Co-Directors Chad Haines and Yasmin Saikia have published the third and final book, 'On Othering: Processes and Politics of Unpeace,' in their trilogy on ‘People’s Peace.’

In every sphere of life, division and intolerance have polarized communities and entire nations. The learned construction of the Other—an evil “enemy” against whom both physical and discursive violence is deemed acceptable—has fractured humanity, creating divisions that seemingly defy reconciliation. How do we restore the bonds of connection among human beings? How do we shift from polarization to peace? 'On Othering: Processes and Politics of Unpeace' examines the process of othering from an international perspective and considers how it undermines peacemaking and is perpetuated by colonialism and globalization. Taking a humanistic approach, contributors argue that celebrating differences can have a transformative change in seeking peaceful solutions to problems created by people, institutions, ideas, conditions, and circumstances.

Excerpt from Haines' chapter, 'Unfree Muslims': 

[F]rom 2015 on, anti-Muslim hate crimes doubled. This was the era of Donald Trump ... His rhetoric situated Muslims, and other minorities, as outside, if not directly undermining, America’s greatness ... I suggest, [that American Islamophobia is based on] assumptions and values of a radical difference between America and Islam. … In this discourse, [Muslims] do not belong, not just because they are a security risk (something that can be countered and corrected) but because their religion and worldview are inherently oppressive and deny individuals freedom—thus, completely un-American … Like communism and socialism, Islam is [imagined as] the antithesis of freedom, which is the cornerstone of what makes America great, so the argument goes.

Read the book.