The Alarming Globalization of Islamophobia

The first contemporary occurrence of the term “Islamophobia” appeared in the 1997 Runnymede report Islamophobia: a challenge for us all to acknowledge discrimination against Islam and Muslim immigrants in the UK. Since 9/11, it has gained political traction over Europe and the US to decry all types of ethnic and religious prejudice against Muslims who are not only immigrants but also citizens. In the last decade, the surge of Islamophobia has become worldwide, reaching India, China and even Muslim countries. This geographic expansion goes hand-in-hand with an expansion and intensification of the discrimination not only of Muslims but also of Islam, both of which are seen as an existential threat.