After the 2015 terror attack in Paris, when Donald Trump and other GOP presidential candidates were ratcheting up their anti-Muslim political speech, we started a running list of Islamophobic acts. Sadly, in less than two months, the list became so long the webpage often wouldnt load.

This made us recognize the very real surge in anti-Muslim incidents sweeping the nation a surge many wanted to deny was happening at all. (Think Fox News host Eric Bolling saying he hadnt heard of any anti-Muslim hate crimes.)

So we developed The Islamophobia Project , and committed to tracking anti-Muslim violence, vandalism, discrimination, public policy and political speech throughout 2016.