Pope Francis on a papal visit to Egypt

When terrorists targeted Coptic Churches on Palm Sunday, the infamous news outlet Breitbart shared the news on its Facebook page with the caption: "When will Muslims stop murdering Christians?"

Islamophobic outlets and individuals feast upon such attacks against minorities in Muslim-majority countries: They say they "prove" that "Muslims hate us" and that "Islam is a violent religion".

Political leaders across the world have exploited and nourished such sentiments and have found that doing so is a winning strategy. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who now has a chance of becoming the next French president, once said that "no other religion [Islam] is causing problems". She has also claimed that Pope Francis' pro-migration comments are a form of political interference.

Against the backdrop of rising Islamophobia, Pope Francis has been calling for openness and interreligious understanding - an important gesture, regardless of what one makes of the Catholic Church's teachings and practices. Francis' choice of rhetoric is noteworthy, especially in light of the controversy stirred by his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, whose remarks on Islam in his 2006 speech in Germany were heavily criticised by Muslim leaders across the world.

The pope's visit to Egypt takes on a special significance in the aftermath of the recent attacks on Christians in the region, but also given what he represents in the debate about Islam in the West and the world, and its relation to violence and terrorism.

A strong voice against Islamophobia

The pope has stood up against the essentialist positions of some politicians and clergymen on "protecting" Christianity and Christian values. He said: "When I hear talk of the Christian roots of Europe, I sometimes dread the tone, which can seem triumphalist or even vengeful. It then takes on colonialist overtones."

Throughout the years of his papacy, Francis has been a consistent voice of reason and decency when tackling Europe's migration issues. While Donald Trump and European leaders have been calling for building walls, Francis made sure to mention, on more than one occasion, that those who build walls and not bridges are not Christian. He also said that "it's hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help."