The document analyzes various online media sources discussing Turkey, Muslims, and the European Union from around December 2013, when Turkey and the EU signed an immigrant deal. Three articles and their accompanying comments were analyzed for discriminatory and Islamophobic language. The articles largely portrayed Muslims and Turkey as a threat to Europe. Comments ranged from concern over "Islamization" to calling Muslims "barbaric savages." Interviews also revealed discrimination faced by Turkish Muslims in Europe. The analysis found widespread stereotyping of Turkey as inseparable from Islam and the use of fearmongering language presenting Muslims as a danger.

1. Turkey Muslims European Union
– discrimination on websites
viewed by random google users

2. Use of Internet in research
Three first articles with images, and comments
(max three comments for each article) from two
weeks after and before 16 December 2013
(date of Turkey and EU immigrant deal)

3. First article
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http://www.barenakedislam.com/2013/12/06/what-b
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Full of discrimination:
Time to leave EU” and „Turkish Muslims will be
allowed to enter any EU country
Muslim plague will be infecting European's
neighborhood

4. The article is composed of two parts, one is
discriminating opinion like above and the second one is
information copied from other website.
The opinion is almost entirely discriminating in terms of
religion. It uses word “Muslim” two times, first one
connected with Turkish and stating that people should
leave EU because : ”Turkish Muslims” will be allowed to
enter UE without Visa. It shows Turkish as treat, danger
for European because of religion. It also stating that this
danger is almost present, even though this is only
liberalization, not free enter. The second part, which to
show danger even more, was written in red color, also
has Muslim word, and it is also related to discrimination,
but not only danger but the hate speech, where Muslims
are considered as a “plague”

6. Red map of Europe with name EURABIA, red background, Below the
map there are people with weapons and scarfs, a fire behind them.
The red map of Europe indicates danger (red like a safe light) has a
connection to history and Soviet danger for Western World. Red is also color
of blood which together with weapon below shows a danger as something
more serious.Fire is also connected to danger. But fire here, together with
people below them shows the danger of terrorism. Those people don't show
they faces, they look like terrorists groups shown in CNN and have a
weapons. Red color spread as a background – this shows that danger is
spreading, will spread, which indicates another treat. Name “Eurabia” shows
that danger is connected to Arabia, event though Turkey are not Arabs, but
bothare connected in people's mind to Islam and terrorism. The Arab is used
instead of Islam as a danger for Europe. The people on the image are shown
in large number. The first four are shown in the front and rest more as a
background. Those 4 mark danger as something realistic, very close and the
rest indicates the greatness of danger. The picture shows that if all of them
comes, Europe cease to exist, the muslims/terrorists will rule there and
continent will be on fire. What is also important is the map itself, it shows
Europe but without Turkish part of Europe, this states that Turkey has no
cultural connection to Europe.
The image is full of significations, where in the end image become a treat,
a deadly treat or, after summing all together becomes the end of Europe as
we know it today.

8. Eurabia; take over the Europe; bringing fire;
Muslim/Arab terrorists; Muslims/Tureky try to
overthrow EU; islamization;becoming bigger part
of European population
All the pictures all full of signifcation, especially
the first one and mostly shows Muslims as a
danger to Europe, like in analysis of first image.

9. Second article
The second article is not directly connected to discrimination and
is mostly about Turkey's domestic problems and corruption.
Even though the impression towards Muslims is rather negative.
“Islamic cleric’s followers infiltrated police, judiciary” - shows that
Tureky is not a stable country. The next sentence with some
kind of negative image could be opposition of Islam-based
government and the secular military”. The last sentence with can
be related to both Turkey and Muslim (the rest of the rest of the
words were are not analyzed here, since they are not directly
connected to Turkey Muslims and European Union).
In the end, the only part that could be considered discriminating
would be title, where possible treat (in government opinion) from
one of the religious movement was stretched for are Muslims,
since Islami'c cleric followers, at least in knowledge of
Europeans, are not different from any Muslims.

10. Third article
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is rather positive towards Turkey
on the other hand it could be discriminating since it highlights
religion, Islam as the main characteristics of Turkey. In the title
“Turkey stays ahead” but “in the Islamic world”. Turkey was
considered as part of Europe but also as “Muslim nation”.
Nation was related to religion and what's more the country is
“ruled by Islamist leaders” - this sentence that could also be
used for country like Iran.
Other word shows that author is critical towards Europe and
discriminate rather Israel than Turkey, but his words shows that
he strongly connect country with religion (to think that this
article from Canada, famous mulitucurtural country!), and in
Europe religion identifying country as religious has rather
negative meaning.

