How Attempts to Humanize Muslims Often Do the Exact Opposite

By labeling oddly unrelated things—like falafel, violence, and theological conservatism—as distinctly “Muslim stereotypes” that must be “broken,” the parameters of the "moderate" Muslim are drawn.

About a decade ago, the New Jersey chapter of the Muslim American Society (MAS) released a video titled “I am a Muslim” that aimed to sensitize American viewers to a friendly, apolitical image of Islam in response to rising Islamophobia across the United States.

The video, which amassed millions of views, features a young man named Muhammad nervously pro…