Anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia are so much a part of the political and cultural discourse on Arabs and Muslims in American society today that most do not even recognize it as racism. The fear mongering of the Bush administration has used this fearmongering in the post 9-11 world in order to continue wage unilateral wars in the Arab and Islamic world. Corporate media outlets like have used sell their sensationalist news programs and for the current administration, a way to sell its wars and curtail civil liberties

This insidious form of racism is embedded in much of the information we get about the Middle East and Islam. In order to have a better understanding of Arabs and Muslims we need to go further than cultural awareness and begin to deconstruct the political foundations for this type of racism. Racism has been used historically by the US government to fight other enemies and there is much to learn from the struggles of other oppressed communities in this country.

In our workshop, our panelist will:
• Explain how current US foreign and domestics policies have encouraged and perpetuated racism against Arab and Muslims peoples.
• Demonstrate how Guantanamo Bay prison abuses and Abu Ghraib torture of Arabs and Muslims is a direct result of policies and an environment that dehumanizes Muslims and Arabs
• Identifying and recognizing anti-Arab portrayals and stereotypes in popular culture and media.
• Demonstrate an increased awareness and understanding of the destructiveness of anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia
• Identify and explain different ways of taking action against anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia in their personal and community lives, as well as on institutional levels.