Rayan Freschi and Matt Sheedy team up to dissect how state power and media narratives shape the lives of Muslims in the West. Freschi investigates how policies and public messaging aim to “pacify” Muslim communities by encouraging forgetfulness of their histories and grievances, ultimately seeking to depoliticize Muslim identity. Sheedy tracks the shifting landscape from travel bans to military action, revealing how cycles of anti-Muslim sentiment are justified and normalized in the public sphere. Together, they explore the interplay between policy, rhetoric, and digital media in reinforcing or challenging Islamophobia. This episode offers a critical look at the mechanisms that sustain exclusion—and the strategies for resistance.