera English, NPR, and ABC. Again, that was in just one week after San Bernardino. Welcome to the life of a Muslim public intellectual in post-9/ 11, post-Paris, post-San Bernardino, and post-whatever-comes-next-in-the-world. When irresponsible political leaders and media talking heads rush to demonize Islam and lump all Muslims— all 1.7 billion of us— with murderous terrorists, it falls to a few “go-to” professional Muslim public intellectuals like me to try to talk America down from that precipice ledge of hysteria. We’re not all terrorists, we’re a peace-loving religion, we condemn the destruction of innocent lives.’ This information about the author is pertinent to the drama that follows.
The excellent synopsis states, ‘When a murderous psychopath goes on a killing spree, law enforcement officials and the media never make his religion the central issue—unless he happens to be a Muslim. Then it sets off another frenzied wave of commentary about the inherent evils that lurk within the Muslim faith. From Fox News talking heads, who regularly smear Muslim leaders as secret terrorists, to Bill Maher, who has made Islam a routine target, it has become widely acceptable to libel a religion with a following of over 1.5 billion people—nearly one-quarter of the world’s population. Now popular commentator Arsalan Iftikhar—better known as “The Muslim Guy”—offers a spirited defense of his faith that is certain to win him wide acclaim—and yes, another round of overheated scolding from the usual media quarters. Iftikahr’s spirited defense of his faith is certain to hit a chord during the 2016 campaign season, as politicians and pundits vie to be the toughest on the block when it comes to escalating the hostilities in the Middle East, often demonizing Islam in the process. With his witty and levelheaded demeanor, the author will cut through all the sound and fury as a voice of sanity and reason.’
But all of this chatter from a reader profoundly moved by this book is impossible to review, so important are the issues. Add to the list of above mentioned events the recent Orlando, Florida PULSE slaughter, and we are left speechless. We MUST re-think our country’s attitude and look at each other as individuals – some consumed by madness, others cowering in the shadows of fear.
This is a powerful wakeup call. It is a must read book
July 17, 2016
How many times should we repeat history in this country by demonizing an entire group of people for the actions of a few nuts? Claiming you are religious, and then murdering people, demonstrates you clearly ARE NOT religious. Islam is not the problem in this country. The author takes time to show that Muslims in this country are also Americans--not jihadists!!
Racism and bigotry should have no place in this country or in any religion.
Racism and bigotry should have no place in this country or in any religion.
July 10, 2016
A very short book that should be read by everyone interested in a saner world. Anyone can be a scapegoat. Today it is Muslims who are being scapegoated. Many different groups have had their turn: American Blacks; American Germans in WWI; American Japanese in WWII; Jews throughout history; Catholics - think of the reaction to the Catholic John Kennedy: the president will be taking orders from the Vatican. The list, sadly, goes on and on.
March 22, 2017
Intriguing compilation of events, facts, and news stories -- but ultimately reads more like an emotionally charged OpEd than purpose-driven reporting. Still, worth a read on an important and timely topic.
March 9, 2017
This slim book packs a powerful message, partly because, in the few pages, the author illustrates case after case of anti-Muslim rhetoric while also illustrating the "pass" white American terrorist acts are given. I closed the book thinking that, unfortunately, there's enough new material to write a sequel.
August 10, 2024
"Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms" by Arsalan Iftikhar is a thought-provoking exploration of the rising fear and hostility toward Muslims in the United States, and how this affects not only Muslim communities but society as a whole. Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer, argues that after the 9/11 attacks, Muslims became unfairly blamed for terrorism, leading to widespread Islamophobia. This fear, he contends, has been manipulated by some politicians to justify laws and policies that unfairly target Muslims, eroding civil liberties and creating deep societal divisions.
The author makes strong arguments about how Islamophobia weakens democratic values and even aids terrorist groups by alienating Muslim communities, potentially driving some toward extremism. Iftikhar's central message is clear: to create a safer and more just society, we must stand against Islamophobia and protect the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of their religion.
However, it's important to approach this book with a balanced perspective. Since Iftikhar is a Muslim author, some readers might assume a bias, which is understandable. The book focuses heavily on the United States and highlights the serious wrongdoings of other faiths, particularly Christians, who have not faced the same scrutiny or consequences as Muslims today. While this focus is valid, it feels like it takes up a significant portion of the book, potentially overshadowing other important aspects.
As a Christian involved in interfaith work, with personal connections to Muslims through family and experiences in Muslim-majority countries, I want to express my deep regret for the atrocities committed in the name of religion. However, it's also crucial to recognize that not all Abrahamic religions share the same beliefs, as Iftikhar suggests.
