Bridge Initiative

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

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Bridge Initiative Research Publications Germany

Displaying Country: Germany

Factsheet

20 May 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Björn Höcke

Björn Uwe Höcke is a German politician. He is a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and leads its chapter in the state of Thuringia. In 2024, this chapter won the state election, the first time a far-right party won in an election since the Nazi era. Höcke has echoed Nazi language, described the Holocaust Museum as a “monument of shame,” has a record of making anti-Islam statements, and argued that Muslims are not welcome in Germany. read the complete article

Factsheet

04 Apr 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Alice Weidel

Alice Weidel ist die Co-Vorsitzende der Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), einer rechtsextremen politischen Partei in Deutschland und der ersten nationalistischen Rechtspartei, die seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg in den deutschen Bundestag eingezogen ist. read the complete article

Factsheet

14 Mar 2025 | Individuals

Factsheet: Alice Weidel

Alice Weidel is the co-chairwoman of the Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD), a far-right political party in Germany and the first far-right nationalist party to enter the German parliament since World War II. Under the leadership of Weidel, the party has become the second strongest force following the national elections in February 2025. Weidel has a long history of anti-Muslim statements and support for discriminatory policies targeting Muslims. She argues that Islam is incompatible with the German constitution and European values, and is also connected to several anti-Muslim actors. 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

Editorial

09 Jan 2025 | Politics

Reflections on Interfaith Relations: A Decade After My Time as Allianz Visiting Professor at LMU: A Journey of Cultural Exchange

In the fall of 2013, I arrived in Germany as the Allianz Visiting Professor for Islamic Studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), a role that marked a significant milestone in my academic career. This position, endowed by Allianz AG, was part of a continuing guest professorship for Jewish and Islamic Studies, aimed at bringing internationally renowned scholars to Munich to foster intercultural and inter-religious understanding. (Allianz Gastprofessur | Freunde islamischer Kunst) read the complete article

Article

28 Jun 2024 | Politics

E.U. Far-Right Parties Dominate 2024 Parliamentary Elections

Every five years, the European Union (EU) holds continent-wide parliamentary elections to select 720 lawmakers to represent them in decision-making at the EU level. In the run-up to the June 2024 EU parliamentary elections, the current EU Parliament President, Roberta Metsola from Malta, urged Europeans to vote, especially given that  right-wing ultranationalist political parties were polling strongly. read the complete article

Article

01 Feb 2024 | Policy/Law

German Ministry Issues 400-Page Report on Islamophobia

An independent expert working group on anti-Muslim sentiment sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community recently issued a nearly 400-page report called “Anti-Muslim Sentiment: Germany Takes Stock” in September 2023 to analyze the current state of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment within Germany for millions of its diverse Muslim populations across the central European country today. read the complete article

Factsheet

18 Aug 2023 | Organizations

Factsheet: Stop Extremism

IMPACT: Stop Extremism is a Europe-wide initiative demanding a stronger fight against extremism. It wants to introduce a joint EU-wide watch list of individuals and organizations that are labeled as extremists. A number of its... read the complete article

Factsheet

13 Jul 2023 | Individuals

Factsheet: Friedrich Merz

IMPACT: Friedrich Merz is a German politician. In 2022, he became the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and leader of the CDU parliamentary group in the German federal parliament, the Bundestag. He has made anti-Muslim comments and represents the conservative right-wing camp within his party. read the complete article