(The Conversation) — The war with Iran has led to a surge in anti-Muslim rhetoric – spilling into political discourse. U.S. Rep. Randy Fine of Florida posted on X that “the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” and added in another post , “We need more Islamophobia, not less.” Similarly, U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas called for stopping the entry of “Muslims immigrating to America.” A study by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate found that the average number of Islamophobic posts jumped from 2,000 to 6,000 each day on X alone in the first six days of the conflict. I have studied the impact of Islamophobia on mental health over the past two decades, following soaring hate crimes in the wake of 9/11 . Research consistently shows that negative portrayals of Muslims shape public attitudes toward Muslims and can lead to increased discrimination , hate crimes and psychological consequences.…