Experiencing Islamophobia in a Muslim-Majority Society: A Thematic and Visual Analysis of Malaysian Muslim Narratives

Islamophobia remains a globally pervasive issue, but its local manifestations often reflect unique socio-cultural and political contexts. In Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia, Islamophobia is less about minority marginalization and more about internalized stereotyping, religious politicization, and cross-cultural misunderstanding. Despite growing discourse, localized and experiential analyses of Islamophobia in Southeast Asia remain limited. This study aims to explore how Malaysian Muslims perceive and experience Islamophobia through qualitative responses. A total of 154 open-ended survey responses were collected and analysed using thematic analysis and word cloud visualization to enhance the interpretation of prominent keywords. The study revealed four dominant themes: Misunderstanding of Islam, Negative Stereotyping, Institutional or Politically Driven, and Social Rejection and Discrimination. These themes illustrate the multifaceted nature of Islamophobia, ranging from conceptual misperceptions of Islam and gendered stereotypes to anxieties surrounding Islamic governance and personal experiences of exclusion, particularly among converts. The findings contribute to Islamophobia literature by focusing on Muslim opinions within a non-Western, Muslim-majority setting, thereby challenging the predominantly Western-centric framing of the phenomenon. The findings of this study highlight the influence of media, identity politics, and family dynamics in shaping Islamophobic attitudes in Malaysia. Implications include the need for culturally responsive policies, inclusive religious education, and public discourse reform to counteract Islamophobic narratives. In conclusion, the research underscores the importance of context-sensitive approaches in Islamophobia studies and calls for further comparative investigations across diverse geopolitical and religious environments