Islamophobia, in its various global manifestations, has most often been treated as a right-wing phenomenon. From Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ and anti-migrant policies to India’s increasingly anti- Muslim leanings under the Hindu Nationalist leadership of Narendra Modi’s BJP. However, in recent years it has become increasingly clear that the left has its own Islamophobia problem. Perhaps nowhere has this been more clearly displayed than in France where figures from across the political spectrum have adopted views that openly betray their anti-Muslim bias. Islamophobia on the left tends to be more subtle and can be seen in the views of leftist intellectual giants such as Noam Chomsky on a variety of issues ranging from US support for the YPG to the Syrian Revolution. This session will examine the convergence of Islamophobic discourse on the left and the right and explore the roots of this tacit agreement.
Discussion Themes
What are the key points of convergence between the left and right as it relates to anti-Muslim sentiments and what drives them?
Why are anti-Muslim biases on the left often overlooked in discussions on Islamophobia?
Is Islamophobic convergence on the left and the right a new phenomenon?
Is left-wing ‘anti-imperialism’ and ‘progressivism’ inherently Islamophobic?
Can the left tolerate Islam beyond the lens of identity politics?
