Imported Hate: Islamophobia in Rural America | Taneeza Islam | TEDxBrookings

Summary

The speaker addresses the unconscious biases that lead to fear, particularly towards Muslims and immigrants. They share personal experiences of bias and the impact of Islamophobic rhetoric on legislation. The talk highlights the importance of self-reflection, understanding, and speaking out against fear-mongering to combat Islamophobia. The speaker calls for active engagement to support local organizations fighting against hate.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Fear is a natural response, but how we react to it is a choice.
• 🧐 98% of our brain works unconsciously, shaping our biases and reactions.
• 🌐 Unconscious biases are formed from the messages we receive from birth.
• 🔍 To build authentic communities, we must understand our fears, especially regarding racism and other 'isms'.
• 🤔 Personal interactions can help dispel fears and biases.
• 🧘‍♀️ The speaker acknowledges their own unconscious biases and works to overcome them.
• 📊 The speaker took an implicit association test revealing personal biases.
• 📚 Fear-mongering and stereotypes can become truth without personal contact with different others.
• ⚖️ Anti-Islamic legislation is a result of legislating fear and hate.
• 🏭 The Islamophobic Network is a well-funded industry spreading fear in rural America.
• 📈 Since 2010, numerous anti-Islamic bills have been introduced across the U.S.
• 📖 Sharia is misunderstood; it's a set of guiding principles, not a law to be feared.
• 🗣️ The speaker calls for self-reflection, identifying biases, and speaking out against Islamophobia.
• 💪 Supporting local organizations fighting Islamophobia is crucial.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speech?

The main theme of the speech is the impact of unconscious bias and fear, particularly Islamophobia, on individuals and communities, and the importance of self-reflection, understanding, and speaking out against hate and fear-mongering.

What percentage of our brain works unconsciously according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, 98% of our brain works unconsciously.

How does the speaker describe the process of internalizing messages that affect our thoughts and actions?

The speaker describes the process as being bombarded with messages from birth, which the brain categorizes and internalizes, thus affecting our thoughts and actions.

What does the speaker reveal about their own unconscious bias?

The speaker reveals that they caught themselves being surprised that a young Asian man had no accent, indicating an unconscious bias, and they took an implicit association test which showed they favor lighter-skinned people over darker-skinned people.

What does the speaker suggest is the effect of personal interactions with people who are different from us?

The speaker suggests that personal interactions with those who are different can dissipate fear and help in understanding that the rhetoric heard in the media is often false.

How does the speaker describe the impact of living in a place without personal contact with diverse groups?

The speaker describes it as a situation where fear-mongering and stereotypes seep into discourse and can become accepted as truth, leading to legislated fear and hate.

What is the speaker's perspective on Sharia law?

The speaker clarifies that Sharia is not law as understood in the US context, but rather guiding principles similar to the Ten Commandments, teaching Muslims to be good people and stewards of the earth.

How many anti-Islamic bills were introduced in the US since 2010 according to the speaker?

Since 2010, a hundred and twenty anti-Islamic bills were introduced in 42 states.

What is the main purpose of the Islamophobic network according to the speaker?

The main purpose of the Islamophobic network, as described by the speaker, is to instill fear of Islam and Muslims to the extent of legally delegitimizing a fourteen-century-old religion and stripping Muslims of their freedom of and from religion.

What was the outcome of the legislative session mentioned by the speaker in South Dakota?

The speaker reports that an authentically intersectional coalition defeated two Islamophobic resolutions in South Dakota for the first time.

What are the three asks the speaker has for the audience?

The speaker asks the audience to be self-reflective, identify their biases, work on changing their response, find ways to learn about diverse people if they don't have the opportunity to meet them, and most importantly, speak out against fear-mongering and hate.