Terrorists Are Always Muslim but Never White: At the Intersection of Critical Race Theory and Propaganda
2nd February, 2017
Introduction: Who Do You Picture as a Terrorist?
When Americans hear the word terrorist, they rarely picture a white individual. The dominant U.S. narrative shapes two false ideas:
Terrorists are always brown Muslims.
White people are never terrorists.
These misconceptions, reinforced by media, film, and political rhetoric, have shaped national perception and policy. Caroline Mala Corbin’s essay applies critical race theory and propaganda analysis to expose how these myths fuel discrimination, undermine national security, and strengthen white privilege.
I. Understanding the Two False Narratives
A. “All Terrorists Are Muslim”
American culture often links terrorism with Islam. Movies, news coverage, and political speeches repeatedly portray Muslims as violent or foreign. Long before 9/11, public imagination already framed Arabs and Muslims as threats.
This distortion emerges from Orientalism, a framework describing Muslims and Arabs as dangerous “others.” Hollywood films and media further deepen this bias by presenting Arab or Muslim men as villains or terrorists. Post-9/11, these depictions multiplied, ignoring the reality that most Muslims are peaceful and that many terrorists are not Muslim.
Such portrayals create a feedback loop: biased media reinforces stereotypes, which then influence public opinion and government action.
B. “No White People Are Terrorists”
The opposite narrative protects white perpetrators from the “terrorist” label. When a white individual commits ideological violence—such as mass shootings or hate crimes—media often describe them as “lone wolves” or “troubled individuals.”
This pattern demonstrates white privilege in language and law. It allows white aggressors to escape the stigma of terrorism while amplifying fear toward Muslims. The resulting imbalance obscures threats from far-right extremism, which statistically causes more domestic attacks than Islamist terrorism in the United States.
II. A Critical Race Theory Perspective
A. Unconscious Bias and the “Muslim Terrorist” Stereotype
Critical race theory (CRT) explains how racial stereotypes form through unconscious bias. These biases shape how people interpret news, remember events, and assign blame. The “Muslim terrorist” label reflects deep-rooted cultural assumptions rather than factual evidence.
CRT highlights how racialization turns “Muslim” into an ethnic identity marked by danger or disloyalty. This perception targets not only Muslims but anyone who “looks Muslim”—including Arabs, South Asians, and Sikhs.
B. White Privilege and the Denial of Terrorist Labels
A second CRT strand examines white privilege—the social, political, and linguistic advantages of whiteness. In terrorism discourse, white privilege manifests as exemption from suspicion.
When white individuals commit violence, society treats them as isolated criminals rather than representatives of a group. Meanwhile, Muslims face collective blame for acts committed by a few.
This racial double standard reveals how whiteness operates as an invisible norm, shaping what counts as “terrorism” and who qualifies as a “threat.”
III. Propaganda and the Politics of Fear
A. Racist Ideologies as Propaganda Tools
Propaganda relies on false ideologies to mobilize fear and justify state policies. In this case, the ideology of “Muslim terrorism” sustains public support for aggressive surveillance, travel bans, and military interventions.
The Trump administration, as Corbin argues, amplified these stereotypes to frame Muslims as inherent dangers, using propaganda to validate discriminatory agendas.
B. The Myth of White Innocence
Propaganda also depends on aspirational myths—stories that preserve national identity. The myth of white innocence portrays the West as morally pure and rational while casting Muslims as irrational aggressors.
This myth protects white nationalism from scrutiny and conceals the role of domestic extremism in U.S. violence.
IV. National Security Consequences
A. How “Terrorists Are Muslim” Endangers Citizens
Labeling all Muslims as terrorists alienates millions of peaceful citizens and increases hate crimes. It wastes intelligence resources by focusing on one group while ignoring others. Profiling erodes trust between Muslim communities and law enforcement, reducing cooperation in genuine counterterrorism efforts.
B. How “White People Are Never Terrorists” Creates Blind Spots
Dismissing white extremists as “non-terrorists” blinds agencies to real threats. From Charleston to Oklahoma City, far-right domestic terrorism has caused mass casualties. Yet the failure to name these acts as terrorism delays prevention, funding, and policy responses.
True national security requires confronting all forms of ideological violence, regardless of the perpetrator’s race or religion.
Conclusion: The Cost of False Narratives
The myths that “terrorists are Muslim” and “white people are innocent” serve as tools of propaganda, not truth. They sustain racial hierarchies, fuel Islamophobia, and weaken national safety.
Corbin’s essay reminds policymakers and citizens that combating terrorism demands confronting bias as much as violence. Only by rejecting racialized propaganda can the United States achieve genuine justice and security.
