ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the rise of Islamophobia after September 11th. Since the 2016 elections and the Muslim Ban legislation, Islamophobic attacks and anti-Muslim racism have reached 9/11 levels. Given continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and increased violence against Arabs and Muslims in the United States, it is imperative that our public institutions—schools, museums, libraries—provide space for nuanced discussions about Muslims and Islam. The only exposure many Americans have ever had to Islam and Muslims is related to 9/11. Therefore, in this chapter, I turn to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to analyze representations of Islam and Muslims. Focusing specifically on an analysis of materials from the museum, including lesson plans, artifacts, and the official audio tour, this chapter analyzes the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as a rhetorical landscape that provides a powerful public experience of American national identity, one that is disturbingly separate and distinct from a foreign Muslim Other.
