This history explains why Muslims are suspicious of US pledges to support democracy in the Middle East and beyond. It also undermines any Western political narrative that depicts Islam as an inherent enemy of democracy. Given both the democratic aspirations of many Muslims and the numerous ways that the United States and some European powers have undercut democratic processes in Muslim countries, Western politicians who suggest that Islam is the real obstacle to democracy are likely driven more by Islamophobia or ulterior political motives than by any genuine desire to promote and defend democracy in these regions.

XREF: Connects to broader critiques of US interventionism and 'exporting democracy' narratives in the Middle East across multiple sources.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 299