Finding Dar-al Islam in the Age of Islamophobia
In the shadow of the rise of fascist bigotry and Islamophobic accusations charging Muslims with constituting a fifth column, Islam can and often does create a palpable and unique bond among Muslims.
by Rashid Dar
As a wave of unprecedented Islamophobia engulfs the United States (no doubt amplified by Donald Trump’s “proto-fascist” rhetoric), Muslims — and Islam by extension — have become objects of acute suspicion. This suspicion has been heightened by the belief that Islam provides its adherents with a keen ability to quickly bond with one another, like hydrogen atoms, out of a sort of religious covalence. According to these fears, being a member of the ummah involves a type of political “loyalty” that makes Muslims a perpetual fifth column.
While I reject the bigotry fueling such beliefs, Islam can and often does create a palpable and unique bond among Muslims, regardless of nationality. And I should know—I’ve experienced it myself.
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