Book Reviewed: White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America, by Khyati Y. Joshi

Christian America: Inequalities in the sanctuary

The white Christian privilege in the American society has been discussed by the author who teaches Race and Religion at the Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Education. The book focuses on societal and institutional issues and offers strategies to achieve the goal of religious pluralism. The author observes that Christianity has dominated over 400 years by setting the tone and establishing the rules and assumptions about who belongs here. What is acceptable and not acceptable in public discourse. As a result, the "freedom of religion" enshrined in the pages of the Constitution did not translate into everyday life, says the author. This is a very narrow way of looking at a nation built by pilgrims who escaped the dominance of Roman Catholic Church in Europe. As you turn the pages, the author becomes very preachy, and her criticism of American whites almost equates to the intensity of the current Black Lives Matter rallies that blames white America for racism. No wonder some of her students complained to the school that she hates whites!

The author discusses the Executive Order 13769 (now 13780), titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, politically labeled as a “Muslim Ban.” She attributes this to the institution of American white Christianity! How could that be? During 2016 campaign Donald Trump explained the effects of more Muslim migrants in this country would lead to more “no go zones” and strengthen the Islamic sharia as it is happening now in Western Europe.

The author states that this is not an exercise in political correctness, but an exploration of challenges deeply held beliefs about religious freedom in U.S. I wished the author could have taken a broader approach to debate race and religious freedom in this country. Did she ever question how religious minorities, especially people of Indian religions are treated in Islamic countries? And how religious minorities are unfairly subjected to Islamic laws? Jews and people of Indian religions adapt to Western culture and integrate with the new society. They do not indulge in Jihad, Fatwa, Ummah (commonwealth of Muslim believers), and Sharia laws. And they do not violently react to the criticism of their religion.

We are living in a pandemic of political correctness where anything you say about race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, etc. would be soundly judged and condemned! Most universities and colleges have become a citadel for left-wing faculty who advance liberal and progressive ideals. Patriotism is old news and traditional values are replaced with fascism. Professor Joshi is no different from the rest of them.