Mapping Digital Hate: A Conversation with the Center for the Study of Organized Hate

In this episode of Unpacking Islamophobia, we speak with Raqib Hameed Naik and Dr. Eviane Leidig from the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a non-profit think tank looking at digital hate.

Some of the Center’s latest work has included looking at the landscape of Czech-language online hate, tracing how “remigration” evolved from a fringe far-right concept into mainstream political discourse, and mapping how the world’s largest digital platforms and music streaming services host, amplify, monetize, and profit from a growing genre of Indian music that dehumanizes Muslims and Christians.

The CSOH has also produced several important reports and articles analyzing Islamophobia in the digital space, including looking at how Islamophobia heightened following Zohran Mamdani’s win for NYC mayor and, most recently, how online hate rapidly increased following Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Senate democratic primary. Aside from elections, the CSOH has also looked at how anti-Muslim digital campaigns have arisen; this year they published a report focusing on how the GOP in Texas built a coordinated attack campaign, manufacturing a so-called “Muslim threat,” and creating hysteria around Sharia.

As Bridge has noted, digital campaigns don’t often stay in the digital sphere and have resulted in real-world consequences and harm: for example, the GOP has used its manufactured hysteria to introduce legislation and policies restricting the rights of Muslim Americans, and in the UK, anti-Muslim disinformation has resulted in violent riots across the country. We discuss some of these reports today and get Raqib and Eviane’s thoughts on how to tackle this growing issue.