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2 Duke F. L. & Soc. Change 1 (2010)
Introductory Remarks Given at the Duke Forum for Law & Social Change Symposium the New Face of Discrimination: Muslim in America

handle is hein.journals/dukef2 and id is 1 raw text is: INTRODUCTORY REMARKS GIVEN AT THE DUKE FORUM FOR LAW & SOCIAL CHANGE SYMPOSIUM THE NEW FACE OF DISCRIMINATION: MUSLIM IN AMERICA ABDULLAH ANTEPLIt Good morning. I greet you with the universal Muslim greeting, salaam alaikum. I think one of the practical results of this conference should be teaching more people this universal Muslim greeting. In response you say, walaaikum salaam. This is a wonderful icebreaker for Muslim colleagues, friends, and neighbors and will take you a few steps ahead in the conversation. It's a wonderful greeting, but these days don't try it at airports. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that joke, unfortunately. Laughter and tears are both appropriate when a salutation as innocent as peace be upon you could be a source of tension and anxiety in an American airport. This greeting could earn you additional care and attention from airport security, which I often receive. Just two months ago, when I was about to board my flight, I was throwing around these Arabic words, Inshallah, Mashallah, and Alahmdulillah. The next thing I know I was about to miss my flight because I had been detained by a nice gentleman who knew almost nothing about Islam and who thought those phrases posed some sort of threat. I really admire the people who organized this event, which is prophetic and timely. I'm an Imam so I can get away with calling things prophetic. I really appreciate the Forum for drawing attention to what I will call Islamophobia, an unfounded and baseless fear of Islam and Muslims. Lately, anything linked to Islam seems to bring fear and anxiety to people's hearts. I consider Islamophobia to be a societal disease and a new challenge that American society must address. The title of this symposium, The New Face of Discrimination, really captures the essence of this dilemma. Islamophobia is still poorly defined and is not yet part of the collective consciousness of American society but is similar to older social problems. Although it is the most recent face of discrimination, Islamophobia is nothing new. Islamophobia is very similar to anti-Semitism, homophobia, and racism, with which this society has dealt in the past. To view discrimination against Muslims as a unique issue pertaining only to Muslims would ignore the lessons of history. We must discuss Islamophobia as a human problem that has shown itself in different forms and shapes in other times and in different communities. Unfortunately, we human beings often seek a common enemy. t Muslim Chaplain, Duke University

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