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
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.
...
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.'
Very good. And it is in line with Social Identity Theory that states that people who cannot achieve positive distinctiveness of the ingroup attempt to (a) leave, and (b) if that's impossible, turn the negative group into something positive.
But it's very confronting, that marginalized groups within racist societies consist of people who do not WANT to identify as such, but are forced, and that, in turn, has tremendous effects on the dynamics of that group.
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.
...
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.'
Very good. And it is in line with Social Identity Theory that states that people who cannot achieve positive distinctiveness of the ingroup attempt to (a) leave, and (b) if that's impossible, turn the negative group into something positive.
But it's very confronting, that marginalized groups within racist societies consist of people who do not WANT to identify as such, but are forced, and that, in turn, has tremendous effects on the dynamics of that group.