Islamophobia: Genealogy of a Concept

Abstract

The concept of Islamophobia is a controversial one. There are those who reject the term for various reasons, consider it inadequate, see it as part of a conspiracy, propose new terms and different definitions. This article aims to make sense of all these debates by tracing the genealogy of the term Islamophobia within the framework of Michel Foucault's methodology. The article examines the historical background of the concept, its precursors, its first usage, its various uses over time, the reasons it has been denied by different power centers, the power and authority relations surrounding Islamophobia, and the theoretical ground behind all of this. The purpose of the article is to trace the genealogy of the concept of Islamophobia, which has recently come to the forefront in media studies, and to comprehensively and accurately present the debates surrounding the concept. In this framework, the article first explores the historical development of the concept and then analyzes the theoretical basis of the debates around it. Furthermore, it addresses criticisms of the concept of Islamophobia and examines the denial of the phenomenon itself. In the final two sections, the historical background is also examined. The conclusion summarizes and classifies the debates and definitions surrounding the concept.

Keywords

• Islamophobia
• Anti-Muslim Racism
• Cultural Racism
• Islamophobia in Muslim Majority Societies
• Anti-Semitism

İslamofobi: Bir Kavramın Soy Kütüğü

Öz

İslamofobi kavramı hiç şüphesiz tartışmalı bir kavramdır. Kavramı çeşitli nedenlerle reddedenler, yetersiz görenler, bir komplonun parçası olarak görenler, yeni kavramlar ve farklı tanımlar teklif edenler bulunmaktadır. Bu makale bütün bu tartışmaları anlamlandırmak için Michael Foucault’nun geliştirdiği metodoloji çerçevesinde İslamofobi kavramının soy kütüğünü çıkarmaktadır. Kavramın tarihsel arka planı, öncülleri, ilk ne zaman kullanıldığı, zaman içerisinde farklı kullanımları, tanımları, farklı güç odakları tarafından neden inkâr edildiği, İslam düşmanlığının etrafındaki güç ve iktidar ilişkileri ve bütün bunların arka planındaki teorik zemin incelenmektedir. Makalenin amacı medya çalışmalarında son dönemde ön plana çıkan İslamofobi kavramının soy kütüğünü çıkararak kavram etrafında cereyan eden tartışmaları efradını cami ağyarını mâni bir şekilde ortaya koymaktır. Bu çerçevede makalede önce kavramın tarihçesi incelenerek daha sonra da İslamofobi kavramı etrafında cereyan eden tartışmaların teorik ve İslamofobi kavramına yönelik eleştiriler ve İslamofobi olgusunun inkârı ele alınmaktadır. Bu çerçevede İslamofobi kavramı ve araştırmalarına yeni pencereler açan Müslüman toplumlarda İslamofobi meselesi ve İslamofobi antisemitizm ilişkisi de makale de ele alınmaktadır. Makalenin son iki bölümünde İslamofobi olgusunun tarihsel arka planı ele alınmakta, sonuç bölümünde ise kavramla ilgili tartışmalar ve tanımlar sınıflandırılarak özetlenmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İslamofobi
• Müslüman Karşıtı Irkçılık
• Kültürel Irkçılık
• Müslüman Toplumlarda İslamofobi
• Antisemitizm

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