A contemporary understanding of Islamophobia in the West - the case of Donald Trump

Abstract: Abstract This thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse the narratives of Islamophobia of United States of America, with President Donald Trump as a case study, examining his interviews and speeches. The theoretical framework is constituted by critical race theory (with particular focus on cultural racism), the critique of the colonial mentality, clash of civilization and populism. Drawing on these, I argue that political leaders in the West, including Donald Trump, have an Islamophobic approach because they “otherize(s)” Islam and Muslims in order to justify political decisions and policies. The empirical material of the thesis was constituted of speeches and interviews delivered by Donald Trump. Some of the main findings pointing to the Islamophobic narratives used by Donald Trump are: the main cause of terrorism is radical Islam; the global existential threat is blamed on radical Islamic terrorism; and that Muslim immigrants and refugees are a threat to Americas security and to its safety. The thesis concludes by claiming that Donald Trump holds an Islamophobic approach and supports this argument with policy implications. Key words: Islamophobia, United States of America, Donald Trump, Orientalism, Populism, Critical Discourse Analysis, Fairclough