TERRORISM IN THE MEDIA AND THE EMERGENCE OF ISLAMOPHOBIA

Terrorism in the media is an area that is particularly interesting to me. Terrorism is probably the first criminal activity that has sparked a moral panic on an international level. The huge volume of terrorist stories in the media has helped contribute to this moral panic. The origins of this moral panic can be traced back to the events of September 11, 2001 and subsequent terrorist attacks such as the Bali and London bombings and the 2002 gang-rapes in sydney have all exacerbated this moral panic.

A characteristic of any moral panic is that a folk devil/s or ‘other’ emerges. Bearfield (2008) defines Folk Devils as the “visible reminders of what we should not be; the personification of evil; stripped of all positive characteristics and endowed with pejorative evaluations”. The terrorism moral panic has contributed to labelling a large number of Arabs and Muslims as the enemy and demons of wider society.

Since 9/11 there has been negative attention from the media, police and security forces and from wider society towards ethnic minorities associated with Islam. There has been an increase in anti-Muslim or ‘Islamophobic’ hate crime, racial vilification and prejudice (Poynting, 2007). The media further feeds into this moral panic by labelling and over-reporting on criminals who look like they are from a ‘Middle-Eastern appearance’, in addition, the terms ‘Arab’ and ‘Muslim’ are used interchangeably in the reporting of certain crimes in the media. However, not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arabs, moreover, Westerners often fail to appropriately distinguish between Arabs and other ethnic minorities such as Greeks, South Africans, Indians, South Americans and even Australian Aborigines.

Examples of some islamophobic campaigns portrayed in the media include the ‘Ban the Burqa’ campaign, protesting the opening of muslim schools and the general over-reporting on criminal cases involving muslims and arabs.

In an article for The Age, Robert Manne talks about the ways in which the fear of all things Arab or Muslim in the media erodes the foundations of multiculturalism in australia. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/15/1032054709197.html

This video taken from Q&A on the ABC is an awesome example of islamophobia at its finest, watch how One Nation’s Ian Nelson has a complete foot in mouth moment and the audience finds it hilarious. One of my favourite quotes from that show is when Nelson urged the audience to visit his website to see how muslims are threatening “hard working and true-blue Christian Australians.” http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3138582.htm

 

References:

Bearfield, D (2008) 'The Demonization of Patronage: Folk Devils, Moral Panics and the Boston Globe's Coverage of the Terrorist Attacks of 9-11', International Journal of Public Administration. vol. 31, no. 5, p. 515-534.

Poynting, S & Perry, B. (2007). Climates of Hate: Media and State Inspired Victimisation of Muslims in Canada and Australia since 9/11. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 151-171.