Deepa Kumar, School of Communication and Information, Rutgers University

Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire

“Constructing the Muslim Enemy: From the Crusades to 9/11”

Wednesday, February 1, 4pm, 8417 Social Science

“The Uses of Islamophobia: US Foreign Policy and the Far Right”

Thursday, February 2, 4pm, 8417 Social Science

Open Seminar for Students, Faculty, and Public

Friday, February 3, 12 noon, 8146 Social Science

Co-sponsored by Global Studies

DEEPA KUMAR is an associate professor of Media Studies and Middle East studies at Rutgers University. Her work is driven by an active engagement with the key issues that characterize our era – neoliberalism and imperialism. Her first book, Outside the Box: Corporate Media, Globalization and the UPS Strike, is about the power of collective struggle in effectively challenging the priorities of neoliberalism. Her second book titled Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire (forthcoming, 2012), examines how the “Muslim enemy” has been historically mobilized to suit the goals of empire. Her articles have appeared in scholarly journals as well as independent media such as MR Zine, Common Dreams, Dissident Voice, Islamophobia-Watch, Socialist Worker, ISR etc.

Readings, from Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire (forthcoming):