Transnational Cinematic Islamophobia A Discourse and Semiotic Analysis of Muslim Representation in Global Film Industries

Abstract

Cinema operates as a powerful apparatus for ideological production, frequently shaping collective consciousness through dominant visual and narrative frameworks. This study examines the global proliferation of Islamophobic imagery across cinema industries, including Hollywood, Bollywood, European, and Muslim-majority national cinemas, particularly in the post-9/11 socio-political landscape. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), visual semiotics, and narrative theory, this research deconstructs seven ideologically significant films: The Kashmir Files, Padmaavat, American Sniper, The Dictator, Khalifah, and Ne m’abandonne pas.

Supported by simulated NVivo-style thematic coding, the study identifies seven recurring motifs: Muslim villain stereotypes, symbolic othering, gendered Islamophobia, nationalist-policy justification, internalized Islamophobia, secularism as salvation, and marginal counter-narratives. Results demonstrate that Islamophobic representations are not confined to the West but are embedded within Muslim-majority and secular societies, illustrating a globally internalized discourse.

The findings suggest that visual cues such as veils, Arabic calligraphy, and mosques are routinely instrumentalized to signify threat or regression. These portrayals align with political ideologies, commercial incentives, and nationalist agendas. Counter-narratives remain statistically and ideologically marginal, with minimal impact on the dominant frames.

This paper contributes to growing interdisciplinary scholarship on cinematic Islamophobia, offering new insights into the political economy of film, postcolonial representation, and cultural power. It concludes with a call for inclusive cinematic ethics, institutional accountability, and critical media literacy.