Regions

The United States Southern border is among the most contentious issues for the U.S. government and society. It affects roughly 30 million American and Mexican citizens living on the border and increased sensitivity to the matter has only grown in the 21st century. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed nearly 800 new pieces of legislation into law. One of them, known as Senate Bill 1900, is the most recently controversial and impactful in terms of border security, homeland security, and immigration policy in Texas.

In recent years, especially after Covid-19, Europe has seen a rise in far-right attitudes and change in the internal political systems of single states. Some far-right parties have encountered more support from the citizens, some governments changed directions altogether. Can this phenomenon be considered a consequence of the health crisis and to what extent was this development already apparent before the pandemic?

Although online hate speech is deeply rooted in Islamophobic sentiments and exhibits distinct characteristics from offline forms of abuse or violence, substantial evidence supports the assertion that online hate speech serves as a catalyst for offline actions. Amidst the proliferation of Islamophobic discourse in online spaces, the dissemination of fake news and misinformation thrives within echo chambers, perpetuating a cycle of prejudice and intolerance.