Bridge Initiative Team, Author at Bridge Initiative

21 May 2024

Five Questions on Anti-Arab Racism During Gaza War

In Episode 14 of “Unpacking Islamophobia,” our guest is Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the American Arab Anti -Discrimination Committee (ADC), the country's largest Arab American civil rights organization based in Washington DC. Throughout his career, Ayoub has worked to address issues impacting Arabs and Muslims in the United States, including matters related to discrimination, immigration, hate crimes, surveillance and profiling. read the complete article

Factsheet

13 May 2024 | Politics

Factsheet: Love Jihad Conspiracy Theory

Love Jihad is a widely debunked conspiracy theory promoted by Hindu nationalists in India to incite fear, animosity, and violence against the country’s 200 million Muslims. The theory claims that Muslim men are luring Hindu women into marriages in an effort to forcibly convert them to Islam. This conspiracy theory has been heavily promoted by Hindu far-right groups, right-wing media, and the leaders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As a result of this conspiracy theory, Muslim men have been imprisoned, faced violent attacks, and killed. read the complete article

Factsheet

08 May 2024 | Individuals

Factsheet: Sadhvi Rithambara

Sadhvi Rithambara is a senior leader in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and is the founder of Param Shakti Peeth, a “charitable organization” in India, which also has two sister organizations in the US, Param Shakti Peeth Of America Foundation and Param Shakti Peeth Of America East Coast (PSPA). Rithambara is a leading figure in the Hindu nationalist movement and her anti-Muslim speeches played a central role in the demolition of the Babri Mosque in the 90s. read the complete article

Podcast

30 Apr 2024

Five Questions on Islamophobia in the UK with Peter Oborne

Episode 13 of “Unpacking Islamophobia,” our guest is British journalist and broadcaster Peter Oborne who once served as the former chief political commentator for The Daily Telegraph newspaper. He is author of The Rise of Political Lying, The Triumph of the Political Class, and The Assault on Truth: Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and the Emergence of a New Moral Barbarism. His latest book, The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam examines the interactions between the West and Islam. read the complete article

Video

25 Apr 2024 | Educational

The Legacy of John Esposito

The Alwaleed Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding (ACMCU) Honors the Life, Career, and Legacy of ACMCU Founding Director and Distinguished University Professor John L. Esposito. Dr. Esposito is also the Director of The Bridge Initiative. This video was co-produced and narrated by John's wife Jean Esposito and features archival images and footage from several sources familiar with the Professor's life and work. read the complete article

Podcast

13 Mar 2024

Five Questions on Islamophobia in Gaza Report

In Episode 12 of “Unpacking Islamophobia,” our guests for the March 2024 episode are Professor Sahar Aziz and Mitchell Plitnick who are co-authors of a November 2023 Rutgers University report from the Center for Security, Race and Rights called “Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in the Palestine-Israel Discourse,” which examines how anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia have been used to silence criticism of the Israeli government. read the complete article

Podcast

07 Feb 2024

Five Questions on Hijab Bans in Global Sports

In Episode 11 of “Unpacking Islamophobia,” our guest is Shireen Ahmed who is an award-winning sports activist, multi-platform sports journalist, and public speaker. Her work focuses on Muslim women, and the intersections of racism and misogyny in sports. Shireen is a co-host for the Burn It All Down Podcast and she is also a senior contributor for CBC Sports in Canada, as well as an instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University. read the complete article

Factsheet

12 Jan 2024 | Individuals

Factsheet: Narendra Modi

Narendra Damodardas Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He was the Chief Minister of Gujarat during the deadly 2002 anti-Muslim pogroms in the state, and throughout his political career, he has promoted Hindu nationalist views. Under his leadership, India has experienced a rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes and hate speech, increasing polarization and violence in society, growing restrictions on the media, and the growth of Hindu nationalist groups. Critics and human rights experts have warned that under Modi’s leadership, democracy in India is under threat. read the complete article

Factsheet

08 Jan 2024 | Law Enforcement

Factsheet: Operation Luxor

Operation Luxor was a large-scale police operation involving 940 officers targeting dozens of individuals and businesses that took place on November 9, 2020, in Austria. The government claimed the action aimed to “cut off the roots of political Islam.” In 2021, an Austrian court ruled that the raids were unlawful. In the three years since the raids, not a single person has been arrested or convicted. This “textbook example of governing with crime and fear” was conducted under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who was known for his anti-Muslim policies. read the complete article

Factsheet

05 Jan 2024 | Organizations

Factsheet: Alp Services

Alp Services is a private global public affairs and intelligence firm based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2023, it was revealed that Alp Services worked for the United Arab Emirates, and carried out the largest disinformation campaign against Muslims in Europe, linking successful business people, organizations, and individuals to the Muslim Brotherhood in an effort to smear and blackmail them. The campaign relied on Islamophobic tropes as it framed Muslim individuals and organizations of being tied to an alleged “Islamist movement.” read the complete article