Prof. Dr. Khaled Ali Baidoun, an academician and writer who studies anti-Islamism in the USA, on his latest book The New Crusades.
"I chose the name 'New Crusades' for the book because the concept of 'Crusade' is used to describe the conflict between Islam and Christianity from the past," Baidoun said.
Baidoun, a faculty member at Wayne State University Faculty of Law in the USA, made evaluations about his book "The New Crusades: Islamophobia and the Global War on Muslims", which was published in March.
Baidoun stated that he did a lot of scientific research during the writing process of the book, and also interviewed people who were exposed to anti-Muslim actions in many countries such as India, China, France and Canada.
Baidoun stated the following regarding the name choice:
"I chose the name 'New Crusades' for the book because the term 'Crusades' is used to describe the long-standing conflict between Islam and Christianity. In the Muslim world, Europe has historically and modernly been linked to the war on terror, because when the so-called war on terror was launched 21 years ago, then-US President George Bush called it a 'Crusade'," Baidoun stated.
Baidoun underlined that anti-Muslim ideology is a problem that has permeated the world, and said that while writing the book, he aimed to revive the feelings and thoughts of the Muslim community, which struggles for existence in different countries.
HOW DID THE USA EXPORT ENMITY OF ISLAM?
Baidoun noted that the main theme in the book was the impact of the intervention, which was initiated with the rhetoric of "war on terror" after the September 11 attacks, on Muslim identity.
"It's important to think about how the United States has been a central catalyst and has expanded Islamophobia as a global phenomenon with its war on terror rhetoric. I can say that the main theme of the book is 'how the USA exported anti-Islamism with its 'war on terror' policy," Baidoun added.
Baidoun stated that anti-Muslim ideology should be considered as an "imperial project".
"Enmity of Islam is a tool and weapon used by the United States to advance its global powers and seize the ardently desired natural resources openly in Iraq, such as oil. We think that Islamophobia is irrational, right? Irrational hatred. However, when we examine it from the point of view of the government, we also see that it is rational. It's a tool that governments use strategically and deliberately to gain greater access to what they want," Baidoun said.
Defining anti-Muslimism as a "neo-colonial project", Baidoun said that this is not a new phenomenon, and that ideas called Orientalism in the past also serve to feed anti-Muslim actions.
Baidoun, mentioned that anti-Muslim sentiment does not occur in every country in a similar way.
"Enmity of Islam is not experienced by Muslims in a similar way. It really depends on where they are, what country they live in, what their identity is. The hostility to Islam that Uighur Muslims are exposed to is strikingly different from what we are experiencing," Baidoun stated.
"SECULAR STATES FEED ANTI-MUSLIM IDEOLOGY"
Secularism and atheism can be a very detestable source of Islamophobia.
Baidoun pointed out that in secular countries such as France and Sweden, the structure and ideological tendencies of governments feed anti-Muslim sentiment.
Baidoun, noting that Europe is becoming more and more secular,
"In fact, it is becoming more 'godless' than being more secular", Baidoun added.
Stating that she also touched on the role of gender in anti-Muslim cases, Baidoun said, "Muslims rarely think about the impact of gender specifically on the experience of Islamophobia. If you are a woman, your experience of anti-Islamism will differ significantly from that of a man, depending on what country you are in."