The list of closed views begins with the notion that Islam lacks both diversity and internal differences and disagreements. In other words, all Muslims are basically the same, holding uniform worldviews and ideologies. In many ways, this perception drives much of the Islamophobia that one encounters in the West. If Islam is monolithic and unchanging, and if media coverage focuses on violence or terrorism carried out in the name of Islam by a small minority of Muslims, then it is easy to draw the conclusion that what one sees on the news is somehow endemic to Islam and all Muslims.

XREF: Connects to broader discussions of how essentializing a group enables prejudice and stereotyping across religious, ethnic, and cultural contexts.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 53