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The Bridge Initiative

@bridgeinit

A Georgetown University research project that extends information about Islamophobia to the public. RT ≠ endorsement. ❤ ≠ like. https://teapawt.org/t.co/DW3GohLYNg

 Washington, DC
linktr.ee/bridgeinitiative
Joined March 2015
  • Tweets32.3K
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  • Followers28.7K
5.7KMedia
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The infrastructure built to treat Muslim identity as a security threat didn't disappear: it expanded. Today it's been repurposed against immigrant communities, with the same executive powers first justified by 9/11. @mobbiemobes breaks down 25 yrs of this: buff.ly/VaDdyTM
25 Years of the War on Terror: How Islamophobia Became Policy - Bridge Initiative

25 Years of the War on Terror: How Islamophobia Became Policy - Bridge Initiative

Following 9/11, there were several key events, policies, and projects that shaped America’s understanding of what terrorism was and who terrorists are. However, much of this was not rooted in...

bridge.georgetown.edu
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Anti-Muslim hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise. Rizvi worries about the politicians “fanning the flames” of anti-Muslim hatred. buff.ly/NnMl9qC
How Islamophobia Became the GOP’s Closing Midterms Pitch

How Islamophobia Became the GOP’s Closing Midterms Pitch

As Islamophobia became the GOP's midterms pitch, Republican candidates routinely attacked Muslims as 'terrorists' and 'extremists.'

inkstickmedia.com
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"I've never seen attacks like this on any other candidate like Abdul El-Sayed, and it is for sure because of his background—because he's an Arab and a Muslim," Mohammed Mawla, a Dearborn Heights school board member, told The New Arab. buff.ly/S8hGMLk
On eve of midterms, Islamophobic ads stoke fear in Michigan

On eve of midterms, Islamophobic ads stoke fear in Michigan

On the eve of the 2026 midterms Islamophobic ads continue to fill the airwaves in Michigan—raising fears of violence.

newarab.com
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Researchers from @csohate found that the accounts showed telltale signs of bait-and-switch scam operations. But in a bleak indicator of the current political climate, the bait was inflammatory content about Muslims. buff.ly/QoRg0yY
Crypto scammers are capitalizing on anti-Muslim bigotry | CNN

Crypto scammers are capitalizing on anti-Muslim bigotry | CNN

Researchers have found hundreds of X accounts posting racist content about Muslims in an apparent attempt to lure users into financial scams.

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This year already, there have been 12 anti-Islamic hate crime incidents in the state, including two at mosques, according to data collected by the FBI. buff.ly/ZhtFJu2
Hate crimes increase in election years. Minnesota mosques say they won’t be silenced

Hate crimes increase in election years. Minnesota mosques say they won’t be silenced

As Election Day nears and political rhetoric targeting Somali Minnesotans ramps up, local mosques are ramping up security and mobilizing their communities to vote.

mprnews.org
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"Islamophobia is a tried and true strategy for garnering a candidate support and swaying the vote.” Yet, it is also possible that the attacks on El-Sayed’s identity will lead to greater turnout in places like Dearborn. buff.ly/kQyorjY
Abdul El-Sayed Tests the Limits of Islamophobia in Michigan

Abdul El-Sayed Tests the Limits of Islamophobia in Michigan

As the Michigan Senate race finishes with a focus on a feud with Rep. Haley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed has endured a barrage of anti-Muslim attacks.

theintercept.com
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Amount of Islamophobia in race is “horrifying” – Former Democrat House representative buff.ly/ATure0D
Amount of Islamophobia in race is “horrifying” – Former Democrat House representative

Amount of Islamophobia in race is “horrifying” – Former Democrat House representative

Well a big issue in these midterm elections - especially here in Michigan - has been AIPAC spending, millions of which went into backing Haley Stevens in her primary against Abdul El Sayed earlier...

channel4.com
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This climate of prejudice may be presenting as a national issue, but it has been years in the making in Texas, where state politicians have pushed rhetoric and policies that Muslim voters say stigmatise their very existence. buff.ly/nWScG2O
As Islamophobia ramps up in US midterms, Texas Muslims eye local stakes

As Islamophobia ramps up in US midterms, Texas Muslims eye local stakes

Texas Muslims grapple with a slate of policies they say stigmatise their community, push for change at the ballot box.

aljazeera.com
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In the run-up to tomorrow's midterm elections, experts have documented a surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric and xenophobia in political ads and speeches. buff.ly/BdmLWL3
Muslim communities confront surge of hostility during midterms

Muslim communities confront surge of hostility during midterms

In the run-up to the midterm elections, experts have documented a surge of Islamophobia in political ads and speeches. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on some of the targets of that...

pbs.org
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The Bridge Initiative retweeted
Nader Hashemi (@naderalihashemi) profile picture
Nader Hashemi
@naderalihashemiNov 3
Michigan Senate Race Tests the Power of Islamophobia Did the barrage of attacks on Abdul El-Sayed in the final stretch of campaigning work, or did it backfire? newlinesmag.com/reportage/mi… @bridgeinit
Michigan Senate Race Tests the Power of Islamophobia

Michigan Senate Race Tests the Power of Islamophobia

Did the barrage of attacks on Abdul El-Sayed in the final stretch of campaigning work, or did it backfire?

