British Academic: Islamophobia in West Is Organized Project Backed by Political and Media Networks

British Academic: Islamophobia in West Is Organized Project Backed by Political and Media Networks
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Former professor of political sociology at the University of Bristol, Professor David Miller, has said that Islamophobia in the West did not emerge spontaneously, but represents an organized project reinforced by media networks, think tanks and certain political currents.

Speaking during an international online seminar organized by Shiraz University in Iran, titled The Ideology of Islamophobia in the West and the Future of the World, Miller said anti-Islamic discourse has helped entrench negative stereotypes about Islam and Muslims.

He argued that many Western political and media narratives have repeatedly linked Islam with violence and extremism, while ignoring the diversity within Muslim societies, including their different intellectual schools and orientations. This, he said, has contributed to broad prejudices affecting Muslims both inside Western countries and beyond.

Miller also referred to discrimination and racism faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories, saying the impact of such policies is not limited to Muslims and can also affect Palestinian Christians.

The British academic said the roots of Islamophobia go back decades and are not only connected to events at the beginning of the new millennium. He said several think tanks, neoconservative currents and political and media actors have played a role in producing and promoting anti-Islamic narratives.

He warned against ignoring key differences between various Islamic groups and movements, saying that placing them all under one label contributes to inaccurate perceptions and widespread stereotypes about Muslims.

Miller also addressed what he described as the role of some regional and international actors in shaping Islamophobic discourse, saying the phenomenon is fueled by overlapping political, media and strategic factors.

At the end of his remarks, he said organized campaigns targeting followers of the school of the Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, can be observed in some Western countries, including through certain media outlets, cultural institutions and public spaces.