This study examines how Western media use postcolonial discourse and emotional politics to shape and sustain Islamophobia in the post- 9/11 era. Through a qualitative analysis of media coverage by major news outlets in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States at four significant points in time (post- 9/11, the July 7 London bombing, the kidnapping of German construction workers in Iraq, and the WTC plaza fire), this research investigates the politicization of postcolonial sentiment in the media’s portrayal of Muslims and Middle Eastern immigrants. Drawing on postcolonial theory, affect theory, and media studies, the study identifies three major themes in Western media portrayals of Islam: the terrorist image, the trope of the downtrodden Muslim woman, and the narrative of cultural incompatibility. The findings reveal that Western media continuously uses an emotive politics of fear to propagate Orientalist attitudes and, as a result, exacerbates the foreignization of Muslim communities. This study expands our understanding of how media representation promotes discriminatory practices and highlights the need for more culturally sensitive, nuanced approaches to reporting on Islamic topics.