If you choose to read this book, be aware that the author’s perspective is primarily Western-centric, and he may not fully address how Islam is practiced in other parts of the world. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of Islam, I recommend supplementing this book with other works that offer diverse viewpoints, such as Beth Peltola's writings on Islam or Nabeel Qureshi's 'No God but One: Allah or Jesus.'
Overall, 'Scapegoats' is a powerful and necessary read for understanding the consequences of Islamophobia, though it's essential to stay informed through multiple perspectives."
The author makes strong arguments about how Islamophobia weakens democratic values and even aids terrorist groups by alienating Muslim communities, potentially driving some toward extremism. Iftikhar's central message is clear: to create a safer and more just society, we must stand against Islamophobia and protect the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of their religion.
However, it's important to approach this book with a balanced perspective. Since Iftikhar is a Muslim author, some readers might assume a bias, which is understandable. The book focuses heavily on the United States and highlights the serious wrongdoings of other faiths, particularly Christians, who have not faced the same scrutiny or consequences as Muslims today. While this focus is valid, it feels like it takes up a significant portion of the book, potentially overshadowing other important aspects.
As a Christian involved in interfaith work, with personal connections to Muslims through family and experiences in Muslim-majority countries, I want to express my deep regret for the atrocities committed in the name of religion. However, it's also crucial to recognize that not all Abrahamic religions share the same beliefs, as Iftikhar suggests.
If you choose to read this book, be aware that the author’s perspective is primarily Western-centric, and he may not fully address how Islam is practiced in other parts of the world. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of Islam, I recommend supplementing this book with other works that offer diverse viewpoints, such as Beth Peltola's writings on Islam or Nabeel Qureshi's 'No God but One: Allah or Jesus.'
Overall, 'Scapegoats' is a powerful and necessary read for understanding the consequences of Islamophobia, though it's essential to stay informed through multiple perspectives."
August 9, 2017
This book is a must for anyone, especially the non-Muslims, to have an overview of the the root cause and factors that lead to the rising phenomenom of Islamophobia in the west, because the subjective notion of Islamphobia in the world is increasing by the day due to ignorance which leads to baseless fears of the people who belong to the Muslim faith. And this can help, if read with an open mind, to prevent future disasters both from the Islamophobes and the extremist.
The books provides facts like the statistics of the number of crimes comitted in the US soil by persons who has an Islamic background and percentage wise the numbers are very minimal. As the author stated humurously that Americans are likely to die in a faulty furniture than to a terrorist vilolence. In fact most of the vile crimes which claimed most lives in one incident were committed by white extreme right supremacists.
It also revealed in this book that the bigotry and prejudicial acts against the minorities in the US did not start on the post-9/11 incident. In otherwords, the clock of oppression committed against them did not start ticking after the attack on the World Trade Center, it started since time immemorial. The Jew, the Latinos, the Germans of which Donald Trump's ancestry belonged, the Japanese, and it goes without mentioning, the inhumane treatment against the Negroes in the past, all of them suffered the same fate that the Muslim minorities in America is facing right now.
Though this book is about the scapegoating of the Muslims in America where terroristic events were used to justify the arbitrary actions of the US authorities against them, it is very important to read it as I find it very similar to what is happening to other countries where Muslim are subjected to oppression by their very own government. What is happening to the Muslim in the US has also a large similiraties to what is happening to other Muslim minorties elswhere in this modern age. Hence the importance of reading this book to have a much broader perspective to what is happening right now in the world where Muslims are looked at collectively with an eye of contempt.
The books provides facts like the statistics of the number of crimes comitted in the US soil by persons who has an Islamic background and percentage wise the numbers are very minimal. As the author stated humurously that Americans are likely to die in a faulty furniture than to a terrorist vilolence. In fact most of the vile crimes which claimed most lives in one incident were committed by white extreme right supremacists.
It also revealed in this book that the bigotry and prejudicial acts against the minorities in the US did not start on the post-9/11 incident. In otherwords, the clock of oppression committed against them did not start ticking after the attack on the World Trade Center, it started since time immemorial. The Jew, the Latinos, the Germans of which Donald Trump's ancestry belonged, the Japanese, and it goes without mentioning, the inhumane treatment against the Negroes in the past, all of them suffered the same fate that the Muslim minorities in America is facing right now.
Though this book is about the scapegoating of the Muslims in America where terroristic events were used to justify the arbitrary actions of the US authorities against them, it is very important to read it as I find it very similar to what is happening to other countries where Muslim are subjected to oppression by their very own government. What is happening to the Muslim in the US has also a large similiraties to what is happening to other Muslim minorties elswhere in this modern age. Hence the importance of reading this book to have a much broader perspective to what is happening right now in the world where Muslims are looked at collectively with an eye of contempt.
