‘Islamophobia’

Social scientists are struggling to define and measure Islamophobia. Answers to questions like - what is Islamophobia? And how much of it exists remain elusive. In the absence of any agreeable definition, exploring this phenomenon from a new viewpoint is essential. This study takes a critical view of the main ‘source’ – The Runnymede Trust Report (1997) – which is known to have popularized the word. To begin with, a propaganda analysis is conducted on the report to understand what arguments the report makes and what propaganda devices can be identified or interpreted in those arguments. It is also studied whether Islamophobia exists or not at a micro level by conducting interviews with Dutch interviewees (40-65 yrs) living in The Hague. The findings suggest that the existence of ‘dread or fear about Islam’ could be an exaggerated argument as issues such as ‘race’ and ‘religion’ within the Dutch interviewees were of least importance, and so was religion in general. The Dutch focus, largely, is on assimilation and with the main criteria being obeying laws. Some discriminatory attitudes do exist, but there is no alarmism or simplification with it comes to Muslims or Islam.