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The Bridge Initiative is a multi-year research project on Islamophobia housed in Georgetown University

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Factsheet: Herbert Kickl

15 Oct 2024

Herbert Kickl is the current leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), one of Austria’s major political parties that has shared power in various coalitions over the past three decades. It regained power, especially after mobilizing against immigrants and Muslims and is one of the main factors in the institutionalization of Islamophobia in Austria with many links to far-right anti-Muslim actors around the globe. Kickl invented the most successful anti-Muslim political campaigns of his party with slogans such as “Home, not Islam” (Daham statt Islam). read the complete article

Hindutva in Britain

24 Nov 2023

This report analyzes the historical and contemporary context that has cultivated the complex landscape in which Hindu nationalist influences have materialized in the UK. Our research provides an overview of Hindutva in India, the Islamophobia industry and its connection to Hindutva, UK-based groups and individuals who have expressed or supported Hindu nationalist sentiment, and the 2022 Leicester riots, the political response and fallout following the events in the city. read the complete article

Factsheet: Geert Wilders

24 Aug 2018

A prominent politician in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders has decried what he calls the “Islamization” of the Netherlands and advocates a ban on the Qur’an. He believes Islam is a problem and promotes anti-Muslim tropes, namely that Islam is not a religion; it is a totalitarian and violent ideology. His alarmist, discriminatory, and racist rhetoric paints all Muslims as violent individuals who seek to dominate Europe. read the complete article

Guantánamo Bay Military Prison: Narratives and Numbers

04 Nov 2020

Introduction The Guantánamo Bay Data Project serves as a central source of information on the Guantánamo Bay Military Prison. This project provides a comprehensive picture of the prison, centering the lives of the boys and... read the complete article

Factsheet: Common Anti-Muslim Tropes

04 Dec 2018

These tropes are not only found on anti-Muslim blogs online, but also in news and entertainment media. They can also be manifested in political speech and can serve as assumptions underlying government policy.  read the complete article

Detained, Dehumanized, Forgotten: The Endless Cycle of Guantánamo

18 Feb 2025

Twenty-three years have passed, yet the early weeks of Donald Trump’s second administration felt like a return to 2002. On January 29, 2025, the former reality star-turned-president signed an executive order to expand detention facilities... read the complete article

Factsheet: DONALD TRUMP AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

02 Dec 2019

IMPACT:  The 45th President of the U.S., Donald Trump has implemented anti-Muslim policies and nominated and appointed individuals to his administration with a history of anti-Muslim animus. He has also used his Twitter to amplify... read the complete article

Factsheet: Elon Musk

17 Feb 2025

Elon Musk is a billionaire entrepreneur and the CEO or top executive of multiple high-profile companies, including X (formerly Twitter), Tesla and SpaceX. He has a documented history of amplifying anti-Muslim tropes, supporting individuals and organizations that promote Islamophobia, and making statements that minimize or dismiss concerns about anti-Muslim racism. His actions and influence have contributed to the normalization of Islamophobic rhetoric in public discourse. In 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency. read the complete article

Factsheet: Pete Hegseth

28 Jan 2025

Pete Hegseth is a former Fox News political commentator, author, and former Army National Guard officer who served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has tattoos that are associated with white nationalism and has a history of making Islamophobic statements. Hegseth has also been accused of sexual assault and has had several incidences of alleged sexist behavior. read the complete article

Factsheet: Herbert Kickl

15 Oct 2024

Herbert Kickl is the current leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), one of Austria’s major political parties that has shared power in various coalitions over the past three decades. It regained power, especially after mobilizing against immigrants and Muslims and is one of the main factors in the institutionalization of Islamophobia in Austria with many links to far-right anti-Muslim actors around the globe. Kickl invented the most successful anti-Muslim political campaigns of his party with slogans such as “Home, not Islam” (Daham statt Islam). read the complete article

Hindutva in Britain

24 Nov 2023

This report analyzes the historical and contemporary context that has cultivated the complex landscape in which Hindu nationalist influences have materialized in the UK. Our research provides an overview of Hindutva in India, the Islamophobia industry and its connection to Hindutva, UK-based groups and individuals who have expressed or supported Hindu nationalist sentiment, and the 2022 Leicester riots, the political response and fallout following the events in the city. read the complete article

