ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the specific problem of religious vilification targeting Muslims on the social media platform Facebook. It explores the normalisation of hate through social media. In this chapter the idea of cultural threat' and economic threat' have been grouped together under the concept of Muslims being an attack on our way of life', a broader concept which has let to events like the reclaim Australia rallies. Two themes which emerged from the category other' are also presented: the first is the idea of Muslims as manipulative and dishonest, the second relates to the use of messages which aim to undermining resistance to anti-Muslim hate. Online Islamophobia is likely to incite religious hatred and xenophobia leading to real world crimes and a rise in political extremism both on the far-right and from the radicalisation of Muslim youth in response to messages of exclusion. This is a serious problem which social media companies, governments and communities need to tackle.
