Islamophobia in visual media: Analyzing anti-Islam propaganda techniques in The Kashmir Files

Rama Kertamukti, Shafira Aulia Rezkika

Abstract


Background: This research is motivated by the propaganda utilization on movies or films which is growing day by day from overt through documentary to covert through fiction. Movies or films were eventually used by propagandists to launch propaganda using certain techniques to influence attitudes and behaviour towards a certain person or group. Purpose: this study aims to determine how much the percentage of anti-Islam Propaganda elements applied in The Kashmir Files film. Methods: this study uses a descriptive content analysis, with a sample of The Kashmir Files film that has been determined by researchers from what scenes and dialogues contain elements of anti-Islamic propaganda that are presented in this film. Results: With the unit of analysis through the sample film The Kashmir Files, the application of anti-Islamic propaganda uses propaganda techniques of Name Calling, Transfer, Card Stacking, Appeal to Fear, Demonizing the Enemy, Repetition, and Scapegoating. These propaganda techniques show anti-Islam in the storyline clearly. The results of data analysis Card Stacking and Transfer are the most frequently used and rarely used techniques, namely 18.0% and 7.4%. Other techniques found from the results of data analysis are Name Calling (15.9%), Appeal to Fear (14.8%), Demonizing the Enemy (13.8%), Repetition (15.9%), and Scapegoating (13.8%). All the techniques used by propagandists can be categorised as propaganda that displays anti-Islamic propaganda through Islamophobia. Conclusion: This study concludes that film clearly employs multiple anti-Islam propaganda techniques, with Card Stacking and Transfer being the most dominant. The the film can be categorized as promoting Islamophobia through a systematic use of persuasive and emotive propaganda strategies. Implications: The way of delivering propaganda techniques in this film uses propaganda in verbal communication and visual communication. With the presentation of conversations or dialogues, direct reports, speeches, symbols, so that propaganda looks natural in its anti-Islamic delivery.

 


Keywords


Anti-Islam; film; islamophobia; propaganda technique; The Kashmir Files

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahad, W., & Akgül, S. (2022). Wandering dervish of Laila Majnu : Sufism and socio-political mobilization in kashmir. The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 34(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.3138/jrpc.2021-0006

Anam, M. K., & Nurhayati, N. (2020). Critical discourse analysis of Gus Ipul’s political advertising in 2018 East Java regional election. Profetik: Jurnal Komunikasi, 12(2), 261. https://doi.org/10.14421/pjk.v12i2.1693

Anjani, T. F., Novita, I., Damayanti, S. A., & Zuhri, S. (2021). Framing berita media online terhadap efektivitas kinerja pemerintah dalam menanggulangi tingginya kasus PHK di masa pandemi COVID–19. JISIP : Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Ilmu Politik, 10(1), 62–72. https://doi.org/10.33366/jisip.v10i1.2237

Arora, T. (2023). Film as propaganda: The months between June 2023 & May 2024. NewsClick. https://www.newsclick.in/film-propaganda-months-between-june-2023-may-2024

Aryal, S. K., & Muneer, S. (2025). Geopolitics, conflict and narratives: An sssessment of Kashmir conflict after the abrogation of article 370. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 60(2), 1310–1324. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231192318

Bachtiar, A. Y., Perkasa, D. H., & Sadikun, M. R. (2016). Peran media dalam propaganda. Komunikologi: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komunikasi, 13(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47007/jkomu.v13i2.165

Bago, B., Rand, D. G., & Pennycook, G. (2020). Fake news, fast and slow: Deliberation reduces belief in false (but not true) news headlines. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149(8), 1608–1613. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000729

Bösch, M., & Divon, T. (2024). The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine. New Media & Society, 26(9), 5081–5106. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241251804

Chowdhury, Mehrdin, N., Akram, M., Irfan, M., Haq, U., Zahra, S., Tahir, M., Razaq, L., & Bashir, S. (2024). The Legacy Of Buddhism In Modern Kashmir : A Study Of The Contemporary Relevance Of Buddhism In Kashmiri Society And Culture. 4883(April), 1691–1697. https://doi.org/10.53555/ks.v12i4.3601

Dadabhoy, A. (2021). Something’s rotten in Kashmir: Postcolonial ambivalence and the War on Terror in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider. Shakespeare, 17(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450918.2021.1892810

Dar, A. A., & Deb, S. (2022). Prevalence of trauma among young adults exposed to stressful events of armed conflicts in South Asia: Experiences from Kashmir. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 14(4), 633–641. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001045

Das, S. (2023). This side of paradise: The rise, fall and decimation of regional politics in Kashmir. Passionate Politics: Democracy, Development and India’s 2019 General Election, 97–105. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526157751.00017

Din, J. U. (2022). The elites’ rhetoric and rally-round-the flag phenomenon on the issue of Kashmir: Analyzing the Coverage of Dawn and Nawa-E-Waqt at the time of Violence. Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.52337/pjia.v5i3.594

Fazeli, S., Sabetti, J., & Ferrari, M. (2023). Performing Qualitative Content Analysis of Video Data in Social Sciences and Medicine: The Visual-Verbal Video Analysis Method. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231185452

Fortuin, E. (2022). Ukraine commits genocide on Russians: The term “genocide” in Russian propaganda. Russian Linguistics, 46(3), 313–347. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11185-022-09258-5

Gabel, S., Reichert, L., & Reuter, C. (2022). Discussing conflict in social media: The use of Twitter in the Jammu and Kashmir conflict. Media, War & Conflict, 15(4), 504–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750635220970997

Ghony, M. J., & Almanshur, F. (2016). Metode penelitian kualitatif. Ar-Ruzz Media.