newlinesmag.com
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The Bridge Initiative retweeted
Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) profile picture
Marc Owen Jones
@marcowenjonesNov 2
🧵Four days before the strikes on Iran on 28 February, the Israel-linked "Great Replacement" campaign @SohanDsouza and I unearthed also began running Iran regime-change ads on TikTok, aimed at Europe. The campaign was viewed at least 18 million times. 1/8
Image from Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones)
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Dr. John Esposito founded The Bridge Initiative to combat Islamophobia through rigorous research and analysis. For over a decade, we've carried that mission forward — and as the problem intensifies, it matters more than ever. Help us continue his legacy: buff.ly/Fm1EaJO
Image from The Bridge Initiative (@bridgeinit)
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"Stevens, in joining Rogers, has allied herself with this odious culture war, one that is itself tied to a very real war. The campaign of hate, of which El-Sayed is the latest victim, has a simple goal: to render Muslims and Arabs more killable." vanityfair.com/story/ta-nehi…
Ta-Nehisi Coates on Haley Stevens and a “Violent, Chauvinist Power”

Ta-Nehisi Coates on Haley Stevens and a “Violent, Chauvinist Power”

Stevens’s defection from the Democratic vote isn’t a story about party intrigue. It is a story about Stevens waking up and choosing violence. In supporting Mike Rogers, she has allied herself with an...

vanityfair.com
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As the first Muslim woman & first Somali American to serve in Ohio’s state legislature, Abdullahi is no stranger to anti-Muslim hate. “I’ve been doing this since 2022, and this is definitely the worst period of Islamophobia I’ve experienced." buff.ly/EDpUv6Y
These women just want to govern. On the right, many only care that they’re Muslim.

These women just want to govern. On the right, many only care that they’re Muslim.

The 19th spoke with half a dozen elected officials about the recent rise in Islamophobia and how they make sense of the misinformation and bigotry.

19thnews.org
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"We constantly hear warnings about the rising tide of antisemitism in this country. But what about the tsunami of anti-Arab racism & anti-Muslim hatred that is not just coming from ordinary citizens, but from the highest levels of our govt?" buff.ly/MefdiqW
Where Is the Outrage When Islamophobia Comes Straight From the Top? | Common Dreams

Where Is the Outrage When Islamophobia Comes Straight From the Top? | Common Dreams

We constantly hear warnings about the rising tide of antisemitism in this country. But what about the tsunami of anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim hatred that is not just coming from ordinary citize...

commondreams.org
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Quebec’s new education minister, Joël Arseneau, told journalists on Wednesday that he plans to ban schoolchildren from wearing religious symbols. He added that doing so is “non-negotiable.” buff.ly/1vcliuG
Quebec education minister wants to ban schoolchildren from wearing religious symbols

Quebec education minister wants to ban schoolchildren from wearing religious symbols

The president of the National Council of Canadian Muslims is accusing the Quebec government of attempting to take away the rights of children by expanding secularism laws. “We’re talking about going...

montreal.citynews.ca
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"The race in Michigan has become a platform for a struggle over religious diversity, pluralism and the Constitution. Ultimately, it opened a new front in a perennial political question: What does it mean to be an American?" buff.ly/OWCewS6
Analysis: Republicans’ attacks on El-Sayed aren’t just bigoted. They’re unconstitutional | CNN...

Analysis: Republicans’ attacks on El-Sayed aren’t just bigoted. They’re unconstitutional | CNN...

The Republican argument against electing Abdul El-Sayed as a senator is becoming perilously close to ‘don’t vote for him because he’s a Muslim.’

edition.cnn.com
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In seeking to revoke the citizenship of a sitting congresswoman, the Trump Administration has sent a chilling message about dissent, loyalty, and who gets to be an American. via @rozina_ali buff.ly/zEMNjD5
The Real Stakes of the Ilhan Omar Case

The Real Stakes of the Ilhan Omar Case

In seeking to revoke the citizenship of a sitting congresswoman, the Trump Administration has sent a chilling message about dissent, loyalty, and who gets to be an American.

newyorker.com
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Anti-Muslim attacks against El-Sayed have been perpetuated at the highest level of the US government, including by President Donald Trump and his cabinet members. buff.ly/6pKFNmj
US Muslims concerned but resilient as ‘hate’ attacks target Abdul El-Sayed

US Muslims concerned but resilient as ‘hate’ attacks target Abdul El-Sayed

Muslim advocates say the best way to respond to hate is to elect the Democratic candidate in Michigan to US Senate.

aljazeera.com
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The debate over Sharia is not just about religious law. It is also about whether Americans are willing to extend the same understanding of religious freedom to Muslims that they extend to other faiths. buff.ly/Z99CSVv
What is Sharia law, and why is it so controversial in the United States?

What is Sharia law, and why is it so controversial in the United States?

Ordinary Muslim religious practices can often be treated as political threats, writes a law professor.

theconversation.com
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Several social media accounts associated with sharing anti-immigrant views claim French Muslims were responsible for burning five churches on October 17. But both this number and story are fictitious. buff.ly/DT9vuNH
'Five churches set on fire by Muslims?' Fake news by Islamophobic social media accounts

'Five churches set on fire by Muslims?' Fake news by Islamophobic social media accounts

Several social media accounts associated with sharing anti-immigrant views claim French Muslims were responsible for burning five churches on October 17 – the day the nation was rocked by en masse...

france24.com
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