American Orientalism is hardly a relic of the past. It is, rather, a phenomenon that lives on today and steers how politicians, journalists, and everyday citizens think about Muslims and frame Islam. It is fluid and potent. It is the root system that gave rise to and drives Islamophobia. Justifying fear of and violence against a people requires a foundational system that actively dehumanizes that people. We cannot understand American Islamophobia without understanding its predecessor, American Orientalism.

DEFINE: Distinguishes American Orientalism as the foundational 'root system' enabling Islamophobia rather than a historical relic. XREF: Extends Edward Said's Orientalism framework to the American context and its contemporary political discourse.

Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Unde…, loc. 168