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 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.

James Carr offers a rigorous analysis of the lived experiences of Muslims in Ireland facing systemic Islamophobia. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative methodologies, Carr interrogates how state policies and societal racism shape Muslim identities and everyday realities. The episode situates Islamophobia within the broader framework of neoliberal governance, emphasizing forms of racialization and mechanisms of resistance employed by marginalized communities.

Martijn de Koning critically examines the intersection of politics, public discourse, and Islamophobia across European contexts. Focusing on policy frameworks, nationalist rhetoric, and media representations, de Koning sheds light on the construction of Muslims as political and social “others.” The episode provides a comprehensive exploration of the spatial and institutional mechanisms that facilitate exclusion and the politicization of Muslim identities.

This episode features a scholarly dialogue between Rubab Abdulhadi and Peter Hopkins, exploring the embeddedness of Islamophobia within state practices and foreign policy. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, they analyze intersections of gender, race, and class in the perpetuation of exclusionary structures. The discussion highlights the geography of Islamophobia and the vital role of advocacy in constructing alternative narratives that challenge systemic prejudice.

Nadia Fadil and Nuha Waikat-Shaer employ an intersectional analytical framework to assess Islamophobia’s multifaceted impact on marginalized communities. The episode elucidates how gender, race, and religious identity intersect to shape experiences of discrimination and resilience. It foregrounds grassroots activism and community-based strategies as essential modalities of resistance and socio-political transformation.

Saul Takahashi’s episode interrogates the media’s role in shaping Islamophobic narratives and public perceptions of Muslim identities. Utilizing media studies and critical discourse analysis, the discussion explores how representation influences societal attitudes and policy outcomes. Takahashi critiques dominant frameworks and advocates for media literacy and nuanced public engagement to counteract prejudice.