ABSTRACT
Muslims growing up in the contemporary United States confront a racialized discourse that associates Islam and Muslims with inherent violence and savagery. We explore the construction of this discourse through a study of media coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, widely seen as among the most significant acts of “homegrown” Muslim terrorism on the U.S. soil since 9/11. Drawing on news accounts and accompanying online reader comments from the Boston Globe, CBS Boston and the New York Times, we examine the emergence of frames and narratives about the perpetrators – two brothers who were long-time U.S. residents and Muslims of Chechen origin. Our findings highlight a discourse of violent potential in which Muslims, especially those who are young men, are seen to have a natural proclivity towards violence, a tendency that is activated by engagement and involvement with Islam and Muslim institutions.
