Gender, Islamophobia and Romaphobia: Intersectional Insights
Gender, Islamophobia and Romaphobia: Intersectional Insights

Author(s): Amina Easat-Daas
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Nationalism Studies, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: Islamophobia; Romaphobia; Racism; antigypsyism; Romani Muslim
Summary/Abstract: Islamophobia and Romaphobia or antigypsyism remain among the most significant, yet seemingly normalised racisms on the continent, if not across the globe. Both of these forms of racism have historical rootings and distinct gendered dimensions. This chapter seeks to understand and define how gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia can be understood through theoretical lenses to understand the intersections of the two, and I look forward to potential future research avenues in this novel area of inquiry. The chapter begins with a detailed review of the terms Islamophobia and Romaphobia, taking into consideration the nuances of the respective terms and acknowledging the contestation around the terms both within and external to the racialized Muslim and Romani communities. The chapter continues to examine how a decolonial theoretical lens can be applied to understand both gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia/antigypsyism before continuing to explore the shortcomings of dominant feminist theory in accounting for the experiences of racialized Muslim and Romani women and the structural factors that shape their exclusion, marginalization, and demonization. This theoretical consideration lays the foundation for the development of a framework for the comparative study of gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia. The chapter also includes a review of the current nature of gendered Islamophobia and gendered Romaphobia concerning specific theoretical vantage points. It emphasizes how the phenomenon has comparatively impacted Muslim women and Romani women over time and across places. The chapter also reviews the very limited academic study of the Romani Muslim women’s experiences throughout, thus pointing to future avenues for research.

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