The War on Terror and Islamophobia American foreign policy has an infamous reputation among world leaders for its imperialistic approach to world issues through the massive use of brutal military force to impose Western ideals of democracy. Such intervention has historically been shown to generate more harm than good, usually inciting chaos, violence and disorder within the region in question. This chaos is generally justified by US leaders by claiming that our intervention is in the interests of American security, creating a campaign of fear against an “enemy” that poses virtually no threat to American security. This concept is clearly exemplified through the “War on Terror,” a supposed pre-emptive fight against terrorism, which has served as fuel for nationwide fear of Islam. The United States' war on terrorism is responsible for the rampant and aggressive Islamophobia that persists in the fabric of American society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Bush administration's justification for the war on terrorism, marked by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, initially focused on short-term security issues. This included the removal of a regime that developed and used weapons of mass destruction, harbored and supported terrorists, and supported the violation of basic human rights. This plan was to be carried out through the use of strong military force in order not only to liberate Iraq, but also to abolish the roots of terrorism. This exemplifies Wilsonianism, or the “good neighbor” policy, explained by Noam Chomsky in Hegemony or Survival. Chomsky describes this concept as “circles that provide stability and righteousness are good, even noble. Therefore our interventions are necessarily right in intention” (31). This idea served as justification for the United States to invade a virtually defenseless and primarily Islamic country and create an enemy against which to mount a campaign of fear, ultimately causing a national panic surrounding Islam. The War on Terror gave way to an influx of anti-Islamic propaganda, deepening the nation's hatred and distrust of Muslims and everything related to Islamic beliefs. Chomsky explains this concept as a “preemptive tactic” against terrorism, a tactic used to “portray Saddam Hussein as an imminent threat to the United States and to imply that he was responsible for the atrocities of 9/11 and was planning more” ( 5 ). The tactic was very successful in changing American attitudes toward Islam, and it soon distanced American public opinion from the global specter and helped the administration make Iraq our enemy to be eradicated with heavy military force. Saddam Hussein and his associates soon became synonymous with Islam as a whole, describing it as a violent, extremist religion responsible for terrorist attacks on American soil. This created widespread distrust and fear of those who practiced Islam, giving rise to deep-seated, violent Islamophobia and Muslim hate crimes in the United States. Soon after the events of 9/11 and the launch of the Bush administration's war on terrorism, Muslim hate crimes quickly skyrocketed as anti-Muslim propaganda began to make its way into Western media. According to FBI statistics, 481 anti-Muslim hate crimes were reported in 2001, an overwhelming majority.