Andrew Shryock has a name for countering the Islamophobic image of “bad Muslims” with “good Muslims”—Islamophilia. Critics of Islamophobia who are prone to Islamophilia are sometimes desperate to construct the perfect, acceptable Muslim. The model Muslim is one who espouses nonviolence, is highly educated, embraces gender equality, believes firmly in democracy, and participates actively in interfaith dialogue. Shyrock reminds us that this is not only wishful thinking but also a harmful construct that both neglects diversity within Islam and attempts to force Muslims to conform to a Western ideal that, in turn, can be manipulated by non-Muslims for political purposes.

DEFINE: Defines Shryock's term 'Islamophilia' as the counterpart to Islamophobia — the counterproductive construction of a model Muslim who conforms to Western ideals.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 85