Islamophobia is a global crisis with profound and far-reaching consequences for Muslim communities and society at large.

The latest figures from multiple countries underscore the severity of this escalating threat. According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the leading Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., nearly 9,000 complaints of anti-Muslim bias were recorded in 2024—the highest number since CAIR began collecting data in 1996. In the United Kingdom, Tell MAMA, an organization that monitors anti-Muslim hate, documented over 6,000 cases, marking a staggering 43% increase from 2023. This represents the highest number of anti-Muslim incidents ever recorded by the organization, prompting its Director to declare this the “most dangerous” time to be a Muslim in the UK. Meanwhile, in Australia, the Islamophobia Register reported that incidents of Islamophobic abuse have doubled over the past two years, with women and girls disproportionately targeted in both online and physical attacks.

The past year has witnessed a terrifying surge in Islamophobic violence, epitomized by Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza, now extending into the occupied West Bank. Leading human rights organizations have identified Israel’s bombardment and military campaign as genocide—one that has been legitimized through Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian stereotypes. This violence has led to the mass killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian children and has fueled a rise in bullying, harassment, and physical attacks against Muslim children worldwide. 

These attacks are not isolated incidents; they are symptoms of an unchecked epidemic exacerbated by governmental inaction and, in many cases, complicity. As the far-right gains traction globally, the normalization of anti-Muslim rhetoric has fueled a dangerous climate of dehumanization, targeting over a billion people worldwide. Mainstream media networks have further amplified this crisis, perpetuating Islamophobic tropes and conspiracy theories that have seeped into public discourse and policy making. The result is a world where Muslims—and those perceived to be Muslim—are increasingly forced to live in fear.

On this day, The Bridge Initiative issues a stark warning: Islamophobia is a scourge on society, and it must be confronted with urgency. We call upon governments, civil society organizations, and individuals to take decisive action to combat this growing crisis. A just and pluralistic world—one where human rights and dignity are upheld for all—depends on it.