Medya ve Din Araştırmaları Dergisi (Dec 2022)
Traces of Western Philosophy in the Media’s Islamophobia Discourse
Abstract
Islamophobia, which started with the first emergence of Islam but has become a common concept, especially after the September 11 attacks, is one of the most common forms of discrimination that Muslims are subjected to today. Although it means fear of Islam, Islamophobia refers to unfounded fear. The media plays an important role in spreading and reinforcing this fear or prejudice. Islamophobia, which is usually dealt with on a theological basis in the studies carried out, actually has philosophical foundations and this has a more ancient history than theological foundations. So much so that when we look at the anti-Islamic content produced in the media, it is seen that there is a great similarity with the descriptions in Western philosophy. For example, in addition to similar depictions such as Islam being a "religion of the sword", which is constantly associated with terror, the fact that Islam is a religion that emerged from Eastern society has led to a philosophical depiction mixed with orientalist images. This study, in which the document analysis method is used, reveals that the Islamophobic discourses and representations produced by today's Western mainstream media organizations are very similar to the depictions and judgments about Islam and Muslims from the Medieval philosophy to the period of Western thought from the Age to the period of Western thought.
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