---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia…"
description: "\"Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia partakes of racist characteristics.\" — Mohsin Hamid"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg"
---

#  Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia partakes of racist…

![“Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia partakes of racist characteristics.” quote by Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg)

> “Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia partakes of racist characteristics.”

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Islam is a faith, not an ethnicity; prejudice against it can mirror racial bias.

**In simple terms:** Islam is a religion, not a race; prejudice can be racist.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge Islamophobic attitudes.

Themes

religion prejudice identity racism social justice

Mood

concerned reflective determined

Type

analytical advocacy

When to use this quote

- workplace
- education
- media
- community dialogue
- policy making

Key Concepts

intersectionality stereotype human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- How does conflating religion with race affect social cohesion?
- What steps can reduce religious discrimination?

A Different Perspective

Islamophobia can be rooted in political or cultural conflicts, not just race.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Islamophobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamophobia/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/)

## Related quotes

> [How could they say that my religion, Islam was a 'race hate' religion after all the plunder and enslavement and domination of my people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/how-could-they-say-that-my-religion-islam-was-a-race-hate-religion/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [Islam is not a race...Islam is simply a set of beliefs, and it is not 'Islamophobic' to say Islam is incompatible with liberal democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/islam-is-not-a-race-islam-is-simply-a-set-of-beliefs-and-it-is-not/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [Islamophobia, in all its guises, seeks to minimise the importance of the individual and maximise the importance of the group. Yet our instinctive stance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/islamophobia-in-all-its-guises-seeks-to-minimise-the-importance-of/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [You know, you get a bad review as a writer, you remember it for 10 years. You get a hundred good reviews, you forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/you-know-you-get-a-bad-review-as-a-writer-you-remember-it-for-10/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“It’s selfish and horrible, but in this terrible moment, all I want is to be a plain old American teenager. Who can simply mourn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samira-ahmed/it-s-selfish-and-horrible-but-in-this-terrible-moment-all-i-want-is/)

[Samira Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samira-ahmed/)

> [Flying while Muslim is nerve-racking in itself. Every time I prepare to fly, I have to make sure the anxiety I feel from all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-almontaser/flying-while-muslim-is-nerve-racking-in-itself-every-time-i-prepare/)

Debbie Almontaser

> [Islam, Christianity and Judaism all define themselves through disgust of women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-toynbee/islam-christianity-and-judaism-all-define-themselves-through-disgust/)

[Polly Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-toynbee/)

> [Every time I travel, government TSA officials seem to recognize that I'm a Muslim and 'randomly' pull me aside for 'special treatment'. My sincere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-ammaar-yasir-qadhi/every-time-i-travel-government-tsa-officials-seem-to-recognize-that-i/)

[Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-ammaar-yasir-qadhi/)

> [“Preoccupation with real evil is the greatest difference between right and left. The right was preoccupied with fighting Communism while the left (not liberals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/preoccupation-with-real-evil-is-the-greatest-difference-between-right/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [“1945-1990 - Russophobia 1990-2015 - Islamophobia 2015- ?? - Russophobia AND Islamophobia. Isnt it time the MI Complex created a new bogey-man?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arindam-mukherjee/1945-1990-russophobia-1990-2015-islamophobia-2015-russophobia-and/)

Arindam Mukherjee

> [“It is much easier to condemn Islam and 'oppressive Muslim men' than to unpack the intricate relationships between global politics related to empire building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadje-al-ali/it-is-much-easier-to-condemn-islam-and-oppressive-muslim-men-than-to/)

[Nadje Al-Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadje-al-ali/)

> [“Discriminations suit animals, not humans. And yet, the unfortunate reality is, it is the humans that discriminate each other on the grounds of imaginary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/discriminations-suit-animals-not-humans-and-yet-the-unfortunate/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [Islamophobia emerged from the Western countries, and this is a challenge that we all together need to surmount.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/islamophobia-emerged-from-the-western-countries-and-this-is-a/)

[Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/)

> [I am glad that I could be a part of a film that tackles Islamophobia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arfi-lamba/i-am-glad-that-i-could-be-a-part-of-a-film-that-tackles-islamophobia/)

[Arfi Lamba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arfi-lamba/)

> [I could give you example after example, of where the language of the far Right, driven by Islamophobia, has now become institutionalised in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humza-yousaf/i-could-give-you-example-after-example-of-where-the-language-of-the/)

[Humza Yousaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humza-yousaf/)

## More by Mohsin Hamid

> [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“I met her eyes, and for the first time I perceived that there was something broken behind them, like a tiny crack in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-met-her-eyes-and-for-the-first-time-i-perceived-that-there-was/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“muscularity, made more pronounced by her gauntness, and the near-inanimate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/muscularity-made-more-pronounced-by-her-gauntness-and-the-near/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“In this group, everyone was foreign, and so, in a sense, no one was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/in-this-group-everyone-was-foreign-and-so-in-a-sense-no-one-was/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“It seemed to me then - and to be honest, sir, seems to me still - that America was engaged only in posturing. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-seemed-to-me-then-and-to-be-honest-sir-seems-to-me-still-that/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [When the uncertain future becomes the past, the past in turn becomes uncertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-uncertain-future-becomes-the-past-the-past-in-turn-becomes/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-turned-on-it-seems-to-produce-a/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [I think fiction allows you to inhabit new domains and it's you, the reader living in that domain for a few days that results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-fiction-allows-you-to-inhabit-new-domains-and-it-s-you-the/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“Often, during my stay in your country, such comparisons troubled me. In fact, they did more than trouble me: they made me resentful. Four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/often-during-my-stay-in-your-country-such-comparisons-troubled-me-in/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [Americans need to educate themselves, from elementary school onward, about what their country has done abroad. And they need to play a more active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/americans-need-to-educate-themselves-from-elementary-school-onward/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [I'm not a representative of Pakistan; I'm just an example that Pakistanis are different from each other. I believe it in my fiction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-m-not-a-representative-of-pakistan-i-m-just-an-example-that/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“end of a couple is like a death, and the notion of death, of temporariness, can remind us of the value of things,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/end-of-a-couple-is-like-a-death-and-the-notion-of-death-of/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [NYC doesn't have a big sign saying "You must love diversity and the rights of all people." And that's not what makes you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/nyc-doesn-t-have-a-big-sign-saying-you-must-love-diversity-and-the/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

[Explore all 361 Mohsin Hamid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

## More Characteristics quotes

> [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

> [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/)

[Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/)

> [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/)

[Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/)

> [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A second characteristic of the process which for me is the good life, is that it involves an increasingly tendency to live fully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/a-second-characteristic-of-the-process-which-for-me-is-the-good-life/)

[Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/)

> [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/)

Mary Livermore

> [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/)

[Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/)

> [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/)

Amy Trask

> [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mass-of-men-lead-lives-of-quiet-desperation-what-is-called/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [ \[Joseph\] Stalin closes the exposition of these \[Leon Trotsky\] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of \[Vladimir\] Lenin's conception… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-these-leon-trotsky-ideas-with/)

[Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/)

> [It is true that 'I seem to see a table' does not entail 'I see a table'; but 'I seem to feel a pain'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galen-strawson/it-is-true-that-i-seem-to-see-a-table-does-not-entail-i-see-a-table/)

[Galen Strawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galen-strawson/)

Browse all 1,325 Characteristics quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia partakes of racist characteristics.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mohsin Hamid"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-partakes-of-racist/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Characteristics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-partakes-of-racist/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mohsin-hamid-798_characteristics_islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-par_2449464.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Islam is not a race, yet Islamophobia partakes of racist characteristics.” — Mohsin Hamid",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mohsin Hamid",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Islam is not a race, yet...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-partakes-of-racist/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/islam-is-not-a-race-yet-islamophobia-partakes-of-racist/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
