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.

Amani Hassani exposes the impact of Denmark’s “ghetto” policies, revealing how they systematically erase and marginalize Muslim communities. She unpacks the ways in which state interventions reshape neighborhoods, identities, and the very presence of Muslims in urban spaces. The conversation highlights the broader European context of exclusion and securitization, as well as the resilience and agency of those affected. Hassani shares stories of community response and adaptation in the face of erasure. Listeners will gain a nuanced understanding of the human cost of policy-driven marginalization.

Chella Ward explores how gaps and silences in historical memory—especially regarding the Ottoman Empire—shape modern-day attitudes toward Muslims. She examines the role of the political left in perpetuating or challenging these narratives, and how selective history is used to justify exclusion. Ward discusses the symbolic and political importance of the “Ottoman gap” in Western identity. The episode encourages listeners to reflect on how the politics of history continue to inform contemporary Islamophobia. It’s a call to critically engage with the past to challenge prejudice in the present.

Mattias Gardell & Salman Sayyid
Mattias Gardell and Salman Sayyid join forces to analyze the political impact of provocative acts like Quran burnings and the broader structures that enable Islamophobia. Gardell examines how these performances are used to provoke and mobilize anti-Muslim sentiment, while Sayyid brings a decolonial lens to understanding how Islamophobia is embedded in policy and ideology. Together, they discuss the intersection of political performance, state power, and global narratives. The episode unpacks both the grassroots and institutional dynamics of exclusion. Listeners will gain a critical perspective on how spectacle and structure reinforce each other in the politics of Islamophobia.

Peter Hopkins shines a light on the everyday realities of Islamophobia, focusing on how subtle and overt forms of bias shape the daily lives of Muslims in urban environments. He discusses how microaggressions, local policy, and public spaces contribute to feelings of exclusion or belonging. Hopkins explores the cumulative impact of these experiences on community well-being. The episode also highlights strategies for resistance and ways to foster more inclusive cities. Listeners will come away with practical insights into how Islamophobia operates at the street level.