ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on new technology in the form of social media and explores the challenges the police and other agencies face when confronting hate crime in cyberspace. It also provides a critique of how people are targeted by online offenders and helps us understand online Islamophobia in a much more detailed and comprehensive way. The book includes a study of the behaviour and motivations of individuals viewed as online offenders. The public perception and media portrayal of Muslims is also examined, alongside helping us understand the nature of Islamophobia in cyberspace. The book examines the case for current guidelines dealing with online Islamophobia and concludes that it requires a new emphasis that recognises online Islamophobia and the impact it can have on vulnerable communities.
