Our monthly round-up is an overview of the most significant results of our monitoring of traditional and new media in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.
Also visit our Dig Deeper series, where we go into detail to expose and explain increasing trends of anti-religious hate in the media.
Islamophobia Occurs Across European Media; The UK and Belgium Use 9/11 to push Anti-Muslim Narratives and Germany publishes Islamophobic Cartoons
In September’s Media Monitoring we saw anti-Muslim hate published across European media, reported by our Greek, Belgian, British, Polish, French, German and Hungarian partners. This included British and Belgian media using 9/11 to push anti-Muslim narratives and Islamophobic cartoons in Germany and a would-be presidential candidate being given a platform. In Poland, antisemitic and Islamophobic hate was allowed to remain on Youtube and in France, a would-be presidential candidate was given a platform to spread anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate.
Anti-Muslim coverage of Afghanistan, Islamophobic reporting on crimes, Muslims blamed for low vaccination rates, anti-Muslim commentators platformed and antisemitic Covid-19 conspiracy theories.
In August’s media monitoring, we saw conspiracy theories, anti-Muslim stereotypes and unethical journalism coverage of Afghanistan in Greece, Germany and the UK. We saw Islamophobic reporting on a crime by Hungarian media, Muslims blamed for low-vaccination rates and stigmatising reporting of another crime in Belgium and an anti-Muslim commentator platformed by a Polish newsite. In France, a school teacher prosecuted for displaying an antisemitic placard at an anti-pass protest in France.
Antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ incidents occurred in Poland and Hungary, Islamophobic articles were published in Greece, Belgium and the UK and antisemitism from a German anti-vax doctor.
In July’s media monitoring, we saw an antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ article published in Hungary and a Polish MP endorsing a TV influencer who made antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ statements and in Germany, a doctor gave an antisemitic rant during a video interview. in Greece we saw an Islamophobic article about “Islamic Police”, in Belgium Islamophobic articles were published in french and dutch language media, as well as anti-Muslim hate published in the UK.
Antisemitic incidents in Polish media, French election candidates exposed for antisemitism and islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate Incidents Occur in Belgium, Hungary, Greece and the UK.
In June’s media monitoring we saw a worrying number of antisemitic incidents in Polish media, National rally candidates in France were exposed for antisemitic and Islamophobic posts on social media, and anti-Muslim hate incidents flagged by all our other partners, including; a Greek newspaper exploiting homopobia to smear Muslims, Hungarian TV promoting the ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy narrative and Belgian media spreading Islamophobic tropes after the appointment of a hijab-wearing federal government commissioner.
Anti-Muslim Hate Incidents Occur across Europe; ‘Islamo-Leftism’ Conspiracy Narrative Promoted in Belgium and France, and Greek Newspaper Claims Muslims Are a Threat to Europe.
In May’s media monitoring we saw anti-Muslim hate incidents flagged by all of our European partners; In Hungary, biased sources were used to discuss Muslims, the ‘Islamo-Leftism’ conspiracy narrative was promoted in Belgium and France, in the UK an anti-Islam blog brought up London-mayor Sadiq Khan’s religion, a Greek newspaper scare-mongered that Muslims are a “threat to Europe, and former Polish MP and German MP both made Islamophobic comments.
Hungarian, Belgian, Polish, French and Greek Media All Publish Anti-Muslim Hate, UK Radio Station Platforms Islamophobic, Fake NHS Employee and German Politician Makes Antisemitic Post
In April’s monitoring, we saw news outlets across Europe publish anti-Muslim hate, including; including the editor of a Belgian newspaper and a Greek Newspaper column endorsing the "Islamo-leftism" conspiracy narrative, a Polish government-sponsored magazine publishing a call to violence against Islam, a high-circulation magazine in France publishing a coup-threatening letter against “Islamism” and a UK radio station platforming an Islamophobic, fake NHS employee. We also saw a right-wing German politician spreading antisemitic conspiracy narrative in a Facebook Post attacking a Green Party chancellor candidate.
French Neo-Nazi Soldiers Uncovered, “Civilisation Replacement” Conspiracy Theories Promoted by Polish Radio and Misrepresented-Statements and Police Reports Used to Smear Muslims across Europe.
In February’s monitoring, we saw various news outlets publish a variety of anti-Muslim stories promoting the debunked ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory, comparing Muslims to Satanists and continuing to target Muslim women for exercising bodily autonomy, mainstream newspapers in Germany and the UK giving a platform to high-profile anti-Muslim figures and ‘identitarian’ groups in France using social media to tell Jews and Muslims to go back where they came from.
Panic about ‘Islamification of Europe’ Amplified by Media Across the Continent, Islamophobes Platformed in German and British Newspapers, Jewish People Told to Go Back Where They Came from in France
In February’s monitoring, we saw various news outlets publish a variety of anti-Muslim stories promoting the debunked ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory, comparing Muslims to Satanists and continuing to target Muslim women for exercising bodily autonomy, mainstream newspapers in Germany and the UK giving a platform to high-profile anti-Muslim figures and ‘identitarian’ groups in France using social media to tell Jews and Muslims to go back where they came from.
Panic and Hate of Muslims Amplified by Media Across Europe, Holocaust Imagery Deployed by Greek Newspaper to Criticise Government, Islam Compared to Antichrist by Polish Editor
In January’s monitoring, we saw various news outlets publish a variety of anti-Muslim and antisemitic stories raising alarm over individuals’ right to wear religious clothing (and “Afro hair”) at schools and universities, fringe and mainstream media giving a platform to voices claiming that Muslim migrants pose an existential threat to Europe, a Polish Catholic editor comparing Islam to the Antichrist and a Greek newspaper using imagery evocative of the Holocaust to criticise proposed education reforms.
French Beauty Pageant Contestant Subjected To Antisemitic Hate Online, Anti-Migrant Stories Published Across Europe and A Belgium Minister Pushes ‘Cultural Incompatibility’ Trope.
In December’s monitoring, we saw various news outlets publish a variety of anti-Muslim and antisemitic stories raising alarms of the number of refugees to Europe, public figures reproducing tropes of incompatibility between Islam and the West, and an English actor denying the existence of Islamophobia.