Harmful content targeting Muslims across social media platforms has been rising sharply since the start of 2026. The outbreak of the US–Israel war on Iran on February 28 accelerated this trend dramatically, pushing Islamophobic content to new extremes.
Political rhetoric has compounded the crisis. Senior Trump administration officials and some members of Congress have framed the war in overtly religious terms, drawing on Christian nationalist narratives that contributes to an environment in which Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim become targets of suspicion, hostility, and violence.
We looked at the data. Our analysis covers posts on X from January 1 through March 5, 2026.
The Numbers:
- 25,348 Islamophobic posts on X in six days (February 28 – March 5)
- With reposts, the total rises to 279,417, — an 11-fold amplification
What we found:
- Dehumanizing language calling Muslims “rats,” “vermin,” “infestation”
- Calls for violence and extermination
- Demands for internment camps and mass deportation
- Threats against mosques
We tested X’s own platform rules. We reported 30 of these posts. Only 11 were removed. 19 remain live.
Platforms aren’t enforcing their own rules.
The full data brief is available here.