We recently passed the 20-year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks,

which subsequently marks 20 years of the war on terrorism,

a broad and open-ended campaign to militarily dominate entire regions of the world.

Islamophobia is an essential component of this imperialist violence, making it okay for the U.S.

to be waging war against Muslims for decades, with no end in sight.

Racism and dehumanization of the other underpins U.S. foreign policy.

Islamophobia took center stage for the war on terror, but it's been pervasive throughout our history.

As the empire sets its sights on new targets, how will it continue to play a role in American politics?

Today I'm talking to Deepa Kumar, professor of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University.

She just released the second edition of her book, Islamophobia, and the politics of empire. Deepa, thank you so

much for joining me on the Empire Files podcast. Thank you, Abby. It's always a pleasure to speak with

you. So I want to get your reaction to this statement by Sam Harris

to start out. You know, he's this thought leader in the new atheist movement. In an article

years ago by the Atlantic, he is asked what his reaction is to the term Islamophobia. He points to a

tweet saying, quote, Islamophobia, a word created by fascists, used by cowards,

to manipulate morons. He then goes on to say, quote, Islam is not a race, ethnicity, or nationality.

It's a set of ideas. Criticism of these ideas should never be confused with an animus toward people.

And yet it is.

I'm convinced this is done consciously, strategically, and quite cynically as a means of shutting down conversation on important topics. Deepa, what is your response?

Yeah, I think the same applies to Sam Harris, which is his deliberate misrepresentation of Islamophobia as criticism of Islam, serves as a way for him to endorse policies that really are fundamentally racist.

Now, where he is correct is when he says that Islam is a religion,

but religions have been racialized. That is to say, adherence of a particular religion

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