Ghosh, S. N., & Duschinski, H. (2020). The grid of indefinite incarceration: Everyday legality and paperwork warfare in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Critique of Anthropology, 40(3), 364–384. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308275X20929393

Haider, N. (2021). Spectrality, partition and borders. South Asian Review, 42(1), 34–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/02759527.2020.1765070

Hawkins, I., Coles, S. M., Saleem, M., Moorman, J. D., & Aqel, H. (2024). How Reel Middle Easterners’ Portrayals Cultivate Stereotypical Beliefs and Policy Support. Mass Communication and Society, 27(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2062000

Horák, A., Sabol, R., Herman, O., & Baisa, V. (2024). Recognition of propaganda techniques in newspaper texts: Fusion of content and style analysis. Expert Systems with Applications, 251, 124085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124085

Husandani, R. A., Utari, P., & Rahmanto, A. N. (2024). Impact of social media disinformation explored in ‘ The Social Dilemma .’ 9(1), 89–106.

Hussain, Z. (2023). Implications of Article 370 abrogation for intergroup relations between Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir Valley. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 29(4), 437–447. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000705

Idrees, R. Q., Imran, M., & Jamil, T. (2021). The Indian occupied Kashmir dispute: A legal analysis in purview of United Nations Resolutions. Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.52337/pjia.v4i1.39

Julian Aditya Karnajaya, & Faris Budiman Annas. (2023). Analisa Naratif Propaganda Film Dokumenter Sexy Killers. Konvergensi : Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komunikasi, 4(1), 444–462. https://doi.org/10.51353/kvg.v4i1.791

Kankal, B., Patra, S. K., & Panda, R. (2023). Pedagogy innovation and integration of films in management education: Review and research paradigms. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(2), 100804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100804

Karnajaya, J. A., & Annas, F. B. (2023). Analisa naratif propaganda film dokumenter Sexy Killers. Konvergensi : Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komunikasi, 4(1), 444–462. https://doi.org/10.51353/kvg.v4i1.791

Kunandar, A. Y. (2017). Memahami propaganda (Metode, praktik, dan analisis). PT Kanisius.

Kusuma, R. S., & Munasah, S. A. (2023). How to become a productive fan? The existence of fan talks as fandom productivity. Profetik: Jurnal Komunikasi, 16(1), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.14421/pjk.v16i1.2518

Lock, I., & Ludolph, R. (2020). Organizational propaganda on the Internet: A systematic review. Public Relations Inquiry, 9(1), 103–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X19870844

Masood, U. (2023). Bollywood movies that package islamophobia. Collider. https://collider.com/bollywood-islamophobia-movies/

Masroor, Z., & Arora, N. (2024). The role of inflammatory movies in shaping Islamophobia and destination animosity. Tourism Recreation Research, 12(2), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2024.2390718

Mattingly, D. C., & Yao, E. (2022). How soft propaganda persuades. Comparative Political Studies, 55(9), 1569–1594. https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140211047403

Maulany, S. P., & Abdullah, A. (2019). Pemberitaan film A Man Called Ahok dan film 212 di media online. ProTVF, 3(2), 155. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v3i2.22940

Mayring, P. A. E. (2023). Qualitative Content Analysis. In International Encyclopedia of Education (Fourth Edition). Elsevier.

McCluskey, L. M., Hamilton, J. M., & Reynolds, A. (2023). When Propaganda Became a Dirty Word. Journalism History, 49(2), 140–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/00947679.2023.2203026

Moilanen, T., Sivonen, M., Hipp, K., Kallio, H., Papinaho, O., Stolt, M., Turjamaa, R., Häggman-Laitila, A., & Kangasniemi, M. (2022). Developing a Feasible and Credible Method for Analyzing Healthcare Documents as Written Data. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23333936221108706

Nicmanis, M. (2024). Reflexive Content Analysis: An Approach to Qualitative Text Analysis. Qualitative Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241236603

Peters, M. A., Rider, S. P., Hyvönen, M., & Besley, T. (2018). Post-truth, fake news: viral modernity & higher education (M. A. Peters, S. Rider, M. Hyvönen, & T. Besley (eds.)). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8013-5

Pradsmadji, S. I., & Irwansyah, I. (2020). Media convergence in the platform of Video-on-Demand: Opportunities, challenges, and audience behaviour. Jurnal ASPIKOM, 5(1), 115. https://doi.org/10.24329/aspikom.v5i1.491