Factsheet: Geert Wilders

24 Aug 2018

A prominent politician in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders has decried what he calls the “Islamization” of the Netherlands and advocates a ban on the Qur’an. He believes Islam is a problem and promotes anti-Muslim tropes, namely that Islam is not a religion; it is a totalitarian and violent ideology. His alarmist, discriminatory, and racist rhetoric paints all Muslims as violent individuals who seek to dominate Europe. read the complete article

Guantánamo Bay Military Prison: Narratives and Numbers

04 Nov 2020

Introduction The Guantánamo Bay Data Project serves as a central source of information on the Guantánamo Bay Military Prison. This project provides a comprehensive picture of the prison, centering the lives of the boys and... read the complete article

Factsheet: Common Anti-Muslim Tropes

04 Dec 2018

These tropes are not only found on anti-Muslim blogs online, but also in news and entertainment media. They can also be manifested in political speech and can serve as assumptions underlying government policy.  read the complete article

Detained, Dehumanized, Forgotten: The Endless Cycle of Guantánamo

18 Feb 2025

Twenty-three years have passed, yet the early weeks of Donald Trump’s second administration felt like a return to 2002. On January 29, 2025, the former reality star-turned-president signed an executive order to expand detention facilities... read the complete article

Factsheet: DONALD TRUMP AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

02 Dec 2019

IMPACT:  The 45th President of the U.S., Donald Trump has implemented anti-Muslim policies and nominated and appointed individuals to his administration with a history of anti-Muslim animus. He has also used his Twitter to amplify... read the complete article

Factsheet: Elon Musk

17 Feb 2025

Elon Musk is a billionaire entrepreneur and the CEO or top executive of multiple high-profile companies, including X (formerly Twitter), Tesla and SpaceX. He has a documented history of amplifying anti-Muslim tropes, supporting individuals and organizations that promote Islamophobia, and making statements that minimize or dismiss concerns about anti-Muslim racism. His actions and influence have contributed to the normalization of Islamophobic rhetoric in public discourse. In 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency. read the complete article

Factsheet: Pete Hegseth

28 Jan 2025

Pete Hegseth is a former Fox News political commentator, author, and former Army National Guard officer who served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has tattoos that are associated with white nationalism and has a history of making Islamophobic statements. Hegseth has also been accused of sexual assault and has had several incidences of alleged sexist behavior. read the complete article

Factsheet: Herbert Kickl

15 Oct 2024

Herbert Kickl is the current leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), one of Austria’s major political parties that has shared power in various coalitions over the past three decades. It regained power, especially after mobilizing against immigrants and Muslims and is one of the main factors in the institutionalization of Islamophobia in Austria with many links to far-right anti-Muslim actors around the globe. Kickl invented the most successful anti-Muslim political campaigns of his party with slogans such as “Home, not Islam” (Daham statt Islam). read the complete article

In Focus

As Islamophobia seeps into the mainstream, reliable information is more needed than ever before.

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02 Apr 2025

Today in Islamophobia

Subscribe for daily updates from the Bridge Initiative about Islamophobia in the U.S. and around the world. Read today’s headlines

The Latest

Article

27 Mar 2025

Silencing Dissent: The Islamophobia Industry’s Assault on Academic Freedom

In 2025, The Bridge Initiative marks ten years since its launch. Founded by world-renowned Islamic studies scholar Dr. John L. Esposito, the project, housed under the Al-Waleed Center for Muslim Christian Understanding (ACMCU) at Georgetown University, was created in response to the urgent need for a reliable source on Islamophobia. As the issue grew in the United States, Bridge was established with a clear mission: to study, analyze, and provide the public with resources on Islamophobia—how it manifests and the often-devastating consequences it brings to individuals and society. read the complete article

Factsheet

26 Mar 2025

Factsheet: Marlène Schiappa

Marlène Schiappa is a French author and former politician who has served in multiple ministries of the French government (2017-2023). She has supported laws and programs that use the idea of “separatism” to target Muslims and immigrants and repress people who speak out against Islamophobia. read the complete article

Editorial

25 Mar 2025

Abraham’s Bridge: A Documentary Review of Interfaith Connection in America’s Heartland

In a world marked by conflict, division, and religious tension, "Abraham's Bridge" offers a compelling narrative of collaboration across faith traditions. This short documentary, running just under 40 minutes, produced and directed by Elinor J. Pierce, Research Director of the Harvard Pluralism Project (pluralism.org), chronicles the remarkable Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska – an ambitious project to build a mosque, synagogue, church, and interfaith center side-by-side, connected by a circular wooden bridge. read the complete article

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