Home Page - Bridge Initiative

The Misappropriation of Islamic Terminology

31 May 2022

Phrases such as “Christian Sharia Law” and “election jihad” do two things: 1) use Islam and Muslims as a point of reference for all things bad, evil, and unjust, and 2) acknowledge the negative connotations around Islamic terminology in the post-9/11 world and misappropriate these terms to manufacture a threat. Both scenarios are successful because the association of Islam and Muslims with danger is already ingrained in the public’s mind. It’s not only a replay of age-old orientalist thinking — everything “over there” is bad/uncivilized, and “we” are not “them” — but it’s also a sort of linguistic Islamophobia, instrumentalizing Islamic terminology to connect Muslims with danger, violence, and oppression. read the complete article

Factsheet: Great Replacement/White Genocide Conspiracy Theory

03 Feb 2020

IMPACT: The white genocide conspiracy theory is the belief that immigration by people of color, falling white birth rates, and the promotion of multiculturalism are all part of a deliberate plot to destroy the “white... read the complete article

The Great Replacement: Understanding the Origins of the New Zealand Terrorist

09 Apr 2019

Following the terrorist attack by white supremacist Brenton Tarrant that left 50 Muslim worshippers dead in a Christchurch mosque, headlines in news media appeared linking the ideology of the terrorist to various origins. Some focused... read the complete article

Factsheet: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)

18 May 2021

IMPACT: Founded in 1925 by K.B Hedgewar, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organization. In 2020, RSS had almost 585,000 members and over 57,000 branches or sakhas, including... read the complete article

Stop Ignoring Genocide Against Rohingya Muslims

27 Aug 2018

The Economist magazine once said that the Rohingya people in Myanmar are “the most persecuted people in the world” and more than 7 Nobel Peace Prize winners have publicly stated that Rohingya Muslims are facing a “textbook case of... 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

20 years of Guantánamo: a symbol of injustice, abuse, and disregard for the rule of law

11 Jan 2022

On January 11, 2002, the first individuals arrived at the Guantánamo Bay Military Prison. In the twenty years since the establishment of the prison, a total of 780 Muslim men and boys have passed through the prison, with over 98% never being charged with a crime. In the two decades since its founding, only two prisoners have ever been convicted. 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

In Focus

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

learn about us

27 Sep 2022

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

Video

20 Sep 2022

Genocide and the Ongoing Persecution of Rohingya Muslims

Earlier this year, the U.S. government declared Myanmar’s mass killing of the Rohingya Muslim population to be a “genocide”. This designation comes 6 years after the first incidence of mass violence was carried out by Myanmar’s military against the long-persecuted and marginalized community. read the complete article

Article

06 Sep 2022

Fifth Anniversary of Rohingya Muslim Genocide in Myanmar

Approximately five years ago- on August 25, 2017- the military of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) began a campaign of ethnic cleansing against over 1,000,000 Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state. The military defended its actions,... read the complete article

Article

01 Sep 2022

‘American Muslim Poll 2022’ Shows Islamophobia is Alive & Well

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) recently released their 6th annual “American Muslim Poll 2022,” supported by the Bridge Initiative, which provides a national snapshot of American Muslims (and people of other backgrounds)... read the complete article

Featured Resources

2021 Islamophobia in Review: United States

Article

see all resources

Factsheets

Factsheet

see all fact sheets