Introduction

This chapter introduces and contextualizes the driving question of the book, namely, how to address the growing problem of Islamophobia and the threat it poses to U.S. national security. In order to effectively contest a small, radicalized element of Muslims, the U.S. must enlist the support of a potential key ally: the 1.8 billion mainstream Muslims worldwide and, in particular, 3.5 million Muslim Americans. This book builds upon arguments from leading scholars of Islamophobia and integrates current events and lessons learned from the Global War on Terrorism and domestic CVE programs in order to inform broader discourses on radicalization and security studies among policy-practitioners, researchers, students, military leaders, and those invested in national security. Overall, the book explicates the current problem of Islamophobia and the national security threats it poses, and it sets forth what shifts are necessary for a more inclusive narrative and cultural understanding that allows for a resolution of U.S.–Muslim animosity and the War on Terror itself. Through a combination of theory, case studies, and observational evidence, the book sheds light on the U.S.’s current implementation of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency measures in relation to the surge in Islamophobia, and it proposes promising new directions for future efforts.