Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun highlighted the importance of strong leadership and global cooperation in dealing with the rise of Islamophobia.
In a piece penned for Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council's (RTÜK) Communications (Iletişim) magazine, Altun referred to Islamophobia as a "malicious seed" directly and indirectly planted in the minds of people by West-based media organs, academics, think tanks and more.
Explaining that rhetoric widely spread through the media evolves into stereotypes when reiterated on a frequent and effective basis, Altun said much of the content, including TV series and movies, attributes positive traits to Western societies and negative traits, chaos, anti-democratic practices and human rights abuses to Eastern societies.
The "Orientalists' perspective" is a concept rooted in racism that aims to negatively impact the image and reputation of Muslims by systematically associating Islamic values with a sense of negativity, Altun stressed, adding that Western powers particularly exploit terrorist groups and media content in this way.
Touching on the importance of political leaders in effectively fighting anti-Muslim sentiment, Altun said: "Leaders wield the power to impact large segments of the society in constructive ways and change the actions of the masses they address and lead." However, he also noted that there are currently very few leaders who are not alienated from their cultures and embrace their own values to counter Islamophobia.
Altun said Islamophobia is not a simple "fear" but a political fear that has been fictionalized in a post-truth era.
"If Islamophobic movements are not stopped at the leaders’ level, this will also bring violence and terrorism," Altun warned.
Turkish officials have frequently called on world leaders and global organizations to take action against Islamophobia, which impacts millions of Muslims. Many have stressed that populism is fueling Islamophobia across the world, especially in Europe.
Turkish officials have criticized their Western counterparts for remaining indifferent to anti-Muslim sentiment and fueling the ideology, while experts believe Turkey can lead the fight against it. Turkey has continuously called on world leaders to take action to stop the demonization of Muslims and has been taking action to tackle the growing problem.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has frequently said that Western countries insist on not taking measures against growing anti-Islam sentiment. Erdoğan also called on Turkish institutions to take action on issues related to Muslims and Turks in these countries. Some European countries, particularly France, have embraced a hostile stance against Muslims in recent years.