Manufacturing Self-Hate: the Hidden Epidemic of Internalized Islamophobia
Let's discuss the insidious ways in which Western narratives have sown the seeds of self-rejection among those looking in the distorted mirror of Islamophobia
By Karim Bettache
Dr. Rania Awaad, a clinical professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, brings to light a cloaked crisis within Western societies: internalized Islamophobia among Arab and Muslim communities. This phenomenon, according to Dr. Awaad, is not just about the prejudice Muslims face from the outside world but, more insidiously, the bias they begin to harbor against themselves.
The example Dr. Awaad shares from her clinic speaks volumes. She recounts an encounter between two Muslim women of starkly different appearances—one in full niqab, the other not visibly identifiable as Muslim. The latter, shaken by the sight of the former, questions her presence in a prestigious institution like Stanford, revealing a deep-seated internalized Islamophobia: "What is she doing in a place like Stanford University?" This moment of confrontation with one’s own bias is a microcosm of a larger issue that ripples through the Muslim population in the West.
Internalized Islamophobia distorts self-perception, leading individuals to scrutinize and often reject their own cultural and religious markers to blend into the Western fabric. Dr. Awaad's example demonstrates the extent to which Muslims, in an attempt to escape the stigma, may inadvertently endorse the very stereotypes imposed upon them. It's a psychological self-sabotage fueled by a society that often sends a message: to be accepted, one must conform.
This internal conflict is not only a personal struggle but also a collective one, affecting community dynamics and intergenerational relations. When Dr. Awaad speaks of a patient who believes that traditional Islamic dress has no place in an esteemed Western institution, she touches on a broader pattern of internalized stereotypes that many Muslims grapple with, leading to a predicament where the external pressures of Western societies seep into the psyche of individuals, prompting them to police their own identities and to distance themselves from the very things that constitute their sense of self.
In the intricate mosaic of Western societies, individuals of Arab descent occasionally find themselves at a crossroads of identity, where the lines of racial categorization blur. Some, in an attempt to sidestep the marginalization that comes with their ethnic origins, may assimilate into a form of "conditional whiteness." This phenotypic and cultural camouflage offers a temporary refuge from the pervasive stigmas attached to their heritage. Notable figures like Ralph Nader, the renowned Arab-American consumer advocate and former presidential candidate, come to mind as examples of this complex interplay between identity and societal perception. Nader, though firmly rooted in his Arab ancestry, has been perceived by many through a lens that sometimes affords him the privileges of whiteness, illustrating the fluid but fraught nature of racial identity in the Western context.
Navigating Dual Heritage: The Personal Struggle with Internalized Prejudice
Growing up as a half Dutch, half Algerian boy in the Netherlands, I can personally relate to the struggle Dr. Rania Awaad describes. Despite not being religiously raised or steeped in a distinctly different culture, the relentless bombardment of anti-Arab messaging within Dutch culture was unmistakable. From a tender age, I was acutely aware that distancing myself from an integral aspect of my being, my Algerian heritage, would result in being perceived as a fuller human being. This realization did not stem from an explicit societal demand but rather from an implicit understanding that in a society which subtly dehumanizes Arabness, assimilation could be seen as a form of elevation.
This realization is not an adolescent epiphany but a truth that dawns on one in the early, formative years of childhood. It sets one on a lifelong — mentally exhausting — trajectory of navigating identity, where each step forward is measured against the backdrop of cultural expectations and self-perception. The journey is fraught with questions of self-worth and belonging, as one grapples with the dichotomy of pride in one's roots and the pressure to conform to a homogenized societal norm.
The personal struggle with internalized prejudice is a testament to the pervasive reach of societal messaging and the inherent evil that has nested itself in racist cultures. Indeed, it serves as a stark reminder that internalized Islamophobia is indiscriminate, affecting individuals regardless of their religious devotion or cultural immersion. My own experience, not coming from a religious family and being fully raised as a typical Dutch individual, attests to the insidious nature of this bias. It highlights that one's connection to Arab heritage alone can be enough to trigger this internal conflict, irrespective of one's personal beliefs or the degree to which one participates in their ancestral culture.
It can affect anyone with a connection, however tenuous, to the Arab world—or indeed, to the Middle East in general, including Turks or Iranians. My own experiences echo the stories from Dr. Awaad's clinic, underscoring the need for a broader cultural shift that not only celebrates diversity but also validates the individual narratives of those who straddle multiple worlds. This inclusion is a crucial acknowledgment of the diverse yet shared experiences of individuals from various backgrounds within the Middle Eastern tapestry.
Dr. Awaad's critical work sheds light on the complexities of internalized Islamophobia, urging a deeper understanding and a proactive stance against it. The path forward is not just about external advocacy for tolerance and inclusion but also about internal healing, where individuals within the Arab and Muslim diasporas can reconcile their identities with the societies they inhabit, free from the burden of internalized stigma.
From Kurt Lewin's 1941 article, "Self-Hatred among Jews" - it's much more broadly applicable, describing colonial mentality among all oppressed-hence-underprivileged groups:
'This analysis permits a general statement in regard to members of socially privileged and underprivileged groups. To gain status is one of the outstanding factors determining the behavior of the individual in our society. The privileged group, in addition, usually offers its members more and hinders them less than does the less privileged group. For these reasons, the members of the elite in any country have a strong positive balance in the direction of staying in the elite group. Besides, if an individual wants to leave this elite, he is usually able to do so without hindrance (although there are exceptions).
The member of an underprivileged group is more hampered by his group belongingness. In addition, the tendency to gain status means a force away from such a group. At the same time, we find that in the case of any socially underprivileged group, free mobility across the boundary is limited or entirely prevented by a lack of ability or by external forces. The more privileged majority or an influential section of this majority prohibits free mobility. In every socially underprivileged group, therefore, there are a number of members for whom the balance of the forces toward and away from the group is such that they would prefer to leave it. They are kept inside the group not by their own needs, but by forces which are imposed upon them. This has a far-reaching effect on the atmosphere, structure and organization of every underprivileged gr up and on the psychology of its members.
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The tendency toward aggression against one's own group, under these circumstances is strengthened by an additional factor. Mark Twain tells the story of a Negro who was brought up as a white child. When he turns against his mother in a most vicious and cowardly way, his mother says, "That's the nigger in you." In other words, she has accepted the white man's verdict in characterizing some of the worst features as typical of the Negro,
It is recognized in sociology that the members of the lower social strata tend to accept the fashions, values, and, ideals of the higher strata. In the case of the underprivileged group it means that their opinions about themselves are greatly influenced by the low esteem the majority has for them. This infiltration of the views and values of what Maurice Pekarsky has called the "gatekeeper" necessarily heightens the tendency of the Jew with a negative balance to cut himself loose from things Jewish. The more typically Jewish people are, or the more typically Jewish a cultural symbol or behavior pattern is, the more distasteful they will appear to this person. Being unable to cut himself entirely loose from his Jewish connections and his Jewish past, the hatred turns upon himself.'