A Societal Interactional Analysis of Imran Khan's United Nations General Assembly 2019 Speech on Islamophobia

Abstract

The researchers conducted a societal interactional analysis of Imran Khan's speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019. The study focuses on issue of Islamophobia in Imran Khan’s speech. The objectives are to analyse the sentiments and opinions of society toward Imran Khan's speech and to examine how his speech catalyses social discourse. Societal reactions to Khan's speech are examined using by Van Dijk's (1997) theoretical framework. The concepts like action, context, power, and ideology have been analysed in the data obtained from Quora. The research findings emphasise that certain participants acknowledge Khan's endeavours to bring attention and highlight the issue of Islamophobia. However, some have criticised the speech for being oversimplified. The research elucidates how the opinions are shaped and formed by the contextual characteristics of the respondents. The analysis highlights the significance of power dynamics. The ideological analysis reveals a divided reception. The findings underscore the societal impact of Khan's speech.