ISLAMOPHOBIA REPORT

ISLAMOPHOBIA IN Ireland
Irish media outlets all too often engage in an ‘us vs. them’ presentation of Muslim
communities in Ireland that incorporates an alleged incompatibility between ‘Islam’
and European values. While deeper research in this area is required, there is evidence
of problematic, at times Islamophobic, uncritical media representations of Muslim
communities in the Irish context which need to be addressed.
The year 2015 has witnessed the emergence and increased visibility of groups
calling themselves, inter alia, ‘Anti-Islam Ireland’ and/or ‘PEGIDA Ireland’. Some
of these have organised campaigns, online and off against the alleged ‘Islamification’
of Ireland. 6 Although small in number, PEGIDA Ireland and/or ‘Anti-Islam Ireland’
have organised protests in different locations across the country. On a more positive
note, there have also been a number of interventions undertaken by civil society actors
to challenge Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism through community engagement
and support; efforts at legislative change; and the recognition of anti-Muslim/
Islamophobic hate crime by the Irish police.
6. PEGIDA: ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamification of the Occident’; the ideals of the group in Ireland
resonate with those of the founding movement. For Ireland see: PEGIDA Ireland (2016) PEGIDA Ireland [online]
available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L6ovASzZGI [accessed: 12 February, 2016]; for the UK see
Meredith, C. (2014) “Britain First ‘Invade’ Crayford Mosque Demanding Removal of ‘Sexist’ Signs in Bizarre Video”,
Huffington Post, 15July, 2014 [online] available:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/07/15/britain-first-mosque-video_n_5587353.html [accessed: 7 January, 2016].
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