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The Bridge Initiative is a multi-year research project on Islamophobia housed in Georgetown University.
The Bridge Initiative aims to disseminate original and accessible research, offers engaging analysis and commentary on contemporary issues, and hosts a wide repository of educational resources to inform the general public about Islamophobia.
Research & Resources
Seasons of Fury: Four Families and the Rise of Islamophobia in America
In her new book, Rozina Ali shows that the War on Terror at home didn’t begin in 2001, rather it’s formal inauguration that year only accelerated long-standing conflicts between American law enforcement and Muslim communities around the country. From the surveillance of Arab activists that began in the 1960s and laws in the 90s that broadened the definition of terrorism, to the mass detention of entire Muslim communities in the 2000s and the rise of think tanks and nonprofits that sowed panic about the threat of Islam itself, Seasons of Fury traces how the policies that warped America’s perception of Muslim communities reach deep into our past.
25 Years of the War on Terror: How Islamophobia Became Policy
Following 9/11, there were several key events, policies, and projects that shaped America’s understanding of what terrorism was and who terrorists are. However, much of this was not rooted in rigorous analysis with scientific reasoning and sound methodologies, rather they relied on deeply racist and harmful stereotypes about Islam, Muslims, and Arabs—many of which date back to the time of the Crusades.
Extending Islamophobia to ‘inner enemies’: the spectre of Islamo-Leftism in France and Britain
‘Woke’, ‘Islamo-leftist’, ‘extremist’, ‘sectarian’: these are only a few among the accusations launched against several Western green and left-wing parties (as well as civil society associations, academics and journalists) who raise awareness about Islamophobia, anti-migrant racism, and Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Such unhinged criticism frequently comes from right-wing figures: think, for instance, of the Republican Party representatives’ crusade against the Democratic mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, part of a larger vitriolic campaign against American Muslims. Yet, narratives have also percolated into centrist parties, often prone to put on the same plane the “two extremes” (Right and Left), neglecting that attacks carried out by far-right and white supremacist individuals have been far more lethal than left-wing ones.