Islamophobia by Esposito John L.; Kalin Ibrahim;

Author:Esposito, John L.; Kalin, Ibrahim;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2011-07-25T16:00:00+00:00

Between Racial Agnosia and Non-American Race

This brings me to my final point regarding race and blackness. Part of the problem with Muslim immigrants’ identifying with race relates to the seeming paucity of racial choices left to their disposal in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. This single act of terrorism has all but preempted the possibility of their being inducted, like the Jews, Irish, Italians and others before them, into the panoply of American whiteness—at least socially (as opposed to legally), where it affects everyday interactions. In such light, any suggestion that Muslim immigrants racialize their identity would seem to entail an invitation to join American blackness. Inasmuch, however, as blackness continues to be perceived as a negative category, given its binary opposition to whiteness, moving from unraced to raced would seem to imply moving not simply from stigma to stigma but from faddish and perhaps temporary stigma to historically grounded, enduring stigma, an unwise, myopic exchange on any sober calculus.

My point, however, has not been to invite Muslim immigrants to blackness but merely to a recognition of the importance of race in American identity formation and belongingness through the prism of American blackness. To fully appreciate my point, it is important to understand, first of all, that belongingness is not the same as being held in high esteem; nor is being held in high esteem the same as belongingness. The relative importance and priority of these values, as well as the distinction between them, must be kept clear and in proper balance. Particularly in these volatile times (and, I argue, in all times) being held in high esteem is best thought of as a want or desire to be pursued only after the satisfaction and securing of the basic necessity of belonging. In the language of classical Islamic law, being held in high esteem constitutes a casual need (hâjjah) or perhaps even a luxury (tahsîn), while belongingness constitutes an absolute necessity (darûrah). According to Islamic law, absolute necessities are not to be sacrificed in pursuit of casual needs or luxuries. While the dissociation from race may thus promote the interest of avoiding stigma and enhancing social esteem, it must also be assessed in terms of its costs to the interest of belongingness. Moreover, this assessment must assume a long-term trajectory and include the need to absorb unanticipated calamities on the ground and provide insulation against occasional acts of violence and lamentable rhetoric emanating from Muslims domestically or in far-off places.

Second, it is not at all clear (or necessarily likely) that Blackamericans would admit Muslim immigrants to American blackness even if the latter should desire such admission. Here, however, we might pause to consider what it is that Blackamericans quietly covet even in their marginalized racial identity. Perhaps it relates to a latent power derived from the margin, which includes enough ‘partial inclusion’ to preempt cries of “Go home!” while also insulating one from the kind of co-optive power and hegemonic influence that the center might deploy in a manner that stifles one’s ability to self-authenticate or denies one’s ability to self-define.

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