Islamophobia & Public Perceptions of Terrorism in the West

By Olivia Mitchell,

Leeds Beckett University.

This dissertation explores the relationship between Islamophobia and terrorism, focusing on the way Islamophobia shapes how Western societies view terrorism. The media, policy and gender have all played a role in creating the Muslim terrorist stereotype. This dissertation is a literature-based project. This dissertation is a narrative-based review and the findings are thematic. The researcher analysed scholarly articles published around this topic then identified relevant key themes. The review of literature revealed that the media contributes to the Muslim terrorist stereotype, as media representations often link Islam with terrorism. It revealed that terrorists have been constructed through policy, as policy often has an overwhelming focus on Muslim communities. It also revealed that islamophobia can be gendered and that Muslim women often face brutal anti-Muslim aggression due to their religious clothing identifying them as Muslim in public. This dissertation also highlighted the impact that the Muslim/terrorist construction has had on Muslims and identified that Muslims are often impacted in educational settings. This study has highlighted the need for a change in counterterrorist policy in England and Wales. Additionally, this study highlights a need for more positive representations of Islam in the Western media, to counteract the high levels of Islamophobia.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17277643

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