Farid Hafez, Author at Bridge Initiative

03 Jan 2018

Austria’s new programme for government: En route to a restrictive policy on Islam?

This op-ed by Bridge Initiative Senior Research Fellow Farid Hafez originally appeared in Qantara. The word “Islam” appears a total of 21 times in the Austrian coalition’s new programme for government, which is entitled “Zusammen. Für unser... read the complete article

Editorial

19 Dec 2017

Why secularism secures Islam’s independence in Europe

This op-ed by Bridge Initiative Senior Research Fellow Farid Hafez originally appeared in Daily Sabah. There is no proof of the link between the numerous terrorist attacks in Belgium over the last few years and a very... read the complete article

Editorial

30 Nov 2017

Converging Islamophobias in Europe: The Visegrad Four Countries and their Western ‘Forerunners’

This op-ed by Bridge Initiative Senior Research Fellow Farid Hafez originally appeared in Maydan. It was a weird moment: Shortly before the Austrian elections on 15 October this year, candidates of the then-winning parties, Sebastian... read the complete article

Article

16 Nov 2017

Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, and Islamophobia: The Rising Far-Right in Poland

November 11 is commonly known as Independence Day in Poland. Government and political leaders usually commemorate the reinstatement of sovereignty at the end of World War I. For political leaders, it is a celebration of... read the complete article

Editorial

06 Nov 2017

In Austria, the problem is not the far-right party

This op-ed by Bridge Initiative Senior Research Fellow Farid Hafez originally appeared in Al Jazeera. Last year, many observers who were worried about the rise of the far-right in Europe and the United States felt relieved after the former... read the complete article

Editorial

06 Nov 2017

Swinging to the right: Austria bans face veils

This op-ed by Bridge Initiative Senior Research Fellow Farid Hafez originally appeared in Daily Sabah. It seems quite intentional that the ban on full-face veiling in public places, infamously known as the so called “Burka Ban,” came... read the complete article

Editorial

02 Nov 2017

Post-election Austria: A New Era for the Institutionalization of Islamophobia?

This op-ed by Bridge Initiative Senior Research Fellow Farid Hafez originally appeared in The New Turkey. Unsurprisingly, Austria’s national parliamentary elections ended up in a strong vote for the right. With a fulminant participation of... read the complete article

Editorial

25 Sep 2017

October elections in Austria: Beware of Islamophobes

With the campaign for elections to the Austrian National Council in full swing, a gloomy picture is already emerging on the issue of Islam. Since 2008, Austria′s Muslim population, largely made up of low-skilled workers,... read the complete article

Article

22 Sep 2017

The Role of Islamophobia in the Upcoming German Federal Election

The Federal Chancellor’s image is currently used as the imagination of the liberal opposite pole in the free world to the right-wing populism of Donald Trump. And she has been in power since 2005, and... read the complete article

Article

19 Sep 2017

The Global Muslim Brotherhood Conspiracy Theory

The Islamophobic Network In January this year, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill for the second time to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Sen. Cruz was mainly guided in this... read the complete article