Rachmaria, L. (2020). Melacak keberadaan ideologi pada film Cahaya dari Timur: Beta Maluku. ProTVF, 4(2), 270. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v4i2.26283

Rahmani, B., Montano, B., Groves, D. W., & Green, D. P. (2025). The persuasive effects of narrative entertainment: a meta-analysis of recent experiments. Behavioural Public Policy, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2025.10010

Robin, M. (2024). Are propagandists combatants? Analysing the ethical status of propagandists in warfare. Review of International Studies, 50(6), 1046–1065. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210524000044

Rohmah, H. Y., Sjuchro, D. W., & Abdullah, A. (2020). Representasi preman dalam sinetron Preman Pensiun. ProTVF, 4(2), 206. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v4i2.22880

Samit, A. T. (2016). The flowers of the revolutions: The North Korean propaganda film. L’Atalante. Revista de Estudios Cinematográficos. https://share.google/NNzDAe6ffZTxnEafW

Shan, A. A. (2023). Portrayal of Pakistan and muslims characters in the Bollywood (Indian) film industry. Jonkoping University.

Sheydayi, A. (2023). Conducting Qualitative Content Analysis in Social Science Research. Evaluation and Program Planning. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2023.102272

Showkat, N. (2025). Kashmir in cinema and films: A bibliometric analysis. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 42(4), 1008–1026. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2023.2248864

Shu, K., Bhattacharjee, A., Alatawi, F., Nazer, T. H., Ding, K., Karami, M., & Liu, H. (2020). Combating disinformation in a social media age. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/widm.1385

Singh, B., & Dagur, A. (2022). Understanding influence of social media marketing of masstige fashion brands on generation z female Indian consumers. Indian Journal of Marketing, 52(5), 8. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2022/v52/i5/169414

Soules, M. (2015). Media, persuasion and propaganda. Edinburgh University Press Ltd. https://www.euppublishing.com/userimages/ContentEditor/1429263846827/Media, Persuasion, Propaganda.pdf

Sumra, A. ul H. (2020). Muslims and islam in Indian English Press: Exploring the islamophobic discourse. Islamophobia Studies Journal, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.13169/islastudj.5.2.0226

Swami, P. (2017). India’s invisible jihad. SIMI and Indian Jihad. https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/india-s-invisible-jihad

Umarela, F. H., Dwityas, N. A., & Zahra, D. R. (2020). Representasi ideologi supremasi kulit putih dalam iklan televisi. ProTVF, 4(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v4i1.25172

Verma, A., Kusmayadi, I. M., & Arbani, M. (2025). Feminist narratives in Indian digital television: A discourse analysis of Scoop. ProTVF, 9(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v9i1.59404

Warikoo, K. (2023). Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. In Genocides and Xenophobia in South Asia and Beyond (pp. 76–105). Routledge India. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003205470-4

Wijaya, M. (2021). Konsekuensi representasi propaganda budaya dan ideologi dalam film. IMAJI: Film, Fotografi, Televisi, & Media Baru, 12(2), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.52290/i.v12i2.47

Wikipedia. (2022). The Kashmir Files - Wikipedia. Wikipedia.Org.

Yousaf, M., Rahman, B., & Yousaf, Z. (2020). Constructing reality: Framing of the Kashmir conflict in dictatorial and democratic regimes in the Pakistani English Press. Media Watch, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.15655/mw/2020/v11i3/203045

Yunariono, B. (2023). Konflik Umat Hindu-Muslim di India Era Pemerintahan Narendra Modi. Paradigma: Jurnal Masalah Sosial, Politik, Dan Kebijakan, 27(2), 219–237. https://doi.org/doi.org./10.3390/rel13030201

Zhang, R. (2023). The Indigenization Policy of Propaganda Fide: Its Effectiveness and Limitations in China (1622–1742). Religions, 14(12), 1453. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14121453

Zhang, R. (2024). Propaganda Fide and the Role of Apostolic Nuncios during the Early Modern Period: A Case Study of China. Religions, 15(6), 713. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060713

Zhou, Y., Jupina, M. M., Farrell, E. L., Wang, S., & Mesquita, B. J. (2025). The Persuasive Impact of Narrative Richness in Antibiotic Stewardship Communication: The Roles of Emotions, Psychological Distance, and Self-Referencing. Science Communication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10755470251385494

Zhu, Y., & Fu, K. (2024). How propaganda works in the digital era: Soft news as a gateway. Digital Journalism, 12(6), 753–772. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2156366




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v10i1.54361

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2026 Rama Kertamukti, Shafira Aulia Rezkika

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

ProTVF Indexed by:

    

Editorial Office of ProTVF:

Faculty of Communication ScienceUniversitas Padjadjaran
Jl. Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21 Jatinangor, Sumedang, Indonesia 45363
WhatsApp: +6285189714299 (Anggi Lestari)

Telephone: +62227796954
Faximile: +62227794122
E-mail: jurnalprotvfunpad@gmail.com


 

ProTVF Supervised by:

View My Stats