The Islamophobia Industry by Nathan Lean

That is the book's main strength.īut the book suffers from the same deficiency that so many other apologetic works do it doesn't engage at all with legitimate questions or concerns that non-Muslims have about Islam. Lean exposes some of them, as well as the financial incentives undergirding their little empire.

Although I believe many Americans have legitimate concerns about Islam, at some point I have to call a spade a spade: many of the individuals who get involved in this debate are hateful, ignorant bigots. This critique is important and necessary. The author offers a relentless exposé of the sheer ugliness of individuals like Pamella Gellar, who profit from and take a perverse delight in hatemongering. It is an apologetic work, dedicated to defending Muslims by destroying the credibility of Islam's fiercest opponents. This book fits within my overall sense of the debate. In general, I find this to be true of both 'Islamophobes' and 'apologists.' It is less concerned with debating meaningful issues than with attempting to dominate the debate and squelch dissent. My research confirmed by sense that so much of the debate about Islam isn't fully honest.

I read dozens of books from across the spectrum, from Islam's most ardent defenders to its most vitriolic critics. In particular, I focused on the relationship between language and power. I follow this conversation with interest, because as a graduate student in Jordan, I wrote my master's thesis about different narratives about Islam in the United States. This is an important addition to the cultural conversation about Islam in America.

The Islamophobia Industry by Nathan Lean