Despite numerous sources suggesting that Islamophobia is becoming both increasingly prevalent and societally acceptable in the contemporary world, there remains a lack of textual sources that consider either the phenomenon itself, or its manifestations and consequences. Chris Allen traces the historical evolution of Islamophobia to the present day, before trying to understand and comprehend a wider conception of the phenomenon. A series of investigations thematically consider the role of the media, the contemporary positioning of Muslims throughout the world, and whether Islamophobia can be seen to be a continuum of historical anti-Muslimism, or whether it is an entirely modern concept.

Part 1 Introduction; Chapter 1 The First Decade of Islamophobia; Part 2 History in Context; Chapter 2 Revelation to Reformation, Orientalism and Colonialism; Chapter 3 From Revolution to Revival, Rushdie and the Clash of Civilisations; Part 3 A Decade of the Runnymede Report; Chapter 4 Recognition: A New Reality that Needed Naming; Chapter 5 Runnymede: An Open and Closed Case; Part 4 Islamophobia in Context; Chapter 6 'They're All the Same': Islamophobia in the Context of the UK; Chapter 7 Different Forms of Discourse, Speech and Acts: Islamophobia in Europe; Part 5 Towards a New Theory and Definition of Islamophobia; Chapter 8 What is Islamophobia?; Chapter 9 Islamophobia: Comparisons and Correlations; Chapter 10 Islamophobia: A New Ideology for a Media Generation; Chapter 11 Towards a New Definition of Islamophobia; Part 6 Conclusion; Chapter 12 Tentative Steps into the Twenty-First Century;

Chris Allen, Research Fellow, The Institute of Applied Social Studies, University of Birmingham, UK