Displaying Author: Bridge Initiative Team
03 Aug 2026 | Policy/Law
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. read the complete article
21 Jul 2026 | Educational
The Muslim American Experience with Sabeen Sadiq and Aida Alami
In This Month's Episode we have Sabeen Sadiq, a stand-up comic, actor, and writer based in New York, and Aida Alami, a Moroccan reporter who has written extensively on Muslims and Islamophobia. Together, they created Storytellers: Muslims, Community, and Culture in America, a documentary that captures Muslims' lived experiences. read the complete article
16 Jul 2026 | Individuals
Remembering Professor John L. Esposito
The Bridge Initiative mourns the passing of Dr. John L. Esposito, founding director of the Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) and director of The Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University. read the complete article
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