Turning Tide of Misinformation: How One Author’s Grassroots Digital Campaign Combats Islamophobia in Puerto Rico
By Staff Reporters
In an era defined by rapid digital communication and polarizing political rhetoric, civic engagement has increasingly become a vital frontline defense against discrimination and hostility. Across the globe, Muslim communities, scholars, leaders, and everyday citizens find themselves navigating rising tides of anti-Muslim sentiment and political scapegoating. Yet, rather than retreating in the face of prejudice, many are transforming hostility into opportunities for meaningful dialogue, education, and bridge-building. Time and again, when confronted with Islamophobia and malicious disinformation, Muslims respond with resilience, patience, and eloquence—capturing public attention and opening pathways to genuine understanding.
This dynamic of peaceful resistance and proactive outreach is rooted deeply in the principles of faith and civic duty. As believers often remind one another, while divine protection provides ultimate reassurance, communities must also take active responsibility for dispelling harmful stereotypes, defending their fundamental rights, and practicing their faith openly. This active participation takes many forms, ranging from political advocacy and community education to artistic expression, literary contributions, and digital awareness campaigns on social media. Crucially, these efforts frequently become family endeavors. When children witness their parents standing up to prejudice with grace and resilience, they learn invaluable lessons about self-advocacy, dignity, and civic responsibility on behalf of their families and neighborhoods.
Putting Civic Engagement into Practice
For Wendy Díaz, a Puerto Rican Muslim writer, poet, and educator based in Maryland, the challenge of combating anti-Islam sentiment recently hit very close to home. What began as a series of bizarre and hostile social media posts protesting the construction of a new mosque in the municipality of Mayagüez gradually escalated into a full-scale propaganda campaign targeting Islam and Muslims across the island of Puerto Rico.
For observers of contemporary political tensions in the United States, such rhetoric may sound distressingly familiar. However, the surge of hostility felt starkly out of character for the people of Puerto Rico, a population historically renowned for its vibrant hospitality, cultural warmth, and widespread solidarity with marginalized global communities, including the Palestinian cause. Because Díaz’s extended family still resides on the island and is largely non-Muslim, the attacks resonated deeply on both a personal and emotional level.
To understand the current climate, it is necessary to examine the long and complex history of Muslims in Puerto Rico, which stretches back centuries. Islamic influences on the island trace their roots to the era of Spanish colonization and the arrival of enslaved Africans, a portion of whom practiced Islam. While contemporary Puerto Ricans widely celebrate their rich tapestry of Indigenous, European, and African heritage, the specific Islamic threads woven into that cultural history are frequently overlooked.
Subsequent waves of migration, spanning from the nineteenth century to the modern day, brought Muslims from diverse global backgrounds to the Caribbean territory. Over generations, Arab Muslims and Christians established enduring, successful businesses and integrated seamlessly into the civic life of the island. Local Muslim residents eventually founded permanent Islamic institutions, highlighted by the establishment of the first freestanding mosque in Puerto Rico, built in 1981 in Río Piedras. Given this history of coexistence, the sudden emergence of aggressive anti-Muslim propaganda prompted critical questions about its origins and drivers.
Analyzing the Roots of Hostility
Analysts and community advocates note that there is no single, straightforward explanation for the recent wave of anti-Muslim hostility in Puerto Rico. Contemporary political rhetoric, amplified by social media algorithms and unverified rumors regarding a supposed demographic "invasion," can easily stoke fear and suspicion among populations with limited daily exposure to Islam. Muslims currently account for an estimated 0.1 percent of Puerto Rico’s overall population, meaning that Islamic communities and places of worship remain largely invisible to residents living outside the specific municipalities where mosques are located.
Beyond religious unfamiliarity, experts suggest that anti-Muslim sentiment must be viewed through the broader lens of socioeconomic and political anxiety. Puerto Rico has faced severe structural challenges in recent years, including concerns over displacement, public access to beaches, escalating housing costs, fragile infrastructure, and the privatization of essential public services. These chronic pressures have left many residents feeling uncertain, frustrated, and vulnerable to economic distress.
In such turbulent environments, scapegoating vulnerable minorities often proves politically and socially potent. Determining the exact forces behind the anti-social media campaigns—and whether organized actors are financing them for strategic gain—remains a subject requiring deeper investigation. Nevertheless, faced with a relentless stream of digital misinformation, Díaz chose to mount a direct, constructive response using the tools at her disposal.
Rather than remaining silent, Díaz turned to digital civic engagement, utilizing Instagram and Facebook to counter falsehoods with accurate education. Having already established a digital footprint to promote her literary works, she recognized that each platform offered a distinct audience: Instagram facilitated broad connections with younger and more diverse demographics outside her immediate circle, while Facebook provided a direct channel of communication with her extended family and peers in Puerto Rico.
Drawing on her cultural background and professional skills, Díaz began producing short-form video reels in Spanish. Some videos utilized gentle humor and satirical skits to highlight the glaring inaccuracies of the ongoing misinformation campaigns, while others focused squarely on educating viewers about core Islamic beliefs, practices, and the historical presence of Muslims in Puerto Rico. Complementing these videos, she shared informative articles, historical snapshots, and educational stories across her platforms. Within days, the content generated thousands of views, replays, and encouraging commentary from viewers expressing newfound understanding.
Many Ways to Show Up
Díaz’s experience highlights a broader truth for parents, educators, and community leaders seeking to counter Islamophobia: effective advocacy does not require a single, rigid approach. Every individual possesses unique talents, professional skills, and creative outlets that can foster meaningful human connections. As a Spanish-speaking Latina convert, Díaz leveraged her specific cultural fluency and linguistic background to engage an audience that shared her heritage. Others may contribute through visual arts, technical expertise, public speaking, or compelling storytelling.
By identifying and leaning into these individual strengths, families can transform feelings of frustration or helplessness into purposeful, collective action. Whether through digital literacy initiatives, community dialogue, or creative expression, preparing younger generations to navigate and push back against discrimination builds lasting confidence and resilience. Ultimately, when individuals and families consistently show up to champion justice, share accurate information, and serve their neighbors, civic engagement transcends mere advocacy to become a profound expression of communal responsibility and faith.