11. Comments

12. Comment made by reason1984 on December 6, 2013 at 4:41 PM is a
famous quote from Oriana Fallaci. The words „Eurabia”, „colony of
Islam” and “Islamic Invasion” - all of them indicates treat, and two first
shows that the treat already had been fulfilled.

Comment made 12 minutes later by Mary Crum considers decision
about visas as “huge mistake” and “giving your countries to Islam” and
“betraying you own citizens”.
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The third one, made by Larry Usoff, US Navy Retired 5 minutes after
the second one, calls “To Arms” and considers Muslims as “barbaric
savages” that should be “oust”. Muslims are also, like in comment two
and three, considered as a treat, a danger towards Europe, but this
comment is additionally more offensive and Europocentirc,
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There is only one comment to second article that shows religious
discrimination (one from three), but two people like this comment.
Author uses “Watch the Muslim World implode”, “fanatic belief”,
“Religious overbreeding” “fanatical beliefs” and “agonizing destruction”.
Here Muslims are seen as fantatics, who are once again a treat, danger
that could end in destruction.


13. Questionnaire

Three man in their early
twenties from three different
countries (Poland, France
and Germany), which
belongs to EU gave
response to some quest
related to the topic of this
work. All of them has higher
education and two are still
studying while one is
working.
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

2 are against Turkey joining
EU, 1 do not have opinion.
Common things: associating
Turkey with Muslim and
kebab; opnion of big
importance of Islam in
Turkey
For 2 of them strong postion
of Islam in Turkey is major
point against letting Tureky
join EU

14. First responder
For the first responder the issues against Turkey joining EU are
mostly cultural and religious.

The issues include fear of change that they can bring,
possibility of losing power to rule in democracy (because of
birthrate and immigration of Muslims) by people of his culture
and religion. Like in Huntington's book the responder
identifies
himself in opposition to others, here Christian
vs Islam,
Europe vs Asia.

This is in agreement with response to the last question, when
the responder shows other parts important to his identity. He
mixed history, stereotypes and facts, and saw possibility of
changes because of Islam as some kind of treat to his way
of life.


15. Second responder


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His identity and “lifestyle” is also important like for the
first responder.
He also has some economics fears.
Responder probably thinks about himself as a very tolerant
and open person (first part of the sentence), although he is
more closed for other than want he thinks.

16. Third responder
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
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for joining Turkey in EU but not in the near future (it can also be
a way to push aside decision that is hard to make, like in
psychology, a person knows that rational way would be to do
something, but because of personal emotions, thoughts, he,
partly unconsciously, do not want to do it, and the best way to
avoid dissonance would be to push decision for latter).
He brings EU problems as the most important part and also
problems with democracy in Turkey.
In the last question he says that Muslims people are like
everyone, although he states some, to certain degree, unique
characteristics of the religion “strong believes” and “fanatic
groups”.

17. Interivew
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Zuzanna – person interviewed
did not use the world discrimination, from what she said, it can be
considered as such.
Alienation, feeling bad, constant jokes related to her, lack of
acceptation toward her partner, and advices together with warnings
about him are some kind of discrimination.
The person who was truly discriminated, although it was not when
he was around, was her husband.
The discrimination was strongly connected to religion, but in minds
of people who discriminated him, there was almost not such a thing
as differences between Islam as religion and a culture in Turkey.
In the end, because of something like political correctness, but only
in front of victim, Zuzanna's husband was not feeling directly
discriminated, although to some degree Zuzanna was.

18. Points of Islamophobia stated in 1997 Runnymede Trust
“Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All” (present in data
in this research – simmilar to articles, comments...):
1.Islam is seen as a monolithic bloc, static and
unresponsive to change.
2.Islam is seen as separate and “other”. It does not have
values in common with other cultures, is not affected by
them and does not influence them.
3.Islam is seen as inferior to the West. It is seen as
barbaric, irrational, primitive, and sexist.
4.Islam is seen as violent, aggressive, threatening,
supportive of terrorism, and engaged in a clash of
civilizations

19. Source: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/448-EU-MIDIS_MUSLIMS_EN.pdf ,

20. 

