Islamophobia and Antisemitism in the Twenty-First Century: Historical Origins, Contemporary Manifestations, and Comparative Perspectives

Abstract

One of the main problems that still affects social cohesion and democratic values in the current world is religious prejudice. Islamophobia and antisemitism are two of the most tangible forms of religious discrimination that remain a reality for people, communities and institutions around the globe. These phenomena, while having their own historical trajectories, share some common mechanisms, such as the stereotyping, the othering and the social exclusion. The current study is qualitative comparative in nature and analyzed the historical roots, current expressions and social impact of Islamophobia and antisemitism. It examined the historical narratives, political events, media portrayal and world wars that have maintained these forms of prejudice on the basis of recent scholarly literature and international reports. The study also used the concepts of Social Identity Theory, Integrated Threat Theory, Orientalism and Securitization Theory to account for the genesis and persistence of religious discrimination in modern societies. The results revealed that Islamophobia tends to be connected with narratives of terror, immigration, and incompatibility of culture among others, while antisemitism is more often linked with conspiracy theories and claims of undue political and economic power. However, both forms of prejudice have a negative impact on religious freedom, social trust and intercultural relations. The study ends with an emphasis on the need for education, interfaith dialogue and policy actions to address religious discrimination and foster social cohesion.

K E Y W O R D S: Islamophobia, antisemitism, religious prejudice, discrimination, comparative religion, social identity, hate crimes