22 Aug 2025

Digital Hate and Democracy: Unpacking Islamophobia in the Wake of Mamdani’s Rise

According to a recent report from the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), Islamophobic posts skyrocketed from an average of 56 to over 2,100 per day during the days surrounding the election. The report highlights how a toxic convergence of Islamophobia, ideological fear-mongering, and xenophobic rhetoric shaped online discourse around Mamdani and Muslim communities. read the complete article

01 Nov 2024

Islamophobia and ethno-nationalist populism

In episode 17 of Unpacking Islamophobia, Bridge Associate Director speaks with Dr. Saher Selod, an Associate Professor and previous Chair of the Department of Sociology at Simmons University in Boston, MA. They discuss Islamophobia and ethno-nationalist populism in the United States, specifically talking about Professor Selod’s chapter in the newly-released book, Global Islamophobia and Rise of Populism. read the complete article

08 Oct 2024 | Educational

Islamophobia and ‘Muslim Boyhood’

In Episode 16 of “Unpacking Islamophobia,” our guest is Professor Shenila Khoja-Moolji. She is the Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani Chair of Muslim Societies and an Associate Professor at Georgetown University. She is an award-winning author and researches about the interplay of gender, race, religion, and power in transnational contexts. She explores this theme particularly in relation to Muslim populations in South Asia and in the North American diaspora. read the complete article

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

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

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

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