Today in Islamophobia

In the United States, city council members in a Tulsa, Oklahoma suburb have denied a rezoning request for a proposed mosque after weeks of public debate that involved anti-Muslim pushback, while in New York, several 9/11 families are defending NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inclusion in this year’s remembrance ceremony after an online petition started by two 9/11 widows called for Mamdani to not attend the ceremony, and lastly in Egypt, the second International Conference to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims opened at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo on Monday, calling for stronger regional and international cooperation to confront the growing issue worldwide. Our recommended read of the day is by Ahmed Najar for Al Jazeera on how the Israeli government, in concert with European far-right networks, tried to exploit the mass migration in Ceuta, linking the migration with “anti-Semitism” in an effort to undermine pro-Palestinian solidarity. This and more below:

International

How Israel and the European far right tried to exploit Ceuta | Recommended Read

The scenes from Ceuta were tragic. Thousands of desperate people attempted to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave, which left dozens dead and reignited one of Europe’s most contentious political debates. Within hours, social media was filled with warnings of an “Islamic invasion”. The hashtag #StopIslam spread rapidly among far-right networks. Politicians who had long campaigned against immigration seized on the events as proof that Europe faced not simply a border challenge, but a civilisational one. Before investigators had established the full circumstances of the crossings, before many of those who died had even been identified, prominent politicians, commentators and online campaigners already appeared certain of what Ceuta meant. The question to pose right now, therefore, is who benefited from the way the events in Ceuta were immediately interpreted. The beneficiaries were quickly apparent. Europe’s nationalist right found fresh material to reinforce long-standing warnings about migration and Islam. Anti-Muslim campaigners gained another opportunity to portray Muslims as an internal security threat. At the same time, the events fed into a broader narrative advanced by the Israeli government and echoed by its political allies in Europe: that Muslim immigration, rising criticism of Israel and concerns about anti-Semitism are increasingly intertwined. That narrative has become more pronounced since the war in Gaza. As public outrage over Israel’s genocide has grown across Europe, Israeli officials have repeatedly argued that changing European attitudes are driven less by the scale of destruction in Gaza than by demographic change and the growing political influence of Muslim communities. read the complete article

Palestinian FM: Settler violence is state-backed ‘terror’reshaping the West Bank

Speaking from Ramallah, FM Varsen Aghabekian says Israeli settlers “move into various places” in the occupied West Bank while Israeli occupation forces watch or join in what she calls “terror activities”. She says this violence aims to establish irreversible facts on the ground, making a Palestinian state impossible. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urges countries to adopt concrete measures against settlements and settler terrorism, warning the current trajectory permanently alters the West Bank map. read the complete article

Cairo conference seeks coordinated response to rising Islamophobia

The second International Conference to Combat Discrimination Against Islam and Muslims opened at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo on Monday, with calls for stronger regional and international cooperation to confront the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia and turn recommendations into concrete programmes aimed at curbing hate speech and promoting dialogue and coexistence. Held under the theme “Muslim Communities in the West and Their Role in Confronting Islamophobia,” the two-day conference is being organised jointly by the Arab League and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), bringing together representatives from governments, international and regional organisations, religious institutions, civil society groups and youth organisations. read the complete article

Abandoned by the US: Palestinian Americans trapped in a surge of Israeli settler violence

