BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 26. Islamophobia poses a serious threat to global stability, said Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), at the international conference titled “Islamophobia: Exposing Prejudice and Destroying Stigma” in Baku, Trend reports.
“We are witnessing an increasingly alarming rise in Islamophobia and the strengthening of repressive state practices targeting Muslims. Across Europe, the rise of far-right political forces has led to measures that restrict Islamic self-expression, often under the guise of integration or assimilation. National narratives are increasingly shaped by populist rhetoric that stigmatizes Muslims and equates their religious identity with extremism,” Shafiyev said.
He emphasized that in South Asia, the growth of provocative rhetoric and hate crimes points to a troubling trend of state-led anti-Muslim nationalism, often justified by the notion of cultural unity.
“Islamophobia, therefore, poses a serious threat to global stability and cohesion, undermining international security and cooperation,” he stated.
Shafiyev also noted that Islamophobia is not merely hatred or fear directed at Muslims, but an ideological construct shaping Western perceptions of the East, producing distorted portrayals of Muslims.
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