Reflections On The New Visibility Of Islam And Muslims In The West Post-9/11: The British Context

Abstract

The Muslim communities in the West have acquired unprecedented visibility in the aftermath of 9/11. For such a disadvantaged faith minority, coming to the spotlight of public, political, and media attention was expected to open up new opportunities for empowerment. Their new visibility, however, was exploited to fan the flames of anti-Muslim hatred. Drawing on some media case studies and other research findings, this paper explores the implications of his visibility for Islamophobia and the Muslim struggle for empowerment , with a focus on the British context.