Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet

Omar and his family experience the impact of Islamophobia. Mrs. Rogers dislikes them simply because they are Muslim, and Daniel asserts that Omar and other Muslims should be deported with force if necessary. Anti-Muslim bigotry is an entrenched social problem. Zanib Mian shows how learning about other religions and cultures can go a long way to forging respect and appreciation, and bridging differences between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Islamophobia is fear, prejudice, and hostility toward Muslim people. Many scholars consider Islamophobia to be a form of anti-Muslim racism. Islamophobia manifests in many ways: from the social arena where Muslims like Omar’s family are viewed with distrust, to job discrimination, to false media representations that depict Muslims as dangerous—like the biased news stories that influenced Mrs. Rogers’s suspicion. Islamophobia also arises in national politics and international policies that portray Muslims as a threat and attempt to justify discrimination and even military operations against them.

Different factors cause Islamophobia, including prejudice against Muslims based on ignorance about Islamic beliefs. Some see them as a threat to Western values. News stories often show an imbalanced view of Muslims, focusing on Islamist terrorism, or the violence perpetuated by Islamic extremists. Anti-immigration sentiment, spawned by racism and xenophobia, also contributes to Islamophobia, as some people—like Daniel’s cousin in the novel—believe that immigrants with different religions and appearances are “others” and do not belong in their country.