Islamophobia and Its Triggers: Muslims as a Threat

M.ª Ángeles Cea D'Ancona

doi:10.29333/ejecs/2472

Authors

M.ª Ángeles Cea D'Ancona Universidad Complutense de Madrid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3930-2597

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2472

Keywords:

Islamophobia, anti-Muslim racism, religious intolerance, Muslim threat, islamophobic attitudes

Abstract

Surveys show that Islamophobia is on the rise across Europe. Different studies have tried to understand the reasons behind this growth, pointing at the increasing Muslim presence and the fear that Muslims take over the country, together with political players’ interest in constructing the “Muslim problem” or the “Islamic threat,” particularly since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This study analyzes some of the commonly referenced explanations for the rise in Islamophobia through survey data collected in Spain. Political and media debates over the integration of Muslims into Western societies appear to contribute most significantly to the rise of Islamophobia; just as the rejection of multiculturalism and cultural intransigence seem to be what most clearly explain the refusal to let Muslims practice their religion. Their predictive effects also exceed what is shown by common sociodemographic variables in the explanation of anti-Muslim attitudes (age, gender, level of education, religious practice, and political ideology).

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Author Biography

M.ª Ángeles Cea D'Ancona, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

M.ª Ángeles Cea D’Ancona is a full professor of sociology and methodology at Complutense University of Madrid and director of the International Migration Studies Group (GEMI) since its creation in 2008. Her main research has focused on racism, xenophobia and discrimination, with a special emphasis on methodological aspects, being the principal researcher of MEXEES I (SEJ2005-00568), MEXEES II (CSO2009-07295), MEDIM I (CSO2012-36127), MEDIM II (CSO2016-75946-R), and Living Together (JLS/FRC/2007) projects. She has also conducted studies for OBERAXE (the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia), and on discrimination for the Spanish Ministry of Equality. More information: https://www.ucm.es/smt/textos/315102

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