The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion with Evelyn Sultany (Episode 68)

There exists a troubling gap between the promise and the lived reality of Muslim inclusion within American institutions. Through an interdisciplinary critical assessment of Hollywood, corporations, universities, and law enforcement, our guest explains how and why Muslims are systematically excluded through what she terms "crisis diversity" – a pattern where institutions respond urgently to high-profile Islamophobic incidents only to revert to neglect until the next crisis emerges. The discussion examines how even seemingly positive representations of Muslims in television often carry problematic messages, how corporate responses to anti-Muslim speech serve more as rebranding exercises than genuine reform, and how university diversity initiatives fail Muslim students, particularly those engaged in Palestinian rights activism. This critical analysis demonstrates how institutional patterns consistently defang meaningful inclusion efforts, perpetuating a cycle that defers systemic change while maintaining the appearance of progress. Join host Sahar Aziz in conversation with Professor Evelyn Alsultany, a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in U.S. media and author of the acclaimed book "Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion." Professor Alsultany brings decades of scholarship and activism to bear on these urgent questions of institutional racism and the limits of diversity initiatives. Her work bridges academic rigor with public engagement, making complex issues of representation and inclusion accessible to broad audiences through her writing, speaking, and curatorial work. Listeners will understand the deep structural challenges facing Muslim Americans and the sophisticated ways that institutional Islamophobia adapts to and co-opts efforts at reform. #Islamophobia #9/11 #DEI #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Muslims #Islam Biography Evelyn Alsultany is a Professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College and a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. media. Prior to joining USC, she taught at the University of Michigan for 14 years, where she co-founded and directed the Arab and Muslim American Studies program. She is the author of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion (NYU Press, 2022), named one of the 10 best scholarly books of 2022 by The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation after 9/11 (NYU Press, 2012). She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2005 and has co-authored the Obeidi-Alsultany Test to help Hollywood improve representations of Muslims, serving as a consultant for major studios including Netflix, Amazon, and NBC Universal. Recommended Readings Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion , NYU Press (2022) Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation after 9/11 , NYU Press (2012) Arab and Arab American Feminisms: Gender, Violence, and Belonging , Syracuse University Press (2011) Support the show Support the Center for Security, Race and Rights by following us and making a donation: Donate: https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/csrr-support/20046.html Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbUfYcWGZapBNYvCObiCpp3qtxgH_jFy Follow us on Twitter:<a