One look at the average media outlet's headliners in the past 5-10 years and it's clear that a certain buzzword has managed to stand out: Muslim. With so much attention to a group of 1.57 billion people following its pillars – the fear and hate stemmed from innate xenophobia is inescapable. The concept of Islam has existed since the 7th century C.E but the term "Islamophobia" is a relatively recent neologism. The term's thrust into mainstream sources wasn't a staggering event; it's popularity increased because of the resurgence in the post Cold War and post 9/11 induced fraudulent nationalism. According to the 1997 Runnymede Trust report, Islamophobia includes discrimination against Muslims in employment practices, the provision of health care and education; exclusion of Muslims from government, politics, and employment (including positions of responsibility); violence toward Muslims including physical assaults, verbal abuse and vandalizing of property; and prejudice against Muslims in the media and in "everyday conversation." (1) Regardless of one's receptivity toward Islam, anti-Muslim sentiment is an important issue for society to address globally. .
Anti-Muslim hate crimes have incrementally increased; these vicious attacks have an ample spectrum, anything from street harassment to murder - with the most recent and devastating atrocity being the murder of 3 college Muslim students, by a crazed terrorist homegrown in the USA. In modern USA, Islamophobia is cultivated by the self-identifying process of "othering" and is often capitalized on for personal gain. It disperses itself in society via a plethora of ways, including within hate-filled xenophobic articles disguised as academia discourse about Islam, it's followers, and even the Arabic language.
