The Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Hatred of Muslims

337 Pages·2017·7.86 MB·English

by  Nathan Lean

The Islamophobia Industry
“This concise, accessible and illuminating book meets one of the most
urgent needs of our time. Lean has provided a compelling counter-narrative
that reveals the vested interests and highly organized networks of those
who preach the virulent Islamophobia that is not only endangering world
peace but is also corroding the tolerance and egalitarian ethos that should
characterize Western society. This book should be required reading.”
—Karen Armstrong, author of A History of God, Islam:
A Short History and Muhammad
“Islamophobia is not only about ignorance and fear. Some people
purposefully nurture it and use it as a political strategy. Nathan Lean’s The
Islamophobia Industry shows what is happening behind the scenes. It is
an essential book for anyone who wants to understand the rationale and
objectives behind those who foster this new racism against Muslims.”
—Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford
University and author of The Quest for Meaning and Islam: The Essentials
“The climate of fear and cultural mistrust is one grim aspect of present-day
society, but it doesn’t happen by accident. As this readable and well-
researched book demonstrates, hatred sells; it can provide both money
and power to those who profit from it. This book exposes the dirty secrets
of those who try to manipulate public opinion against Muslims. It should
be read by policymakers, concerned citizens, and everyone who values
truth and intercultural understanding.”
—Mark Juergensmeyer, Professor of Global Studies at the
University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of
Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence
“Nathan Lean has written a book of immense importance for our times.
By lifting the veil on the multi-million-dollar Islamophobia Industry, Lean
shines a light on the nefarious network of business, political, and religious
organizations and individuals who employ rank bigotry to promote their
interests. A must-read.”
—Reza Aslan, author of No God But God and Beyond Fundamentalism
“In this provocative and engaging book, Nathan Lean meticulously
untangles the dense web of fear merchants who have made Muslim-
bashing a cottage industry. He reveals the connections between them and
the motives that animate their machine of propaganda. Lean’s is a battle
against Islamophobia, one that he wages with a seamless and compelling
narrative.”
—Juan Cole, author of Engaging the Muslim World
“So many of America’s mistakes and bad acts over the past decade are due
to Islamophobia, and Nathan Lean’s new book traces the phenomenon’s
genesis and its culprits. Those who have been spawning this all-too-
familiar demonization campaign have been hiding in the dark for too
long. This book is so valuable because it drags them out into the light and
thus performs a true service for the nation.”
—Glenn Greenwald, author of No Place to Hide and co-founder of The Intercept
“In the months after 9/11, Americans took pride in defending Muslim
neighbors in their own communities. Political leaders boasted about
liberating Muslims overseas. So why are the politics of fear more intense
a decade after the murders at the twin towers? Lean pins the blame on an
Islamophobia industry in a lucid and detailed examination of the dark side
of our politics.”
—Richard Wolffe, MSNBC political analyst and author of
Renegade: The Making of a President
“The spike in anti-Muslim sentiment didn’t fall from the sky—it was
manufactured by a shadowy network of bloggers, funders, pundits,
preachers and politicians. In a tightly written, fast-paced narrative that
feels like a thriller backed by the research of a doctoral thesis, Lean shows
just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Essential reading for anyone who wants
a window into the origins of contemporary Islamophobia.”
—Eboo Patel, author of Acts of Faith and Sacred Ground
“Lean’s meticulous study is a convincing demonstration of the threat
Islamophobia poses to a pluralistic society and democratic values.
Rationalizing hatred of Muslims, well-funded ideologues also negatively
impact civic discourse and push conservative politics into the orbit of
right-wing extremism. This is an important resource for all who wish to
understand the forces that manipulate our political process and discourse.”
—Ingrid Mattson, Chair in Islamic Studies, Huron University College
“Nathan Lean has written an eye-opener—the most comprehensive book
to date on a new and dangerous cycle of minority persecution in American
society. Lean’s book exposes the key players, funders and enablers of
Islamophobia in America and the destructive effect of their politics on our
national fabric. It is worth every minute of reading.”
—Nihad Awad, National Executive Director,
Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR)
“Absolutely indispensable … Any journalist, pundit, policy-maker or
intelligence analyst who doesn’t read The Islamophobia Industry and take
its message to heart is committing professional malpractice. Any citizen
concerned about the future of this country and the world at large owes it
to themselves to read this book, lest the processes Lean describes poison
relations between the West and the Muslim world for generations to come.”
—Mark LeVine, author of Heavy Metal Islam
“The Islamophobia Industry is a clarion call. It’s a necessary and timely
work that carefully dissects and exposes a cottage industry of fear mongers
who have deliberately manufactured hysteria and hate to divide Americans
along religious and racial lines to promote their own self-profit and selfish,
misguided politics.”
—Wajahat Ali, award-winning playwright and lead author of
Fear Inc.: Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America
“Nathan Lean’s The Islamophobia Industry could not be more timely or
critical. This is an extraordinarily important and groundbreaking study.
It exposes the multi-million-dollar cottage industry of fear mongers and
the network of funders and organizations that support and perpetuate
bigotry, xenophobia, racism, and produce a climate of fear that sustains a
threatening social cancer.”
—John L. Esposito (from the Foreword to the first edition)
The Islamophobia Industry
How the Right Manufactures
Hatred of Muslims
SECOND EDITION
Nathan Lean
Foreword to the First Edition by John L. Esposito
Foreword to the Second Edition by Jack G. Shaheen
First published 2012; new edition published 2017 by Pluto Press
345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA
www.plutobooks.com
Copyright © Nathan Lean 2012, 2017
The right of Nathan Lean to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 7453 3717 3 Hardback
ISBN 978 0 7453 3716 6 Paperback
ISBN 978 1 7868 0135 7 PDF eBook
ISBN 978 1 7868 0137 1 Kindle eBook
ISBN 978 1 7868 0136 4 EPUB eBook
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed
and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are
expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin.
Typeset by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England
Simultaneously printed in the United Kingdom and United States of America
For Naima: my muse, my love, and my life.

Contents
Acknowledgements x
Author’s Note xiii
Foreword to the First Edition by John L. Esposito xiv
Foreword to the Second Edition by Jack G. Shaheen xix
Introduction: Islamophobia from the War on Terror to
the Age of Trump 1
1 A History of American Monster Making 21
2 Hate on the Internet 52
3 Inside the Mainstream Media Echo Chamber 84
4 The Christian Right’s Battle for Muslim Souls 102
5 The Influence of the Pro-Israel Right 140
6 The Rise of Liberal Islamophobia 163
7 Politicizing and Legislating Fear of Muslims 179
8 Islam as the Enemy of European Populism 208
Conclusion 246
Notes 251
Bibliography 290
Index 296