Online brazilian islamophobia: closed discourses on Islam in a social media network

Abstract

Negative representations about Muslims circulate in different social networks, operating a stereotyping of Muslims and Islam. Islamophobia, understood as actions of symbolic or physical violence against Muslims simply because they are Muslims, is presupposed as the motto of these representations. The apprehension that Muslims would be a threat has been evident since the Middle Ages. The present text aims to expose the eight readings of Islamophobic discourse present in the report of The Runnymede Trust applied on posts in the social network Twitter in order to verify such modalities of Islamophobia online. The readings are that Islam is monolithic, static, alien to our society, inferior, a nemesis, manipulative, justifying discrimination against Muslims, belittling the criticism of the West by Muslims and naturalizing anti-Islam discourse. The examples mobilized indicate the presence of bias schemes already identified in other countries. To do so, we refer to international research and reports. In our survey, we also learn the reading that Islam is not a religion but an ideology. We conclude reflecting on the Islamophobic positioning being treated as manifestation of barbarism.