October
29, 2023
(The
Conversation) – In political communication, a big lie — what is known as the
“illusory truth effect” — is when the constant repetition of misinformation
makes people more likely to accept it as truth.
Repetition
is how lies gain traction. The more exposure to specific ideas and tropes that
may be false claims, the more likely it is that this misinformation becomes
understood as real.
A
plethora of fake news circulates on the internet and social media. Unlike
misinformation, which refers to false or inaccurate information, disinformation
campaigns deliberately spread propaganda to create fear and suspicion.
Disinformation
industries, and the brokers who exchange in this false currency, have an
immense capability to circulate propaganda and conspiracy theories to a greater
public, outside of their own echo chambers.
Producing
social fictions
Through
media outlets and co-ordinated networks, Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian
tropes and conspiracies are circulated. Eventually, they become regarded as
social facts, especially in times of war, conflict and heightened political
tensions.
During
these fraught times, the ability to authorize wholesale violence relies on
circulating dehumanizing tropes and “scare stories.” This targeted propaganda
frames entire populations as deviant “folk devils,” responsible for crimes and
social problems. This then creates moral panics, used to justify acts of
oppression.
A
violent threat
In
my book, Under Siege: Islamophobia and the 9/11 Generation, I document how
since 9/11, two billion Muslims globally have faced collective punishment.
Constructed as folk devils who imperil western societies, Muslims have been
framed as inextricably linked with the support and promotion of violence.
More
recently, this trope was evident in public statements made by Canadian
politicians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow
described recent Palestinian solidarity rallies and movements as “glorifying”
violence and characterized anyone attending these events as “Hamas supporters.”
The
ubiquity of Islamophobia has led to generalized stereotypes of Muslims and
Palestinians (including those who are not Muslim) as being prone to violence
and terrorism. When these racist narratives are espoused by politicians, they
falsely equate the support of Palestinian people with support for terrorism and
instil fear and moral panic about the Muslim presence in this country and
elsewhere.
Anti-Muslim
policies
Public
belief in the vilifying narratives of violent Muslims can become second nature
to people who watch biased news reports on mainstream media and a variety of
social media platforms that circulate anti-Muslim narratives.
For
instance, negative Canadian attitudes about Muslims were evident in a 2017
Radio Canada poll. Fifty-one per cent of respondents in Canada — and 57 per
cent in Québec — felt the presence of Muslims in this country made them
“somewhat” or “very worried” about security. Nearly one out of four Canadians —
23 per cent — would favour a ban on Muslim immigration to this country, a level
of support that rose to 32 per cent in Québec.
Widespread
Islamophobic sentiments translate into anti-Muslim policies and practices.
Recently, Markham Public Library in Ontario temporarily removed Islamic
Heritage Month displays from its branches after an email was sent to staff
saying that, “given the current situation in the Middle East, it is best for us
not to be actively promoting the Islamic Heritage Month … .”
Islamophobia
also has more deadly consequences. In 2021, four members of a
Canadian-Pakistani Muslim family were mowed down and killed by a truck in the
Ontario city of London. Evidence introduced at the trial of the man accused of
the murders has shown that after his arrest, he repeatedly referred to
fabricated scare stories about Muslim “grooming gangs” when being interrogated
by police.
Online
rumours and disinformation
The
unsubstantiated claims of Hamas decapitating and burning 40 Israeli babies were
repeated by international heads of state, celebrities and media outlets,
despite the fact that there was no official confirmation by Israeli authorities
of this alleged horrific act.
Nonetheless,
the repetition of this false story led to the dehumanizing characterization of
Palestinians as “bloodthirsty monsters” and “human animals,” fomenting
widespread anti-Palestinian racism.
These
campaigns of disinformation and demonization also tragically resulted in the
murder of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six-year-old Palestinian-American Muslim boy, in
Plainfield, Ill. He was stabbed 26 times, allegedly by his family’s white
landlord, who is also accused of repeatedly stabbing Al-Fayoume’s mother,
proclaiming, “You Muslims must die!”
Casualties
of war
These
violent trajectories bring to mind the military maxim attributed to the Ancient
Greek playwright Aeschylus, which warns that “In war, truth is the first
casualty.” In times of war and conflict, disinformation is the first weapon to
be deployed.
Uncritically
consuming political or media narratives is no longer an option. In these
dystopian times, the public needs to be able to separate fact from fiction as
fabrications masquerade as truth. The consequences are dire.
This
article has been updated to include a reference to the ongoing trial in the
London, Ont. case.
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