October 3, 2017
As I was reading this, with the TV off and ignoring my social media feed, the story of the largest mass shooting in American history was unfolding unbeknownst to me. Because I consider myself somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum and a Christian, the greatest political frustration I experience is the sense that neither the "right" or the "left" seem to be able to work across the aisle. More and more, we seem to be putting people into boxes and are unwilling to open our eyes to the great complexity of an individual's political or religious beliefs, or that indeed an individual's political beliefs can be separate from their religious beliefs. Iftikhar is focused on the scapegoating of Muslims for acts of terror in America, but I read this with a wider lens. In today's political climate, there is a tendency to place the blame on those who disagree with us and feel entitled to our rage all members of a recognizable demographic.
Today, more stories are coming out of Las Vegas. At the time of writing this review, there is no known motivation for the shooter's actions. It is not at this time officially an act of terrorism though our terror is nonetheless real. This tragedy is somehow more difficult to grapple with because we cannot easily place the blame on an "other". It is likely that the outrage and fear this event has inspired will fade more quickly because the perpetrator belonged to the majority. It is likely that no new legislation will be taken in response because the cause (at least at this hour) is so difficult to pinpoint or even speculate on. For that reason, this is an important piece regardless of your belief system. In closing, Iftikhar says "As the means of violence and weapons of destruction become increasingly terrifying, we must find our common humanity before we annihilate ourselves into collective oblivion."
Today, more stories are coming out of Las Vegas. At the time of writing this review, there is no known motivation for the shooter's actions. It is not at this time officially an act of terrorism though our terror is nonetheless real. This tragedy is somehow more difficult to grapple with because we cannot easily place the blame on an "other". It is likely that the outrage and fear this event has inspired will fade more quickly because the perpetrator belonged to the majority. It is likely that no new legislation will be taken in response because the cause (at least at this hour) is so difficult to pinpoint or even speculate on. For that reason, this is an important piece regardless of your belief system. In closing, Iftikhar says "As the means of violence and weapons of destruction become increasingly terrifying, we must find our common humanity before we annihilate ourselves into collective oblivion."
August 20, 2019
I finished reading this on Easter evening, the day 290 Sri Lankans were slaughtered in horrible terrorist attacks, and just weeks after the equally horrible attacks in New Zealand. There is a deep, deep problem in the world with people turning to violence, playing god with bombs and guns, and it is heartbreaking and infuriating. And never okay. This book will be a challenging read if you’ve bought into the lie that only Muslims are terrorists. Iftikhar meticulously breaks down that facade and presents a far more accurate picture. Hard to read, because of all the pain caused by violence, but really, really important.
February 2, 2017
This is an absolutely fascinating read. It was released last year, and it took me so long because I read it on my phone, and only read it when I didn't have an actual book with me.
I highly recommend it, especially in light of what happened last weekend.
I highly recommend it, especially in light of what happened last weekend.
November 10, 2018
Very informative read, opened my eyes to a lot of new things. But don't hold it against me if that's just my.lack of education. Sadly the book will be mainly redundant in that those who should be reading it will not.
May 14, 2017
Light and beneficial.
January 28, 2019
Even though the book is depressing for people who are Muslims or who have Muslim friends, it is insightful on how to encounter it and deal with it and help educate people about the religion of Islam.
July 15, 2019
Not exactly what I was expecting; reads more like an Op-Ed than anything else. However, the author discusses a very important point that I and most others are guilty of overlooking. Would recommend.
August 19, 2016
This is a must read, if you need some ammunition for the islamophobic in your life. The book is very structured and so very current. It really describes well the political climate that Muslims in the USA have to deal with these days and that Muslim bashing is very PC right now.
Sometime the book read a little like interview and speech transcripts. Nevertheless, I still recommend to pick it up!
Sometime the book read a little like interview and speech transcripts. Nevertheless, I still recommend to pick it up!
October 9, 2016
Really really good. This should be required reading for Americans. Seems like it might have been edited in haste (it does reference the 2016 presidential race so it was written and published quickly), as there are a few typos that went unchecked. But the writing is phenomenal and the topic so so important.
July 22, 2016
At times repetitive, but, to be fair, how many ways can you say, "terrorism is terrorism, hypocrisy not withstanding?"
November 29, 2016
Wonderful and well written. Excellent points and useful conversation starters.
February 12, 2020
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews