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 United States Page 3

Displaying Country: United States

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

Editorial

11 Jan 2022 | Law Enforcement

20 years of Guantánamo: a symbol of injustice, abuse, and disregard for the rule of law

On January 11, 2002, the first individuals arrived at the Guantánamo Bay Military Prison. In the twenty years since the establishment of the prison, a total of 780 Muslim men and boys have passed through the prison, with over 98% never being charged with a crime. In the two decades since its founding, only two prisoners have ever been convicted. read the complete article

Article

05 Jan 2022 | Politics

2021 Islamophobia in Review: United States

With the inauguration of Joe Biden as the country’s 46th president, American Muslims welcomed the new administration and celebrated as Biden reversed Trump’s Muslim Ban. While applauding the measure, many noted that a reversal would not bring back the time and lives lost as a result of the previous discriminatory measure, and called on Biden to use this moment to tackle the presence of anti-Muslim racism in society, calling for accountability and justice. read the complete article

Factsheet

19 Nov 2021 | Policy/Law

Factsheet: The Patriot Act

The “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001,” commonly known as the Patriot Act, was passed less than two months after September 11, 2001. The act greatly expanded the surveillance powers of the U.S. Government, allowing the National Security Agency to access phone metadata, authorize roving wiretaps, and detain individuals at the U.S. border. Congress has authorized the extension of certain portions of the act numerous times, however, as of December 2020, key provisions of the Patriot Act have expired. read the complete article

Report

09 Aug 2021 | Individuals

“Not Who We Are” and “Opening the Floodgates”

During the Trump Administration, the Bridge Initiative analyzed the direct impacts of the Muslim and African Bans on individuals and communities in America, recognizing that more mainstream discussions around the ban centered impacts on the economy, tourism, and national security. Discussions and analysis of the direct impacts of the ban on individuals were few and far between, save discussions initiated by directly impacted Muslims as well as advocates. Building on the Bridge Initiative’s earlier resource, this analysis seeks to unpack the ways in which the Muslim and African Ban was discussed by candidates during the 2020 presidential elections. read the complete article

Factsheet

13 Jul 2021 | Law Enforcement

Factsheet: Islam, Immigration, and the American Courts

The Naturalization Era (1790–1952) was a defining period for immigration and conceptualizations of citizenship in the United States. During this era, Muslim immigration and naturalization were limited by laws that barred or severely restricted immigration from Muslim-majority areas of the world and court rulings that reserved naturalization rights for white individuals. read the complete article

Factsheet

19 May 2021 | Organizations

Factsheet: Quilliam

The Quilliam Foundation is a “counter-extremism” think-tank that has worked with a number of individuals and organizations that promote anti-Muslim views. The organization has called for tougher action on “non-violent extremism” and supports CVE policies, which many civil rights organizations state are based on faulty science and only seek to criminalize and securitize Muslims. read the complete article