Displaying Author: Bridge Initiative Team
28 May 2026 | Event
From Historic First to What’s Next: Amira Elghawaby on Combating Islamophobia in Canada
Three years after her historic appointment as Canada's first Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, Amira Elghawaby returns to Unpacking Islamophobia to reflect on her landmark tenure, and what its end means for Canadian Muslims. read the complete article
20 May 2026 | Law Enforcement
From Rhetoric to Violence: Statement on the attack against the Islamic Center of San Diego
We are deeply saddened and outraged by the horrific hate crime attack targeting the Islamic Center of San Diego, a place of worship and a school where children were present. This attack did not occur in a vacuum. It has taken place against a backdrop of escalating, anti-Muslim rhetoric, in which influential opinion leaders and elected officials across the country have repeatedly and deliberately demonized Muslim communities through racist and bigoted language. read the complete article
11 May 2026 | Event
Islamophobia and Translations of Securitization in the UK, France, and Italy
Islamophobia and Translations of Securitization in the UK, France and Italy contributes to research on Islamophobia by exploring how three Western European mainstream left parties (the British Labour Party, the French Socialist Party, and the Italian Democratic Party) have securitized Islam. While there is abundant research on right-wing Islamophobia and on the right-wing nationalist appropriation of liberal-progressive themes, the securitization of Islam by left-wing parties has been mostly neglected. read the complete article
04 May 2026 | Event
Governing Islam in Austria and Germany: From Colonial Times to the Present
In this talk, Farid Hafez discusses his latest book on the legacy of colonialism in the governance of Islam in contemporary Austria and Germany. Based on the experience of Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia and Hercegovina and the German Kaiserreich’s rule in Tanzania, Togo, and Cameroon with respect to its Muslim subjects, he shows the continuities and ruptures with the Nazi Reich’s incorporation of Muslims in its polity as well as contemporary Islam policies or Islampolitik in postwar Austria and Germany. read the complete article
29 Apr 2026 | Event
The Online Networks Spreading Islamophobia
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Marc Owen Jones, an expert on disinformation and digital authoritarianism, about how disinformation networks spread Islamophobic content online. We explore what disinformation is, how governments weaponize it for political gain, and the real-world consequences of false information. read the complete article
24 Apr 2026 | Policy/Law
PERFORMING NEUTRALITY, PRACTICING EXCLUSION: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HIJAB BAN IN SPORTS
Sport is hailed as a universal language, a space where people of diverse backgrounds come together in pursuit of excellence, teamwork and fair play (Amnesty International, 2024). However, beneath this ideal lies a persistent reality where racism and religious discrimination continue to shape how athletes are perceived and whether they are welcome (Amnesty International, 2024). The ḥijāb ban is one such example... read the complete article
26 Mar 2026 | Event
Secularism, Race, and the Politics of Islamophobia
Within the field of #Islamophobia, dominant scholarship identifies the issue as a form of racism, where race and religion have become conflated in social structures. Secularism, Race, and the Politics of Islamophobia makes a new contribution to the "Islamophobia is racism” thesis by analyzing how secularism organizes and constructs the racialization of #Muslims and perpetuates anti-Muslim racism. read the complete article
18 Mar 2026 | Event
Book Talk | Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice
In their new book, Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice, Reverend Dr. Anna Piela and Reverend Dr. Michael Woolf examine the Church’s role in fostering anti-Muslim prejudice. The book presents clear insights into how Christian teachings and practices have reinforced harmful stereotypes, while offering practical tools and liturgical resources to help dismantle Islamophobia. read the complete article
21 Jan 2026 | Educational
Dividing Britain: Race, Class, and Islamophobia
We speak with British historian and journalist, Taj Ali, and explore how race, class, and political power intersect in contemporary Britain, examining how elites and far-right figures weaponize multiculturalism and Islamophobia to divide working people and deflect from shared economic struggles. read the complete article
21 Nov 2025
Everyday Islamophobia: Lived Realities
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Peter Hopkins about his new book, Everyday Islamophobia (Bristol University Press), looking specifically at how everyday instances of anti-Muslim racism are connected to and sustained by the broader structures in society. read the complete article