Abstract
Islamophobia is the xenophobic, hatred, or prejudice against Islam and its followers. It has emerged as a significant social and political issue in contemporary society. This phenomenon manifests in various forms, from individual acts of discrimination and hate crimes to institutionalized policies that marginalize Muslim communities. This paper assumes that some Western writers link, in one way or another, between Islam and terrorism and therefore have common fear of Islam. Meanwhile, the study investigates the phenomenon of islamophobia in both Updike's Terrorist and Abraham's American Taliban. Besides, it sheds light on the misrepresentation of Islam, othering Muslims, and the cultural stereotyping of Muslims. Persumably, both Updike and Abraham are adopting Islamophobic attitudes that come as a result of the general influence of their Western anti-Islamic culture.
In fact, readers who lack firsthand knowledge of Islam may form their opinions based on these biased portrayals which, in turn, reinforce Islamophobic attitudes and prejudices. Additionally, the portrayals of Islam and Muslim characters in Updike's Terrorist and Abraham's American Taliban offer a subtle and one-dimensional perspective that focuses on simplistic stereotypes. Noticeably, Ahmed and John's paths to radicalization are depicted with complexity that highlight the personal, cultural, and ideological factors and influence their transformations. Updike's Terrorist sheds light on the role of religious authority and the alienation experienced by devout individuals in secular societies. While, Abraham's American Taliban spotlight the psychological and social dimensions of radicalization.
Keywords: Islamophobia, radicalization, stereotyping Muslims, misrepresentation of Islam, secularism, ostracization.