ISLAMABAD: Over 55 per cent of Anti-Muslim content on the social media platform Twitter originates from India, reveals a new study.
A research by the Australian-based Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), about 86% of anti-Muslim social media messages originate in the US, the UK, and India. It pointed out that between August 28, 2019, and August 27, 2021, there were at least 3,759,180 Islamophobic tweets on Twitter.
The report said, among India-based Twitter users, researchers says India ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is responsible for the dissemination and amplification of anti-Muslim hate, saying, “(the) BJP has actively normalised hatred towards Muslims such that 55.12 percent of anti-Muslim hatred tweets now originate in India.”
As per the ICV researchers, India created the most content, with 871,379 Islamophobic tweets, followed by the US (289,248) and the UK (196,376).
The study also identified four significant themes that frequently appeared on Twitter when it was displaying Islamophobic content. The connection between Islam and terrorism, the portrayal of Muslims as sexual assaulters, the conspiracy that makes false claims that Muslim immigrants are displacing white people in the West and Hindus in India, and labeling of Halal as an inhumane practice.
“We conclude from this that Twitter is significantly failing to remove anti-Muslim information,” according to the research. “This is hardly surprising considering that they do not automatically screen posts for hate, but rather respond only once a report is filed.
“However, even when Islamophobia is brought to their attention, just about 3% of flagged tweets are removed.”
The ICV also pointed to discriminatory laws that deny Muslims citizenship and other civil rights for the rise of anti-Muslim hatred online among Indian Twitter accounts.
