RELIGIOUS IDENTIFICATION AND THE REPRESENTATION OF ISLAM IN WESTERN MAINSTREAM MEDIA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POST-9/11 MEDIA NARRATIVES

Abstract

This article critically examines how Islam and Muslims have been represented in Western mainstream media after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The study argues that post-9/11 media narratives did not merely report events related to terrorism and global security; rather, they actively constructed Islam as a religious, cultural, and political “Other.” Drawing upon framing theory, agenda-setting theory, representation theory, Orientalism, and securitization theory, the article investigates the ways in which Western news media, television coverage, newspapers, documentaries, and digital platforms have repeatedly linked Islam with extremism, violence, terrorism, backwardness, and civilizational threat. The study adopts a qualitative research design based on content analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis. It explores the dominant frames used in Western media, including Islam as threat, Muslims as suspects, Muslim societies as backward, and Muslim women as symbols of oppression. The article finds that these patterns are not isolated or accidental; rather, they are embedded in wider political, ideological, and economic structures that benefit from fear-based reporting. Such media representations contribute to Islamophobia, social exclusion, surveillance, restrictive immigration policies, and public suspicion toward Muslim communities. The article concludes that ethical journalism, balanced representation, Muslim self-representation, media literacy, and intercultural dialogue are essential for countering stereotypes and promoting a more accurate understanding of Islam in contemporary global society.