The Demonization of Islam through Social Media: A Case Study of #Stopislam in Instagram

Sabina Civila, Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez and Amparo Civila
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Sabina Civila: Department of Education Sciences, University of Huelva, 21004 Huelva, Spain
Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez: Department of Communication Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28942 Madrid, Spain
Amparo Civila: Department of Education Theory and History, University of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain

Publications, 2020, vol. 8, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: This article studies the process of demonization, its consequences, and how social media contribute to the formalization of its axiology. The demonization of societies aims to create social subjects that fit into the idea of the “other” by exposing them to compulsory invisibility. This research’s main objective was to examine how demonization is used as a weapon of oppression to devalue specific individuals through the hashtag #StopIslam and Instagram’s role in this process. The methodology used for this purpose has consisted of an empirical and quantitative analysis of the most recent (1 January 2020–31 July 2020) posts on Instagram with #StopIslam, analyzing the images and the content. The study has determined how, through social media manipulation, erroneous ideas are transmitted that prevent the Islamic collective’s integration, especially in European countries. The conclusions will reflect hate speech and how the Islamic world’s demonization results in the Muslim community’s stigmatization, racism, and Islamophobia. Although there are different articles related to demonization and hate speech, there are not many scientific resources that explain these variables on Instagram and how it affects the inclusion of the Muslim community in Europe, significantly when the time spent on the Internet is growing.

Keywords: Instagram; demonization; hate speech; arab world; Islamophobia; social media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A2 D83 L82 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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