Islamophobia and the Limits of Interfaith Activism in the United States

This essay explores the relationship between Islamophobia and interfaith activism in the United States, focusing on the limitations of interreligious dialogue in fostering genuine understanding and equality. Using the Women’s Mosque of America as a case study to illustrate the dynamics and limitations inherent to interfaith relations, I highlight the pitfalls of interfaith engagement based on uneven power dynamics. Muslims in the U.S. are ethnically and racially diverse, but, broadly speaking, their status as a racialized religious minority renders them vulnerable to discrimination and violence. Their racialization is rooted in anti-Blackness and exacerbated by the September 11, 2001, attacks and the rise of white Christian nationalism. Muslims’ experiences are shaped by the intersection of their religious identity with other aspects of their identity, such as race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. Particularly in the post-9/11 context, Muslim communities have engaged in interfaith activism as a means to combat Islamophobia and demonstrate their commitment to American values. However, Islamophobia can also manifest in more subtle ways within such initiatives. There are implicit pressures and costs to interfaith relationships as U.S. Muslims negotiate their national belonging, including inviting additional surveillance into their communities.