Islamophobia and Anti-Pakistani Sentiment: European Origins, Developments and Preventative Strategies

Despite lack of an accepted international definition of the term, ‘Islamophobia,’ has been used widely to describe the fear that people have of Islam, Muslims or a perceived Muslimness; a mindset which often manifests in religiously aggravated hate crimes and anti-Muslim discrimination. It has also become associated with the views and policies expressed by the European leaders, including the Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, and France’s re-elected President, Emmanuel Macron. While many pinpoint 9/11 as precipitating a great deal of Islamophobia, its European origin is far older and will be traced back to Colonialism and Orientalism, the product of which was an Islamophobic mindset that remains strong today. This Paper is an attempt to explore this development and its relationship with anti-Pakistani sentiment, the preventative strategies of cultural influence through soft power and counter-disinformation will be presented as suggestions for tackling Islamophobia.