A/72/287 16. A rise in Islamophobic rhetoric can also be observed in some Latin American countries. In one South American country, for example, a popular news source published an article asserting that more than half of the Muslims in the world were radicalized. 13 17. The Special Rapporteur notes that these examples demonstrate that the rise of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric in the mainstream political discourse is indeed a global phenomenon. However, he would also like to draw attention to the simultaneous increase in anti-Semitic speech. In many countries, anti-Semitism remains part of right-wing populist ideologies, often alongside Islamophobia. 14 Role of political leaders and the media 18. The Special Rapporteur has previously expressed concern regarding the role of political leaders and the media in stigmatizing certain groups and thus fostering racist and xenophobic attitudes among the public. 19. In many countries, public officials and the media propagate prejudice and negative stereotypes regarding non-nationals and persons from minority communities or religions, including by linking them to violence and terrorism. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism explained how reports about a Syrian passport found on one of the perpetrators of the 2015 Paris attacks had fuelled fears concerning the connection between migration and terrori sm. However, the Special Rapporteur highlighted the lack of evidence supporting claims that terrorists take advantage of migration flows or that refugees are more prone to radicalization. Research shows that very few migrants or refugees have carried out acts of terrorism. 15 20. Political leaders in several Eastern European countries have made racist and xenophobic statements to further their own agendas. The Government of one country invoked a state of crisis by claiming that migration poses a threat to security, public health and national identity. The Prime Minister referred to migration as the “Trojan wooden horse of terrorism”. He has frequently argued that measures taken to stop the influx of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are necessary to protect the region from criminals and terrorists. 16 A minister of another Eastern European Government stated that, in the long run, migrant communities will form closed enclaves that provide support to terrorists. 17 21. The media often perpetuates these stereotypes by disseminating or providing a platform for racists and xenophobic speech. The Special Rapporteur would also like to highlight that media bias is a particularly problematic phenomenon in a counter terrorism context. The disproportionate coverage of certain types of terrorism, the use of certain terminology or images and the overall framing of news stories about terrorism distorts public perception. A recent study examined the domestic media coverage of terrorist attacks that occurred in one North American country during the period 2011-2015. The study found that attacks by Muslim perpetrators, particularly foreign-born Muslims, received 4.5 times more coverage than other attacks. Only a small proportion of attacks were perpetrated by Muslims (12.4 per c ent) or foreignborn Muslims (5 per cent). Yet, these attacks received 44 per cent and 32 per cent of __________________ 13 14 15 16 17 6/23 See https://perma.cc/BCQ5-HEWD. Lars Rensmann, “Resentment reloaded: how the European radical right mobilizes antisemitism and counter-cosmopolitanism”, Journal for the Study of Antisemitism, vol. 3, No. 2 (2011), pp. 543-573. A/71/384, paras. 7-8. See goo.gl/Ly3Csp. See https://perma.cc/TR4G-RTVD. 17-13397