Media Representation of Islam: Analysing Bias, Misrepresentation, and the Rise of Islamophobia in Western and Indian Contexts

Registration ID: IJNRD_307524

Published ID: IJNRD2506061

: https://doi.org/10.56975/ijnrd.v10i6.307524

About Hard Copy and Transparent Peer Review Report

Mohammad Naasir Jamal

Islam, Muslims, Media representation, Islamophobia, Western & Indian context

The media is often considered the fourth pillar of democracy and plays an essential role in influencing public opinions and discussions. Nevertheless, how Islam and Muslims are portrayed in media outlets in the West and India has often been plagued by prejudice, distortion, and Islamophobia. Research suggests that Muslims are frequently portrayed in a far more negative light compared to other religious groups. For example, an analysis of over 784,000 newspaper articles published between 1996 and 2016 showed that 80% of articles mentioning Muslims in the U.S. were negative, a trend that is similarly evident in the U.K., Canada, and Australia. In-depth case studies further illustrate this issue. In the West, following the events of 9/11, Muslims were largely depicted as potential security threats, resulting in widespread fear and suspicion. The media tended to generalize the actions of extremists to the entire Muslim population, ignoring their diversity and complexity. Such biased coverage contributed to the rise of Islamophobia, affecting social unity and the rights of minorities, particularly in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Media narratives normally align with Israeli perspectives while downplaying the experiences and suffering of Palestinian Muslims. Critical facts and contextual information are often distorted or omitted, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the situation. Voices of Muslims from conflict zones are frequently marginalized or excluded, leading to a simplistic narrative. In India, the Kashmir conflict has seen media outlets unjustly targeting Muslims, leading to wrongful accusations and manipulated reporting. Kashmiri Muslims are often portrayed as aggressors rather than victims. Political motives often dictate the coverage, obscuring the complex realities present on the ground. Partial reporting by the media further alienates Muslim communities and breeds distrust. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Muslims in India faced significant targeting, illustrated by various instances where the media spread baseless accusations blaming Muslims for the virus's transmission. Such portrayals resulted in a rise in hate crimes and stigmatization throughout the pandemic. The situation was exacerbated by irresponsible media reporting, especially regarding the Tablighi Jamaat, which was incorrectly identified as the primary source of COVID-19 spread, leading to false allegations and biased coverage. Entertainment media also plays a role in perpetuating stereotypes about Muslims. Films from both Hollywood and Bollywood have received criticism for largely depicting Muslims as terrorists or villains, leading to entrenched harmful stereotypes and an environment of fear and misunderstanding. Similarly, in India, certain movies and television programs have been scrutinized for their negative portrayal of Muslims, influencing public perception and increasing communal tensions. Given the considerable influence of media in a democratic society, it is crucial to scrutinize and address these issues of bias and distortion. Promoting ethical journalism, encouraging a variety of perspectives, and holding media organizations accountable are vital steps toward achieving a more inclusive and accurate representation of all communities, thereby enhancing the democratic structure, basic reforms must be taken in context of media to improve the media role and media authenticity.

Published Paper   E-Certificate

Mohammad Naasir Jamal (June-2025). Media Representation of Islam: Analysing Bias, Misrepresentation, and the Rise of Islamophobia in Western and Indian Contexts. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, 10(6), a576-a585. https://doi.org/10.56975/ijnrd.v10i6.307524

Volume 10 Issue 6, June-2025

Pages : a576-a585

Paper Reg. ID: IJNRD_307524

Published Paper Id: IJNRD2506061

Research Area: Others area

Author Type: Indian Author

Country: Nalanda, Bihar, India

Published Paper PDF: https://ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2506061.pdf

Published Paper URL: https://ijnrd.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJNRD2506061

Crossref DOI: https://doi.org/10.56975/ijnrd.v10i6.307524

Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT(IJNRD)

UGC CARE JOURNAL PUBLICATION | ISSN: 2456-4184 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.76 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016

An International UGC CARE JOURNAL PUBLICATION, Low Cost, Scholarly Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.76 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator

Publisher: IJNRD (IJ Publication) Janvi Wave | IJNRD.ORG | IJNRD.COM | IJPUB.ORG

© 2026 - Authors hold the copyright of this article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. and The Open Definition. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). 🛡️ Disclaimer: The content, data, and findings in this article are based on the authors’ research and have been peer-reviewed for academic purposes only. Readers are advised to verify all information before practical or commercial use. The journal and its editorial board are not liable for any errors, losses, or consequences arising from its use.

Call For Paper - Volume 11 | Issue 10 | October 2026

IJNRD is a Scholarly Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed, and UGC CARE Journal Publication with a High Impact Factor of 8.76 (calculated by Google Scholar & Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool). It is a Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Low-Cost, and Transparent Peer Review Journal Publication that adheres to the New UGC CARE Transparent Peer-Reviewed Journal Policy and aligns with Scopus Journal Publication standards to ensure the highest level of research quality and credibility.

