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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Air Canada forces Muslim teen to remove hijab, as a troubling new report alleges 39 Rohingya refugees have been killed in crossfire by the Bangladesh Police in 2019. Texas celebrates Modi as India stays mired in Islamophobia. Our recommended read today is by Aysha Khan on the Congressional hearing of the Muslim Ban. This, and more, below:
United States
Tech companies join Muslim groups in support of historic bill to end travel ban | Recommended Read
The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday (Sept. 24), held jointly by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, is expected to discuss the impact of the ban on Muslim families, as well as the NO BAN Act, a bicameral bill to end the ban. President Trump issued the first version of his executive order banning entry from seven Muslim-majority countries in 2017, shortly after taking office. After being blocked in lower federal courts, revised and blocked again, a divided Supreme Court upheld a version of the ban last year. read the complete article
‘Howdy, Modi!’ Was a Display of Indian Americans’ Political Power
No matter how much more complex the Indian American story is than the version promoted by rally organizers, one thing is undeniable: These voters now have enough political power to force U.S. politicians to take serious notice, says Toby Chaudhuri, a former White House strategist during the Obama administration who now works with the super PAC AAPI Victory Fund. Indian Americans, while only about 1 percent of the population, are the wealthiest minority group in America and among the most generous donors to U.S. presidential elections. “2020 is going to have the most diverse electorate that the U.S. has ever seen,” he told me in an interview before the rally. “The desi play and the Hindu play will be front stage.” Trump’s appearance at the rally, then, was not only a sign of support for a like-minded leader. It was a show of force to attract a voting bloc that knows its own value. read the complete article
At U.N., Trump pushes religious freedom at event slamming China over Uighurs
China has been widely condemned for setting up complexes in remote Xinjiang that it describes as “vocational training centers” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills. The United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained. The U.S. event at the United Nations sparked a sharp rebuke from China. A spokesperson for the Chinese delegation to the high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly accused Washington of violating the U.N. Charter. read the complete article
Canada
Muslim Group Demands Change After Preteen Is Forced To Remove Hijab At Airport
Abdelrahman explained to the agent that she wears the hijab because of her religious beliefs. But two additional Air Canada employees reiterated that she needed to comply with the request to remove her hijab, Rafiqi said. “Scared and worried” by the demands, Rafiqi said the girl asked for a closed, private screening area so that she could remove her hijab exclusively in the presence of female Air Canada agents. But the employees reportedly refused to accommodate this request, instead taking Abdelrahman to a nearby tunnel where other passengers were entering the plane. read the complete article
Bangladesh
39 Rohingya Killed in 'Gunfights' With Bangladeshi Authorities in 2019
Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that despite all efforts to the contrary, some Rohingya had become involved in smuggling methamphetamine pills known as yaba from Myanmar, in many cases risking their lives. He said that exchanges of gunfire may have happened because the Bangladeshi Border Guard was instructed to guard the border and prevent any unauthorized people from entering the country. read the complete article
Detained Rohingya couple killed in crossfire
A Rohingya couple under detention were killed in a late night police shootout in southern Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, the home of above 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, local media reports said Sunday. The deceased have been identified as Dil Mohammad (38) and his wife Jaheda Begum (27), residents of Leda Rohingya makeshift settlements in the district. read the complete article
United Kingdom
LGBT Muslim festival: 'We don't just have one identity'
Plans for a Muslim LGBT festival are welcomed by 28-year-old film director Almass Badat, who is a member of the Muslim LGBTI+ group Hidayah. "When I was growing up, I remember really looking hard for just someone that looked like me and that was also queer," Almass tells Newsbeat. read the complete article
India
Opinion | In the pressure-cooker of Kashmir, the abnormal is now normal
Nearly two months into the crisis, many restrictions are still in place. People are cut off from their loved ones, schools and colleges remain shut, and healthcare services have taken a hit. Tourism has ground to a halt, small traders can’t conduct business and those who eke out a living on a day-to-day basis are at the mercy of charitable neighbours. While there has been support for the government’s move from parts of Jammu and Ladakh regions, it is in the Kashmir Valley that the consequences are likely to be most adverse. read the complete article