Kleh Lecture featuring Sahar Aziz
Global Islamophobia in an Era of Populism
Monday, April 4, 2022
Barristers Hall
12:45-2:00 p.m.
Myriad political, social, and economic contexts contribute toward Islamophobia and consequent normalization of anti-Muslim racism in various parts of the world. Simultaneous to the rise in global Islamophobia is the rise of right-wing populism, especially in Western nations. Whether it is in the form of right-wing political parties in Europe, Trumpism in the United States, concentration camps for Uighurs in China, the genocide of the Rohingya in Myanmar, or the Hindutva movement in India, Muslims are perceived by the state and the public as security, political, or economic threats. The widespread scapegoating of Muslims in so many parts of the world warrants a global analysis currently lacking in the academic discourse.
Professor Aziz’s lecture will explore the political, social, and legal factors in North America, Europe, and Asia in nations where Islamophobia has reached systemic levels to understand Islamophobia as an entrenched international human rights issue, as opposed to an isolated temporal social problem.
About the Speaker
Sahar Aziz joined BU Law for the fall 2021 semester as the William & Patricia Kleh Visiting Professor in International Law. She is a faculty member at Rutgers Law School, where she also serves as Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar and Middle East Legal Studies Scholar, as well as the founding director of the Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and Rights.
Professor Aziz’s scholarship examines the intersections of national security, race, and civil 
rights with a focus on the adverse impact of post-9/11 national security laws and policies on racial, ethnic, and religious minorities in the US. She analyzes these issues in various contexts including employment, counterterrorism, criminal justice, and civil rights litigation.
Professor Aziz’s research investigates the relationship between authoritarianism, terrorism, and rule of law in Egypt. Her book, titled “The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom,” examines how religious bigotry racializes immigrant Muslims through a historical and comparative approach. Professor Aziz teaches courses on national security, critical race theory, Islamophobia, evidence, torts, and Middle East law. At BU Law, she taught National Security Law and a new course, Global Islamophobia.
For more information about our speaker, please visit our article in the Record.