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 Policy/Law

Displaying Research Topic: Policy/Law

Article

27 Mar 2025 | Policy/Law

Silencing Dissent: The Islamophobia Industry’s Assault on Academic Freedom

In 2025, The Bridge Initiative marks ten years since its launch. Founded by world-renowned Islamic studies scholar Dr. John L. Esposito, the project, housed under the Al-Waleed Center for Muslim Christian Understanding (ACMCU) at Georgetown University, was created in response to the urgent need for a reliable source on Islamophobia. As the issue grew in the United States, Bridge was established with a clear mission: to study, analyze, and provide the public with resources on Islamophobia—how it manifests and the often-devastating consequences it brings to individuals and society. read the complete article

Article

14 Nov 2024 | Policy/Law

Hostile Policies, Daily Struggles: How Islamophobia Shapes Life for Muslims in Europe

Over the past decade, Europe has seen a pronounced shift to the right, as far-right parties across the continent have moved into the mainstream. A significant driver of this shift has been the persistence and visibility of Islamophobia within European society. Anti-Muslim attitudes are widespread, and many elected officials have capitalized on these sentiments. By using Muslim communities as scapegoats, they deflect attention from policy shortcomings, and have instead gained support by appealing to negative perceptions of Muslims.  read the complete article

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

26 Jul 2024 | Military

UN Creates Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day

To commemorate the 29th anniversary of the “worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II”, the United Nations General Assembly voted in July 2024 to establish the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.” This day is meant to honor the lives over 8,000+ Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica who were forcibly taken from their homes and brutally slaughtered in mass executions by Serbian ethno-nationalist forces during the genocidal reign of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. read the complete article

Article

27 Feb 2024 | Military

U.S. Polls Show Shifting Landscapes on Gaza Ceasefire

The international calls for a permanent ceasefire in the 2023-24 war in Gaza are growing by the day across the globe. A recent February 2024 poll from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) surveyed public opinion attitudes towards a permanent ceasefire within major religious demographic groups across America today. 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