Media Instrumentalization and the Denigration of Islamic Values under the Pretext of Freedom of Expression

Islamophobia is a contemporary issue that spans various academic disciplines, including politics, law, sociology, and theology. It is increasingly conceptualized as a form of cultural racism, particularly due to the portrayal of Muslims as a homogenous group, despite their diverse beliefs and practices. However, the fact that the media is one of the primary areas where Islamophobia is produced leads communication studies to focus on this issue. The anti-Islamic discourse in the polemics, which dates back to the eighth century and claims that the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad is false and Islam is a heretical religion, is continued today through media texts. This study examines selected media content that reflects explicit hostility toward Islam and contributes to wider social and international agendas. It highlights how freedom of expression is often instrumentalized in these contexts, allowing for the exploitation of Islamic values under the guise of critique. Furthermore, the study draws attention to the mutually supportive attitudes among those who produce such media content in reinforcing anti-Islamic narratives, which emerges as a significant detail within the analysis.