Princeton School of Public and International Affairs features The Racial Muslim [Endnotes]

Freedom of religion is a constitutionally protected right in the religion clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. By definition, this should reflect America’s diversity and cover all people equally — whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic, or atheist. In practice, however, Americans sometimes support policies that seemingly violate the civil rights of Muslims. Although the U.S. Census identifies Muslim immigrants of the Middle East and North Africa as white, they face discrimination and prejudices of being terrorists, suspicious, and violent. This paradox is the heart of “The … Continue reading “Princeton School of Public and International Affairs features The Racial Muslim [Endnotes]”

Kleh Lecture on Global Islamophobia [Boston University School of Law]

Myriad political, social, and economic contexts contribute toward Islamophobia and consequent normalization of anti-Muslim racism in various parts of the world.  Simultaneous to the rise in global Islamophobia is the rise of right-wing populism, especially in Western nations.  Whether it is in the form of right-wing political parties in Europe, Trumpism in the United States, concentration camps for Uighurs in China, the genocide of the Rohingya in Myanmar, or the Hindutva movement in India, Muslims are perceived by the state and the public as security, political, or economic threats.  The widespread scapegoating of… Continue reading “Kleh Lecture on Global Islamophobia [Boston University School of Law]”

Achieving Excellence Speaker Series Features Sahar Aziz [Pittsburgh Law]

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law will feature professor/author Sahar Aziz in a forum, moderated by Professor SpearIt, which ties the themes from her book, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom, to the concerns and experiences of Muslims living in the City of Pittsburgh. Then Professor Aziz will present the keynote lecture about her book, in which she explores this paradox: how could a religious minority be so overtly discriminated against in a country that privileges religious freedom legally and normatively. — To learn more about the… Continue reading “Achieving Excellence Speaker Series Features Sahar Aziz [Pittsburgh Law]”

Free Speech in the Age of Politically-Motivated Violence [Georgetown Law]

The Journal of National Security Law and Policy hosted a symposium at Georgetown Law Center on the relationship between free speech and politically-motivated violence. Sahar Aziz participated on a panel addressing threats of violence, including the doctrine established in Brandenburg v. Ohio and the infamous “Unite the Right” rally and implications of United States v. Miselis on the Anti-Riot Act, alongside Professor Amanda Shanor, Professor Laura Donohue, and Lieutenant Commander Navy JAG Lauren Cherry. -To learn more about the conference, click here… Continue reading “Free Speech in the Age of Politically-Motivated Violence [Georgetown Law]”

The Dichotomy Between the First Amendment and How Muslims are Treated [The Jabot]

In this episode of the Jabot podcast, Kathryn speaks with Sahar Aziz, author, and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School. Sahar shares how she first became interested in her book, The Racial Muslim. She details some historical examples of how the book’s hypothesis is supported and discusses how far back the ideas go. Professor Aziz also talks about the dichotomy between belief in the First Amendment and how that squares away in modern political discourse with the reality of how Muslims are treated. — To listen to the… Continue reading “The Dichotomy Between the First Amendment and How Muslims are Treated [The Jabot]”

What Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Nomination Means for Higher Ed [Diverse]

If Jackson becomes a Supreme Court Justice, the ideological balance of the Court would not change. The current 6-3 conservative-majority would still be in place. However, there would be other firsts. Jackson would be one of four female Justices, three of whom would have been nominated by Democratic presidents. Sahar Aziz, who is also the author of The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom, noted that a Black woman joining the Supreme Court is of particular consequence. “While all judges commit to and should perform their roles in an… Continue reading “What Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Nomination Means for Higher Ed [Diverse]”

Dickinson College to Host Talk on Race and Religious Freedom

Middle East and legal studies scholar Sahar Aziz will deliver the annual Wesley Lecture at Dickinson. The talk, “The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashed Religious Freedom,” will take place Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter (ATS) Auditorium. It is free and open to the public. Well-fitting masks are required, and N95 or KN95 masks are strongly recommended. The lecture will also be available on a YouTube livestream. Aziz is a professor of law, chancellor’s social justice scholar and Middle East and legal… Continue reading “Dickinson College to Host Talk on Race and Religious Freedom”

The U.S. census sees Middle Eastern and North African people as white. Many don’t [NPR]

The complicated relationship many people with MENA origins have with whiteness is entangled with a naturalization system in the U.S. that, until 1952, imposed racial restrictions on which immigrants could become citizens. First arriving in large numbers in the late 1800s, the earliest generations of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa saw whiteness as the path towards claiming full rights in their new country. There were several court cases where Syrian immigrants emphasized their Christianity because it was considered a European religion and, therefore, a marker of whiteness,… Continue reading “The U.S. census sees Middle Eastern and North African people as white. Many don’t [NPR]”

The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom [UC Berkeley]

The University of Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Religion hosted Rutgers Law Professor and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar, Sahar Aziz, for a keynote lecture on her new book The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom.” Why does a country with religious liberty enmeshed in its legal and social structures produce such overt prejudice and discrimination against Muslims? Sahar Aziz’s groundbreaking book demonstrates how race and religion intersect to create what she calls the Racial Muslim. Comparing discrimination against immigrant Muslims with the prejudicial treatment of Jews, Catholics,… Continue reading “The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom [UC Berkeley]”