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Turkish alone are often
discriminated in EU.
In 2008 42% of them felt
discriminated in Denmark and
31% in Germany.
There are not many cases where
Muslims report a discrimination
but that does not mean that it is
on small scale, because almost
80% simply does not report acts
of discrimination.
They do not do it, because they
do not believe that it would
change anything, they consider
it as to trivial (like Zuzanna from
interview, who did not even
think about it as discrimination)
or do not know where.
Source: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/448-EU-MIDIS_MUSLIMS_EN.pdf ,

21. 

The data from Table 4 for
Poland differ much more
thant that from Table 3
compared to France and
Germany.
Polish people do not sees
Islamic extremism as
concerns to Poland, since
the are small number of
Muslims in the country, but
probably because of media,
which shows Muslims as
extremists, a lot of Polish
people sees them in
unfavorable way, like people
from Germany or France.
Source:http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/448-EU-MIDIS_MUSLIMS_EN.pdf ,

22. Discrimination towards Muslims in media can be mostly be
identified as connecting them to some kind of danger (in
almost all of the examples in this work), danger to identity,
danger for lifestyle or even as danger for live itself.
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Mostly it is kind of prejudice that comes from lack of
knowledge and use of stereotypes.
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In some examples there are stronger emotions, hate, or
thinking about them as inferior, but mostly fear of Muslim is
common.
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People think that Muslims only want to conquer Europe, that
they are terrorists, but they mostly do not know which percent
of Muslims emigrate to European countries or how many
terrorists are Muslims.
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They often do not remember that Europeans also emigrate
and they are also terrorists among them, especially if one
would look at European history.


23. The language used in the articles is not only discriminating but
also creates stereotypes, that are naturalizing discriminating ideas.

It is quite interesting that opinion in questionnaire about Turkey
and Muslims is quite similar for French and Polish person, although
the last one probably did no have any live contact with Muslims.
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The way of thinking about Turkey and Muslims is in most
European countries quite similar and to some degree is connected
to the influence of media.
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It is frightening that article with such level of discrimination or even
hate speech was eleven on the list showed by google after
entering the searched words.
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Other websites are also strongly connecting Turkey with Muslims,
which in a way could be considered discriminating, and this by
manipulating people's language (mostly unconsciousl) forms the
way people are thinking and creates stereotypes.


24. And You, would You like to be reffered as ...
(here put your religion or deism, atheism,
pantheism ) when someone is using your
nationality?
Are that words and identities the same for
You?

25. References (including all used images):
Background in slides, http://www.euroislam.pl/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/turkey-eu.jpg
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BareNakedIslam, What better time to leave the EU…,
http://www.barenakedislam.com/2013/12/06/what-better-time-to-leave-the-eunow-that-turkish-muslims-will-be-a
, access 3.01.2014.
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Barthes R., Mythologies, The Noonday Press – New York 1991.
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Colachal A. R., Turkey stays ahead in Islamic world,
http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/editorial/2013/12/05/7257.html , access 3.01.2014.
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D'Appollonia A. Ch., Frontiers of Fear: Immigration and Insecurity in the United States and Europe, Cornell
University Press 2012.
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EU-MIDIS Data in Focus Report 2: Muslims, European Agency for fundamental Rigths 2009,
http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/448-EU-MIDIS_MUSLIMS_EN.pdf , access 3.01.2014.

Huntington S., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World O, Simon and Schuster 2007.
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Muslims in the European Union: Discrimination and Islamophobia, EUMC 2006,
http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/156-Manifestations_EN.pdf , access 3.01.2013.

Stam R.,"Multiculturalism, Race and Representation", Film theory: An Introduction, Ed. R. Stam,
Malden:Blackwell, 2000.
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Turkey and EU agree to sign historic visa deal,
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-and-eu-agree-to-sign-historic-visa-deal.aspx?pageID=238&nID=59042
, access 3.01.2014.
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Turkey and EU sign immigrant deal, http://www.dw.de/turkey-and-eu-sign-immigrant-deal/a-17300282 ,
access 3.01.2014.
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turkey muslim European Union, https://www.google.pl/#q=turkey+muslim+european+union , access
3.01.2014.
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Turkish PM says Islamic cleric’s followers infiltrated police, judiciary,
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/eu-urges-transparency-over-turkish-corruption-scandal/article1611
, access 3.01.2014.
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