Since September 11th, 2001, America has wrestled with understanding Islam, the second-largest religion in the world. And while many Americans seized on those tragic events to learn more about the faith, others turned to prejudice and hate. Thus, a sad byproduct of those attacks has been the rise in American society of Islamophobia, an irrational fear or prejudice towards Islam and Muslims. In their book, Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg chronicle the ways in which our culture has demonized Islam over the past ten years. They argue that American politicians and media have used Muslims as polarizing figures in American society, painting them in the broadest strokes possible. As a result, not only does prejudice run rampant, so too does ignorance. In a concise editorial, explain how you believe we, as a society, should address this issue. How do we start a national dialogue about the ways this is negatively impacting Americans—Muslim and non-Muslim alike? And what are some of the most challenging aspects of Islamophobia to confront? To support your thesis, cite evidence from Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, one article you find on your own, and at least two articles/clips below:
- “Making Islamophobia Mainstream” (FAIR)
- Interview with Geert Wilders from Glenn Beck (FoxNews)
- Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
- “Islamophobia: Media Myth?” (FoxNews)
- “Islamophobiapalooza”from The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
- Interview with Rep. Keith Ellison from Glenn Beck (CNN)
Requirements:
- MLA Style, including parenthetical citation and works cited
- 3-page minimum
- Cite from Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, one article you find on your own, and at least two articles/clips above
The best papers:
- Have a title that articulates its point of view
- Stay within the parameters of the subject matter
- Have a concise thesis which clearly outlines a position
- Are written in a voice that is casual, yet informed
- Clearly support their thesis with solid evidence and a logical structure, citing from Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy, one found article, and at least two articles/clips above
- Conclude with a summation of the argument
- Properly cite evidence using MLA's parenthetical citation method
- Are in compliance with MLA Style
Sample editorials from the New York Times:
- "Eggheads and Blockheads" by Maureen Dowd
- "Where the Jobs Aren't" by David Brooks
- "Is It Weird Enough Yet?" by Thomas L. Friedman
- "In Honor of Teachers" by Charles M. Blow
- "It's Still the 9/11 Era" by Russ Douthat
Due: Mo 9.26
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