Lecture Arun Kundnani – Islamophobia Rooted in Our Politics?
What is Islamophobia? And where does it come from?
Crisis situations, such as terrorist attacks, are too often explained as products of reified “Muslimness”. According to Arun Kundnani, the real explanations however, are found in our own society and politics. In this lecture on 15 September Kundnani explored the roots of Islamophobia.
What is the status quo of Islamophobia in The Netherlands? Where is the line between criticism of Islam and Islamophobia? And is there still room left for righteous criticism in a strongly polarised debate? Together with Anya Topolski I had to opportunity to discuss these topics with Arun Kundnani.
The event was organised by Radboud Reflect.
About the speakers
Arun Kundnani is adjunct-professor of Media, Culture and Communication at the University of New York and writes about Islamophobia, political violence and surveillance. He is also known for his books: The Muslims are Coming and The End of Tolerance: Racism in 21st Century Britain. He is a renowned public speaker.
Anya Topolski works as a political philosopher at the Radboud University. Her research focuses on religion, racism and exclusion of minorities in Europe.
and yours truly: Martijn de Koning is anthropologist en teaches Islam Studies at the Radboud University and the University of Amsterdam.
Listen to the podcast:
Or Watch the full lecture and debate at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands:
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