The Multiculturalism Backlash and the Mainstreaming of Islamophobia Post-9/11

Abstract

In response to the failure of the assimilationist agenda of the early 1960s, the idea of multiculturalism had by the end of the twentieth century broadly come to be accepted as an effective strategy for managing diversity in British society. Since 9/11, however, it has sustained heavy attacks from a variety of antagonists. Increasingly, the multiculturalism backlash has come to be linked with critiques of Islam and Muslims and, in turn, with Islamophobia. Given the small size of the Muslim communities in Northern Ireland (4000–5000), the praxis of multiculturalism remains relatively underdeveloped, but there has emerged considerable evidence of anti-Muslim bigotry that runs in parallel with Protestant-Catholic tensions.

Keywords

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