The Political Economy of Hate Industry: Islamophobia in the Western Public Sphere

Abstract

Minority communities across the globe are increasingly being targeted for vilification and demonization which consequently result in their marginalization and persecution, among other forms of physical, psychological, structural and cultural violence. These may be on account of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities or other demographic indicators—a phenomenon which summatively came to be known as hate speech/crime. When such violence ballooned beyond bearable level against the black community in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, it triggered counteroffensive under the veneer of “white devil,” insighting the production of “How Hate Begets Hate” and Bigger Thomases of that world. In recent times, nowhere is such hate more pronounced than the one directed at the Muslim communities living in various countries of the West. Their framing as irrational, incompatible and security threat to the West has resulted in a number of stringent legislation/policies targeting them, beside organized violence by individuals and a propaganda industry feeding on this. This rising Islamophobia, as the study found, is a byproduct of historical experiences, fuelled contemporarily by the economic and political interests of individuals and organizations. Using qualitative content analysis and political economy as methodological and theoretical frameworks respectively, this study identifies the key players in heightening anti-Muslim sentiment in the West, as well as their motivations and strategy of public deception. It also explores the phases and causes of tension in West–Muslim relations, the role of media and the solution to this, among other things.

Rapid Sharing of Islamophobic Hate on Facebook: The Case of the Tablighi Jamaat Controversy

“…However, Islamophobia is certainly a social evil that has taken deep root in the world, especially after the attacks of September 11, 2001. In countries where the Muslim community has a substantial share in demography, conservative political parties have been regularly using Islamophobia as a political agenda to garner votes (Bukar, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic provided another opportunity to conservative and right-wing political leaders and their supporters to target Muslims.…”

Islamophobia, Hatred and Violence against Muslim Communities in the West and Real Picture of Islam

“…Anti-Muslim sentiments and hatred towards Muslims have increased in the west over the past few decades. 2 In light of the proof on Islamophobia, an inductive approach is used to understand the root causes. A number of philosophical concepts is existent align with the ideology of this research.…”

“…1 Furthermore, current surveys have found that citizens in the western world have a robust negative perspective and feelings about Muslim communities and Islam. 2 The main goal of this study is to explain Islamophobia and why there is violence and hatred against Muslim communities in the west. Several studies have portrayed the image of Islam and Muslim people from the perspective of western people.…”

“…These dimensions consist of violence, prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion. 2 Therefore, some of Islamophobia's comprehensive definitions linked to the aforementioned dimensions/ concepts are:…”

Diskriminasi Gaya Hidup Hijabers dalam Berita Wolipop

“…Selain itu, juga berkaitan dengan bentuk diskriminasi lainnya seperti penolakan pekerjan serta urusan politik dan kebijakan negara. Pendapat Donald Trump merupakan contoh komentar yang berangkat dari popularitas sentimen yang berkaitan dengan Islamofobia (Bukar, 2020).…”