Trump, islamophobia, and hegemonic neoliberalism : a discourse analysis of islamophobia narrative in speeches and interviews by Donald Trump

• Main Author: Waikar, Prashant Deepak
• Other Authors: Mohamed Nawab Bin Mohamed Osman
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73306
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In this paper I use a Wittgensteinian method of discourse analysis to analyze the narratives of lslamophobia in Donald Trump's speeches and interviews. Theoretically, the analysis is informed by hegemonic neoliberal ideology. I argue that to sustain itself, hegemonic neoliberalism must contrast itself against other belief systems that it unilaterally denounces as inferior. After having done so, hegemonic neoliberalism then seeks to neoliberalize those belief systems. In this vein, I contend that hegemonic neoliberalism has an Islamophobic ' face ' because it 'others' Islam and Muslims in order to justify its neoliberalization of Islam and Muslims. Thus, I define neoliberal Islamophobia as the conceptualization of Islam and Muslims as antithetical to neoliberal values. In all, Trump's speeches and interviews contain six Islamophobic narratives: (I) radical Islam is the sole cause of terrorism, (2) radical Islamic terrorism is a global existential threat, (3) Muslim refugees and immigrants are a threat to American security, (4) the proposal to suspend entry of Muslim refugees and immigrants to the US, (5) the faux humanitarian policy of establishing safe zones for Muslim refugees in Syria, and (6) the subjection of Muslims in the US to a regime of state-surveillance. The paper concludes with future research and policy implications.