Intl Relations Book Review

Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire

Important Questions

1. How does Kumar define Islamophobia? 3

2. How does her study of Islamophobia contribute to both social constructivist and Marxist theories? 3,9

3. Has the so-called Western/Muslim relationship always been one of conflict?

4. What were the achievements of Muslim rule in Andalusia? 12-13

5. How was Islamophobia constructed during the Crusades? 14

6. What is Orientalism? 25, 33

7. What are the key four features of classical Orientalism? 30, 33

8. What are five key features of Orientalism today?

9. How does Kumar debunk each claim of modern Orientalism?

10. What was post-war US strategy in the Middle East?

11. How did the US instrumentalize Islamism during the Cold War?

12. How should one view the new Islamism in light of “political and economic developments”? 91

a. Describe three key factors, 96

13. What was the agenda of the neocons, and how and why have they constructed Islamophobia? 114

14. Kumar calls Obama a liberal imperialist (133). What does she mean and is she right?

15. How has Islamophobia been operative domestically in the US? How has it been used to construct and fortify a National Security State?

16. How does the National Security State use Islamophobia to protect elite interests? 154

17. What are the limitations of this analysis?