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 India

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Article

28 Oct 2024 | Policy/Law

Populism and Prejudice: Insights from Global Islamophobia and the Rise of Populism

In the newly released book Global Islamophobia and the Rise of Populism (edited by Professor Sahar F. Aziz and Professor John L. Esposito), a group of scholars and international experts examine the rise of Islamophobia and populism across various countries, from India to Europe. Each chapter explores how anti-Muslim stereotypes and narratives have been strategically employed by politicians and governments to win electoral support, creating a harmful, discriminatory, dangerous, and sometimes deadly environment for Muslims.  read the complete article

Article

31 May 2022 | Policy/Law

The Misappropriation of Islamic Terminology

Phrases such as “Christian Sharia Law” and “election jihad” do two things: 1) use Islam and Muslims as a point of reference for all things bad, evil, and unjust, and 2) acknowledge the negative connotations around Islamic terminology in the post-9/11 world and misappropriate these terms to manufacture a threat. Both scenarios are successful because the association of Islam and Muslims with danger is already ingrained in the public’s mind. It’s not only a replay of age-old orientalist thinking — everything “over there” is bad/uncivilized, and “we” are not “them” — but it’s also a sort of linguistic Islamophobia, instrumentalizing Islamic terminology to connect Muslims with danger, violence, and oppression. read the complete article

Article

05 Jan 2022 | Politics

2021 Islamophobia in review: India

Throughout 2021, Indian Muslims found themselves on the receiving end of countless mob attacks and state violence as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government continued to embolden the country’s right-wing Hindu nationalist forces. Further, conspiracy theories constructing Indian Muslims as a threat to the Hindu majoritarian population gained credibility thanks to the rhetoric and actions of politicians and the government. read the complete article