No man’s land in Turmus Ayya lies where the US flags end and the Israeli flags begin. It is a few hundred metres of soil scorched by molotov cocktails where Israeli settlers have placed a boulder to tell the Palestinian villagers: this is our land now. On one side of that boulder are the white-stoned mansions where the Palestinian residents of Turmus Ayya live. About 80% of them are US citizens, members of the diaspora in New York, Chicago and Paterson, New Jersey, who return for the summers and bring their children here to experience Palestinian culture and learn Arabic. Many call themselves proud American patriots and fly the stars and stripes from their balconies. On the other side is an illegal Israeli outpost of corrugated metal trailers and shacks staffed by young men who claim all of the West Bank as Jewish land. The outposts radiate from Shilo, a hilltop settlement across the valley that has become a destination for Americans seeking Judaism’s first religious and spiritual capital before the first temple was built. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has visited Shilo, which the UN says is a violation of international law, twice in the last two years. The irony is not lost on people here that the US has backed settlers claiming the West Bank as theirs, and that US dollars – through Jewish charities and the US budget to support the Israeli military – have helped finance the Israeli land grab. Given Shilo’s close ties to the US, they muse that some of those attacking Turmus Ayya could be fellow Americans. “Only in Palestine will you find American citizens invading American citizens for land,” said Yaser Alkam, a semi-retired family law attorney from Turmus Ayya who for 35 years lived in Anaheim, California. He is now the head of this village’s council. “There is no fight. One side attacks and the other side defends with the limited means that we have.” read the complete article

United States

Interfaith Alliance Supports Boycott of Cruz’s Anti-Muslim Hearing

Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending religious freedom and multifaith democracy, today applauded the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who announced they will boycott Wednesday’s subcommittee hearing, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, is scheduled to convene the hearing Aug. 5. Cruz demonizes American Muslims by portraying an entire faith community as a hidden threat. Originally scheduled for May 20, Cruz postponed the hearing after three people were killed two days earlier in an attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Now, less than three months later, he is reviving the hearing and returning to his anti-Muslim agenda. read the complete article

Oklahoma mosque project voted down after weeks of anti-Muslim pushback, zoning debate

City council members in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, suburb denied a rezoning request for a proposed mosque after weeks of public debate that involved anti-Muslim pushback and a state attorney general’s investigation. The denial came despite a recommendation from city staff and the Broken Arrow Planning Commission to approve the rezoning and issue a permit for a mosque and retail center in the city about 15 miles southeast of Tulsa, setting up what could become a legal fight. Over 1,000 people packed a nearly four-hour-long special Broken Arrow City Council meeting Jan. 12, which ended with a council vote of 4-1 to stymie the project. Some speaking in opposition to the project claimed the proposed mosque would harbor terrorists, violate noise ordinances by broadcasting calls to worship, lower property values and contribute to the “incursion of Islam” in the country. Others raised concerns about land issues, such as water flow and traffic. read the complete article

Some 9/11 families defend Mayor Mamdani's inclusion at upcoming remembrance ceremony

Some 9/11 families are defending New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inclusion in this year's solemn remembrance ceremony after an online petition asked he not attend. "The focus should be on where are we in this world, 25 years later?" Elizabeth Miller said. Miller's father was killed in the 9/11 terror attacks nearly a quarter-century ago. She's been attending the annual remembrance ceremony in Lower Manhattan since, and is now nearly the age he was when he died. Miller is the project director of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, which has over 250 members. In a statement, that organization responded, in part, "We strongly condemn the anti-American accusations and Islamophobic sentiment underlying the effort seeking to prevent him from being at Ground Zero." "Clearly calling for the mayor of New York City to skip the 9/11 memorial because he's a Muslim, or because these guilt-by-association smears, is anti-Muslim bigotry, plain and simple," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. read the complete article

United Kingdom

Muslim education leaders back plans for national religious education curriculum

Muslim education leaders have welcomed government plans to make religious education (RE) part of England’s national curriculum, saying the changes would improve religious literacy and help pupils to better understand Britain’s diverse faith communities. Sara Saigol, schools lead at the Islamic Society of Britain (ISB), said the reforms would finally give the subject the status it deserves. “RE is just not getting the attention it needs,” she said. “Once it’s a part of the national curriculum, it will be given a designated time that schools have to meet and training for teachers, which will lift the standard.” The government is expected to launch a consultation in September after agreeing in 2025 to bring RE into the national curriculum for the first time. read the complete article

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