Shocking Revelations of the Islamic Council of Victoria about India’s involvement in Spreading Islamophobia

In the annual report for 2022, the Islamic Council of Victoria brings to light the alarming escalation of Islamophobia permeating social media platforms. Covering the period from August 28, 2019, to August 27, 2021, the report reveals a shocking 3.75 million Islamophobic posts on Twitter, with a troubling 85% of these posts persisting online after nearly a year, perpetuating discrimination and breeding hostility.

The report pinpoints India, the United States, and the United Kingdom as major hotspots, contributing to approximately 86% of geolocated anti-Muslim posts. This underscores the urgent need for immediate action and intervention by the respective governments to stem the rising tide of hatred.

Exploring the identified themes within Islamophobic tweets, the report exposes deeply troubling narratives linking Islam with terrorism, depicting Muslim men as perpetrators of sexual violence, and disseminating insidious conspiracy theories such as Sharia imposition and ‘population jihad.’ These themes contribute to a toxic environment fostering discrimination and posing a threat to the safety of Muslim communities.

Twitter, a primary platform for the dissemination of such content, undergoes scrutiny in the report, which advocates for a policy shift. The Islamic Council of Victoria urges Twitter to go beyond screening tweets and actively engage in the automatic detection and removal of harmful content, taking a more proactive role in combating online hatred.

Beyond social media platforms, the report implores the governments of India, the United States, and the United Kingdom to recognize the severity of the issue and take immediate legislative action. Recommendations include imposing a statutory duty of care on social media platforms, introducing penalties for non-compliance, and enacting legislation against anti-Muslim hate.

In a plea to the international community, the report urges a unified stance against Islamophobia, emphasizing the need for a collective effort to combat the rising trend of online hatred. It highlights that such trends not only undermine the principles of free expression but also pose a significant threat to global harmony.

To conclude, the report argues that online hate speech against Muslims not only violates human rights but also jeopardizes global peace. It asserts that nations bound by treaties, such as India, the US, and the UK, must take decisive action to counter these perilous trends. Strengthening legal frameworks, holding platforms accountable, and fostering online respect are presented as crucial steps toward a world free from hate. The report concludes with a powerful message: Silence is complicity. The call is to bridge the digital divide with understanding, not prejudice, and collectively build a future where online and offline worlds reflect the values of peace, tolerance, and human rights for all.