Early American Perceptions of Muslims

Abstract: This paper briefly surveys the early American perceptions of Muslimsas reflected in the Barbary-related literature, and follows some of the traces ofthat past in Today's American culture. The four themes of traditional EuropeanOrientalism can be easily found in the early American literature on Barbary:Islam is portrayed in this literature as the religion of political tyranny, anti-Christian darkness, sensual pleasures, and oppression of women. What is newin this study is the American context in which these themes function. TimothyMarr believes that Islam was used by the early Americans as a “cultural enemy”,an “oppositional icon” that helped the new nation build its own identity. Thisrhetorical use of Islam against internal and external enemies seems to haveresponded to an American need for creating a new nation's self-consciousness.Marr called this internalization of Islam “domestic Orientalism” and its externalprojection “imperialism of virtue”.Key words: America, Muslims, Turks, Christianity, Orientalism, identity,perception, stereotype.

This paper briefly surveys the early American perceptions of Muslims as reflected in the Barbary-related literature, and follows some of the traces of that past in Today’s American culture. The four themes of traditional European Orientalism can be easily found in the early American literature on Barbary: Islam is portrayed in this literature as the religion of political tyranny, antiChristian darkness, sensual pleasures, and oppression of women. What is new in this study is the American context in which these themes function. Timothy Marr believes that Islam was used by the early Americans as a “cultural enemy”, an “oppositional icon” that helped the new nation build its own identity. This rhetorical use of Islam against internal and external enemies seems to have responded to an American need for creating a new nation’s self-consciousness. Marr called this internalization of Islam “domestic Orientalism” and its external projection “imperialism of virtue”.

Keywords:

America, Muslims, Turks, Christianity, Orientalism, identity, perception stereotype.,

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