The Growth of Islamophobia after 9/11 in The United States of America

This essay will be focused on the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11 from the time frame 2001 to 2008, as well as analyzing what caused the rise of Islamophobia.

The first source that will be examined is an article “How 9/11 changed these Muslim American live forever” written in September 10th, 2016 by Lydia O'Connor. This source is relevant with the research question because it discusses the experiences of Muslim families and the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11. Islamophobia affected mainly 97% percent of Muslim which led to hate crimes against Muslims in America. This source provides interviews of Muslim family about experiencing Islamophobia and hate crimes. This article targeted local people and Muslims, to show how much Muslims went through after 9/11. Also saying how “hate crime grew five times after 9/11”, this affected Muslims in way were they were some Muslim lost faith in their religion and was afraid to practice Islam in America. This source is valuable because the author describes Muslim as not as terrorists, she was writing for a liberal news article and Interviewed Muslims. A limitation of the origin and purpose is that, this article was written after 15 years after the event took place. And the author is not Muslim, that being said she did not experience Islamophobia.

The second source i will be analyzing is a news article from New York Times, “Putting the American in ‘American Muslim’”. This article was written 2 years after 9/11 took place September 7th, 2003, by Muqtedar Khan. The purpose of this source is he wanted to show 9/11 affected not only Americans who lost over 2000 lives but it also affected many Muslims. Especially when the terrorist group who was responsible for the attack was an Islamic terrorist group. The content of this source is that it affected the Muslim community, and he talks about how he as an individual experienced Islamophobia. The values are that this person witnessed 9/11, saw how much discrimination American Muslim faced post 9/11 and it was really close to the attack, after 2 years. Limitation of the content was this source is an op-ed, which means opinionated. The author wrote this from his perspective not others.

The attacks on 9/11 took place on September 11th, 2001 in certain places in America. This attack was developed by an Islamic terrorist group “Al-Qaeda” founded by their leader Osama Bin Laden. Planes were hijacked by terrorist, and crashed in places like the Twin Tower in Manhattan, Stonycreek Township, and Arlington County, all of these places are in the United States of America. Since the attack took place, Americans developed Islamophobia. Islamophobia is when people fear or hate Islam or against Muslims practicing Islam. Ever since 9/11 took place the rise of Islamophobia rapidly grew. This essay will investigate to what extent did Islamophobia grew after 9/11 from 2001 to 2008 by looking at FBI data chart of hate crime against Muslims before and after 9/11, how Hollywood directors portray Muslims in the film industry. Muslim Women being physically abused and harassed, by those who fears Islam and Muslims. This changed lives for Muslims forever now some live in fear of practicing their own religion Islam.

The FBI data charts show post 9/11 hate crime raised against the Muslim community. Looking at the data by FBI.gov from 2000 crime against person and property was showing 12 cases reported resulting anti-Islam. This report was for the year 2000. The hate crime was very low because this data is from before 9/11. People did not have a motive to commit hate crime against Muslims that's why the charts are not high like it would be after 2001. Now looking at the data from 2002 by FBI.gov there were total of 170 cases on anti-Islamic crime against person in the year of 2002. This chart jumps up for the Islamic group. It was the biggest rise shown on the data charts. This clearly shows that 9/11 Islamophobia grew rapidly after 9/11, because when the Attack took place it portrayed that all Muslims were a part of the attack because the terrorist group was and Islamic terrorist group. Not only there were attack on Muslims as individuals but against properties of Muslims too. Another example from FBI.gov there was over 70 cases filled by Muslims families of being vandalized and damaged of their property. FBI.gov states these cases were by Bias Motivation. This shows that after 9/11 Islamophobia did grow.

After 9/11, movie directors of Hollywood found something to entertain they’re audiences, they used a social group like Muslims and Arabs in movies portraying them as terrorist and bombers in the media. They made movies based on 9/11 and the aftermath showing Muslims and Arabs as terrorist which made people think Muslims were bad because that’s how the media showed Muslims. In the Movie Crash (2004) directed by Paul Haggis, it showed how multiple stories about race, class, gender and religion. But they were all connected. One of the scene were one of the characters from crash went to go buy a gun and he was Persian. The owner of the store did not want to sell him gun because he was Persian, the gun owner was being stereotypical because the Persian guy was speaking in his own language with his daughter and called him “Osama” then told him to get out. This shows the white men was being racist towards the Persian guy and called him Osama. Osama Bin Laden was the founder of the terrorist group “Al-Qaeda” This shows that people were growing into Islamophobia because of the way the media Portrays Muslims and Arabs.

Post 9/11 Muslim women has been harassed or abused for wearing the Hijab, hijab is worn by Muslim women to retain their modesty, for Allah (God). Ever since 9/11 Muslim women has been harassed or abused cause of their hijab, there has been several cases filed to the police about Muslim women getting harassed especially the women’s who wear the hijab. Some Muslim women’s does not because they have a choice to either wear it or not to wear it. Article by Pix11 shows that “1 in 4 Muslim women in NY say they’ve been pushed on the subway platform for while wearing hijab” a survey was released in 2016 only 27 percent of Muslim women’s has been pushed on the subway platform. And all these incidents or based on bias motivation. Only 27 percent goes reported, the other 70 percent goes unreported because mostly women were scared or “wouldn’t be taken seriously” harassment of Muslim women still goes on to this day because of 9/11. People are causing these kinds of incidents because they think all Muslims are terrorists but they’re not all responsible for this devastating attack. The rise of Islamophobia began from 9/11, especially because of how media is portrayed the Muslim community, which leads to Islamophobia.

In conclusion, it is a proven fact that Islamophobia did rise after 9/11. After this devastating attack not only it affected the families whose lives were lost but it also affected the Muslim community. Muslim women’s feared to be outside, and how Hollywood directors portray Arabs and Muslims to be the bad person which is key factor for the rise of Islamophobia. But in Islam there is no room for terrorism. People often misunderstand certain things believing bias media. The FBI data showed that hate crime against Muslims did rise after 9/11 due to looking at before 2001 and after. Al-Qaeda was an Islamic terrorist group they have ruined the reputation of Islam.