Modern Scapegoat: Muslims as Terrorists

Modern Scapegoat: Muslims as Terrorists
After the United States September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Islam community faced a great upheaval worldwide. The stereotype that Islam and Muslims hated the West spread like wildfire. The blame on Islam for terrorism presents a great example of a modern scapegoat. Interestingly, the attacks were instigated by Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, which had declared war on the United States. While Al-Qaeda ascribed to Islam, they did not act as Muslim community representatives. The terrorists included Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, and Lebanese attackers. Despite numerous American Muslims being killed during the attacks, Muslims worldwide have faced discrimination, and political condemnation, including emotional and physical attacks.
Among the violent cases of Islam scapegoating, American Muslims were stereotyped as terrorists. According to Dewan (2003), the number of attacks on Muslims increased to above 1,400 in 2001 from 350 in 2000. An example included four Muslims killed by a White American, Mr. Larme ...