Islamophobia is a term which refers to unjustified feelings of fear based on prejudices or false concepts of Islam, which cause the Islamophobe to take on positions of hostility towards Muslims and everything related with them. As pointed out by recent studies, in recent years intolerance and discrimination against Muslims has been on the rise. Although these are not new phenomena, they are occurring in diverse forms and are evolving to encompass different realms: academia, the media, politics… Television holds great expressive power, because it is based on images, which are very effective at internalizing the messages for which it provides a vehicle, because they become ingrained into the viewers’ subconsciousness. The impact of television on the population in general, and above all on youth, is very significant, so a critical viewpoint must be contributed in terms of the images which people passively “consume.”  

At this conference, Natalia Andújar is focusing on the media’s construction of hatred through  television series and programs which are viewed in Spain. Whether domestic production or television products imported from abroad, these series share in common the construction of a stereotyped image of Islam and Muslims. Muslims are often represented in a monolithic, negative light: the men are violent fanatics who cause fear, while the women wear veils and are shown as submissive but sensual. The identification of Muslim women with harems, veils and the Arabian Nights still persists in society’s imagery. 

Throughout this conference, some of the most recent series and programs in which a biased view of Islam and Muslims is shown will also be analyzed. The origin of these stereotypes will be identified, as well as discussing how they are developed within the context of today’s geopolitics.