IJNRD offers comprehensive Journal Publication Services including indexing in all major databases and metadata repositories, Digital Object Identifier (Crossref DOI) assignment for each published article with additional fees, citation generation tools, and full Open Access visibility to enhance global research reach and citation impact.

The INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (IJNRD) aims to advance applied, theoretical, and experimental research across diverse academic and professional fields. The journal promotes global knowledge exchange among researchers, developers, academicians, engineers, and practitioners, serving as a trusted platform for innovative, peer-reviewed journal publication and scientific collaboration.

Indexing Coverage: Google Scholar, SSRN, ResearcherID-Publons, Semantic Scholar (AI-Powered Research Tool), Microsoft Academic, Academia.edu, arXiv.org, ResearchGate, CiteSeerX, ResearcherID (Thomson Reuters), Mendeley, DocStoc, ISSUU, Scribd, and many other recognized academic repositories.

Transparent Peer Review Journal Publication: IJNRD operates a strict double-blind peer review system managed by 3000+ expert reviewers, ensuring ethical, unbiased, and high-quality review for every research paper.

For Indian Authors : Get a transparent peer review report from Scholar9.com for just ₹1000. View Sample Report

For Foreign Authors : A detailed peer review report is available through Scholar9.com for $20 USD. View Sample Report

Transparent Peer Review Journal Publication

⭐ Transparent Peer Review | 🕵️‍♂️ Double-Blind | 👨‍🏫 3000+ Expert Reviewers | 🇮🇳 Report for India Author ₹1000 | 🌐 Report for Foreign Author $20 | 📄 Sample Reports on Scholar9.com | 🌍 High Credibility | ⚖️ Ethical & Unbiased Evaluation

How to submit the paper?

By Our website

Click Here to Submit Paper Online

By Mail

Send your paper to editor@ijnrd.org

Recently, the UGC discontinued the UGC-CARE Journal List and introduced new parameters that allow publication in Transparent Peer-Reviewed (Refereed) Journals. IJNRD is Transparent Peer Review Journal Valid As per New UGC Notification.

You can now publish your research paper in IJNRD.ORG. IJNRD is a Transparent Peer-Reviewed Open Access (Refereed Journal), UGC and UGC CARE Approved, Crossref DOI, Multidisciplinary, Impact Factor calculate by Google Scholar. As an International, open-access, and online journal, Publishing with us ensures wider reach, academic credibility, and enhanced recognition for your work.

For more details, refer to the official notice: UGC Public Notice

⭐ Low Cost ₹1570 | 📚 UGC CARE Approved | 🔍 Peer-Reviewed | 🌐 Open Access | 🔗 Crossref DOI & Global Indexing | 📊 Google Scholar Impact Factor | 🧪 Multidisciplinary

Submit Paper Online  Call for Paper  About IJNRD UGC CARE Approval

Important Dates for Current issue

Paper Submission Open For: October 2026

Current Issue: Volume 11 | Issue 10 | October 2026

Impact Factor: 8.76

Last Date for Paper Submission: Till 31-Oct-2026

Notification of Review Result: Transparent peer review process - your paper is evaluated by experts, and you receive acceptance or rejection updates via email and SMS.

Publication of Paper: Once all documents are submitted, your paper is published without delay, and you can instantly download your certificate and confirmation letter online.

Frequency: Monthly (12 issue Annually).

Journal Type: IJNRD is an international open-access journal offering Low Cost Journal Publication, transparent Peer Review Journal Publication, Crossref DOI, and multidisciplinary research visibility under UGC CARE Approved Journal Publication.

Subject Category: Research Area

Approval, Licenses and Indexing: More Details

Call For Paper - Volume 11 | Issue 10 | October 2026

IJNRD.org offers low-cost journal publication starting at ₹1570 with UGC CARE Approved, refereed, peer-reviewed, open-access publishing. This multidisciplinary monthly journal, available in both online and print formats, features a strong Google Scholar-based impact factor of 8.76, Transparent Peer Review, CrossRef DOI, global indexing, fast publication, and complete metadata for maximum research visibility and citation impact across multidisciplinary domains.

Volume 11 | Issue 10 | October 2026 | IJNRD Transparent Peer Review Certificate | Submit Paper Online till 31-Oct-2026

⭐ UGC CARE Approved Refereed Journal | 🔍 Transparent Peer Review | 🌐 Open Access Publishing | 💰 Low-Cost ₹1570 | 🔗 CrossRef DOI & Global Indexing | 📊 Google Scholar Impact Factor 8.76 | 🧪 Multidisciplinary | Online & Print

Submit Paper Online