Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace (formally known as the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies) was launched in 2014 in response to the unprecedented violence and devastation spreading throughout the Muslim world. The impetus for the initiative was the more dire situation than crises of the past. Conditions have rendered lands unstable and led to distorted perceptions of Islam worldwide – particularly in the West, where prejudice and acts of violence against Muslims are increasing as a result of an escalation in Islamophobia.