White Muslims and Racism: Joining the Conversations

White Muslims, Muslim Spaces and Racism

As Muslims, by default, we are more attuned to Islamophobia than the average White person. We wait for it in the questions our co-workers may ask us about our conversion. We wait for it in conversations we may have with our non-Muslim family members about any recent news reports that involve Muslims.  We wait for it in the way newscasters present a story. Although this makes us more sensitive to some manifestations of bias, we still need to increase our knowledge about all the forms of racism that exist.

Being part of a faith that is ethnically diverse, we find ourselves in Muslim spaces where we are more likely to come across discussions about Islamophobia and racism than when we are with our White friends and family. We may even hear some fellow Muslims, often Black Muslims, talk about or write articles about their experiences of racism from other Muslims.

Like me, I know you are upset about Trump winning and that you find widely-reported overt acts of Islamophobia and racism disturbing. I know you fear for yourselves and your fellow Muslims, especially those who are very visibly identifiable as Muslims. However, Trump’s election was not the re-activation of racism in the US. The average White person, including White Muslims, frequently ignore the many other forms of racism that are always operating because we have not been directly affected by them.

Why Whites Ignore Racism