ABSTRACT
The topic of the Islamophobia has received considerable interest among scholars, policymakers and the community at large. However, while its usage has grown exponentially its understandings have not mutated, leaving a considerable gap between applications and definition. Islamophobia has become an all-encompassing instrument of anti-Muslim cultural objectification but it has taken attention away from structural racism. In particular, the use of the term conflates actions that are structurally racist with a general rhetoric that is anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim. Therefore, it is a useful ruse among dominant political and media actors, taking away the opportunity to challenge deep-rooted aspects of anti-Muslim prejudice. This paper outlines four areas where Islamophobia masks deeper structural concerns, namely education, employment, health and housing in Britain. All confirm patterns of ethnic and racial disadvantage as structural issues that have moved beyond the immediate scope of policymakers. The implications are that it makes British Muslims weaker in the face of aggressive cultural and structural anti-Muslim sentiment.
