Bridge Initiative

The Bridge Initiative is a multi-year research project on Islamophobia housed in Georgetown University

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Bridge Initiative Video Video Report Launch: Hindutva in Britain
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Report Launch: Hindutva in Britain

by Bridge Initiative Team
December 6, 2023

In late 2022, the English city of Leicester provided the backdrop for the convergence of international and local dynamics as unrest erupted between the city’s Hindu and Muslim communities. The events that unfolded highlighted the existence of Hindutva/Hindu nationalism and Islamophobia in the UK, and how online voices (both locally and globally) used social media platforms to inflame tensions and spread mis/disinformation. Join The Bridge Initiative and Community Policy Forum as we launch a new report examining the presence of Hindu nationalism in the UK, and how last year’s events in Leicester were used by anti-Muslim voices to sow division in one of the UK’s most multicultural cities.

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Report

Fri Nov 24 | Policy/Law

Hindutva in Britain

This report analyzes the historical and contemporary context that has cultivated the complex landscape in which Hindu nationalist influences have materialized in the UK. Our research provides an overview of Hindutva in India, the Islamophobia industry and its connection to Hindutva, UK-based groups and individuals who have expressed or supported Hindu nationalist sentiment, and the 2022 Leicester riots, the political response and fallout following the events in the city. read the complete article

Podcast

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Five Questions on Islamophobia and the Future of Muslims in India

In Episode Five of "Unpacking Islamophobia," our guest is Kashmiri Muslim journalist, Raqib Hameed Naik, who discusses Hindu nationalism in India and the growing violence and intolerance against the country's 200 million Muslims. Naik provides an important historical overview of Hindu nationalism, the ideologues behind this political movement and their goal of achieving a Hindu-only nation. He talks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is an openly Hindu nationalist party and under whose rule India has witnessed a drastic rise in anti-Muslim violence and polarization. read the complete article

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Islamophobia and Media Portrayal of Muslims in the UK/ Miqdaad Versi

From Georgetown University, this is Voices on Islamophobia, a podcast by The Bridge Initiative. I’m Mobashra Tazamal. Today I sat down with Miqdaad Versi, who is the assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain... read the complete article

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