Award-winning religious scholar says fear leads to otherism

For Reza Aslan, an award-winning religious scholar, author and producer, the rise of xenophobia and fear of Islamic terrorism in the United States isn’t a Muslim problem, it’s an American problem.

At a Distinguished Lecture Series talk Wednesday evening, Aslan told the audience that people are having a hard time defining what it means to be an American, which is leading to a fear of “others.”

While most nationalities have a sense of homogeneity, as a nation of immigrants, Americans’ sense of nationality comes from a set aof shared ideals and principles, according to Aslan. But during times of uncertainty, Aslan said it becomes easier to identify what is American than what is “not American” and identifying others.

According to Aslan, anti-Muslim sentiment is higher today than it was immediately following 9/11 as many perceptions of Islam are now built on reports of violence. He went on to say that the increase in violence against Muslims and the attempts to delegitimize Islam from the highest levels of the U.S. government is what sets today apart from the past.

“This is a top-down process. It's no longer on the fringes, it's no longer in the shadows, it's at the highest levels of our government right now,” said Aslan. “That's what has changed. That's what has made this a different experience than the one I had as a kid in the United States.”

But the “othering” of groups of people is not a new concept, Aslan noted. In the late 19th century the government passed laws restricting immigration of Catholics, and antisemitism was rampant between world wars. He said that with any historical awareness, it is a guarantee that Muslims will become integrated.

“The amazing thing about a democracy like ours is we, as individuals, get to define what our country means,” Aslan said. “And so I leave you with this question: What kind of country do you want to live in?”