MALA 61403 Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia
The roots of contemporary anti-Semitism and Islamophobia within the US extend beyond the colonial era. Both ideologies have been expressed malignantly at times, but it's the seemingly benign satirical cartoons that have perhaps had the most insidious effects by firmly entrenching and perpetuating stereotypes of Jews and Muslims on a personal and social level which have, in turn, given rise to prejudicial and violent racist behavior. This biting satire targeting Jews and Muslims has left deep sores that have never completely healed due to the constant 'picking at.' This course will closely examine samplings of this graphic satire as it traces the in/decrease of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic expressions throughout US history and critically addresses any underlying religious, economic, racial, and political dimensions.