Bridge Initiative

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

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Bridge Initiative Articles by: Bridge Initiative Team

Displaying Author: Bridge Initiative Team

Research

19 May 2025 | Organizations

Factsheet: Policy Exchange

Policy Exchange is a highly influential British right-wing conservative think-tank, which identifies itself as an educational charity with a mission to “develop and promote new policy ideas which deliver better public services, a stronger society and a more dynamic economy.” It has a history of making anti-Muslim claims, including spreading harmful narratives linking Islam to terrorism, advocating against the adoption of a legal definition of Islamophobia by the government, perpetuating Islamophobic stereotypes, and making sweeping, harmful generalizations about Muslims and their beliefs. read the complete article

Article

27 Mar 2025 | Policy/Law

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 | Individuals

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

Research

05 Mar 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Mathias Döpfner

Mathias Döpfner is a German businessman and journalist. He is the CEO and 22% owner of one of Europe’s largest and most influential media groups, Axel Springer SE. He is also president of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers. In published pieces, he warns against “Islamism,” and “Islamic fundamentalism,” conflating Islam with violence. A wealthy and highly influential personality, leaked information revealed anti-Muslim sentiments that align with several of the media outlets associated with him.  read the complete article

Factsheet

24 Feb 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Tomio Okamura

Tomio Okamura is a far-right Czech politician who founded the anti-elitist and anti-Muslim party, Freedom and Direct Democracy (Svoboda a přímá demokracie, SPD). He has made comments that promote anti-Muslim tropes and demonize Muslims and actively advocates for the Czech Republic to exit from the European Union. Following the 2024 European Parliament elections, Okamura joined the right-wing group, Europe of Sovereign Nations, which includes several political parties that support discriminatory policies targeting Muslims.  read the complete article

Factsheet

19 Feb 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Jordan Bardella

Jordan Bardella is the party chairman of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) and also the leader of Patriots for Europe (PfE) for the legislative period of 2024 – 2029. In 2024, he ran for the office of the French Prime Minister. Bardella wants to “curb immigration” and warns “against Islamization.”  read the complete article

Factsheet

17 Feb 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Elon Musk

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

14 Feb 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Tom Trento

Tom Trento is an American conservative activist who has a history of making  anti-Muslim statements, including promoting a narrative that constructs Islam as a major threat to America. He is the founder and executive director of The United West, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an organization “stoking anti-Muslim hate for over a decade.” read the complete article