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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Facebook’s India policy chief quits after hate speech allegations. In the U.S, Biden becomes first candidate to provide Arabic-language campaign material, in bid for Arab-American vote. Writing for Foreign Policy, Andrew Nachemson argues that the upcoming elections in Myanmar won’t be free or fair. Our recommended read today is by Sanya Mansoor on the Muslim vote for Joe Biden. This, and more, below:
United States
Most Muslim Voters Don't Like Donald Trump. But Has Joe Biden Done Enough to Earn Their Votes? | Recommended Read
A recent CAIR poll found that just 18% of Muslim voters support Donald Trump, while 71% say they back Biden. But that disparity hardly guarantees that Muslims will vote for Biden in droves: the former Vice President will only benefit from his opponent’s dismal popularity if he can convince Muslim voters, some of whom feel disengaged by the Biden campaign, to go through the trouble of casting a ballot. read the complete article
Biden becomes first candidate to provide Arabic-language campaign material, in bid for Arab-American vote
An Arabic-language document entitled "Joe Biden and the Arab-American society: A shared path" can be found on Biden's website. The document also said that the Democrats would reverse the so-called Muslim Ban, enforced by President Donald Trump. Biden also touched on other key issues for Arab-Americans such as security, business and healthcare. Focus on the Arab-American vote has been strong among Democrats in this round of US elections, particularly in Michigan. A recent poll has shown that Arab-American voters strongly prefer Biden over Trump. read the complete article
Fake news spread on WhatsApp to Indian Americans plays stealth role in U.S. election
New Jersey tech entrepreneur Arun Bantval is U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden’s top fake-news watchdog on messaging service WhatsApp about the Democrat and his Indian American running mate Kamala Harris. Messages on WhatsApp, owned by Facebook Inc, are confidential and cannot be seen by moderators who police misleading memes, claims and other content on the social media giant’s flagship platform. Two billion users rely on WhatsApp’s free app to chat with individuals and groups of up to 256 people. read the complete article
France
The French state’s crackdown on its Muslims
To understand the current politics of French President Emmanuel Macron vis-à-vis Muslims in France, one has to look at the larger picture. While many commentators and analysts are explaining Macron’s recent anti-separatism bill and his reaction to the murder of French teacher Samuel Paty by referring to his ill-performance, the social unrest and economic instability in France, as well as the upcoming elections in 2022 where he might have to face the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, this is not the whole story. read the complete article
French Muslim leader says Muslims should ignore controversial cartoons
The head of the French Council for the Muslim Faith, Mohammed Moussaoui, reminded worshippers that such caricatures were allowed under French law. “This same law doesn’t force anyone to like them nor does it forbid anybody from hating them,” he said in a statement. Moussaoui suggested Muslims should follow the example of the Prophet Mohammad, who, according to Islamic tradition, simply ignored insults when a crowd once poked fun of him by calling him “Mudammam” - the ugly. read the complete article
International
Opinion | Erdogan and Khan are hypocritical about Macron's France
Erdogan, whose Justice and Development Party has been in power since the early 2000s, has done everything in his power to undermine Turkey's secularism and turn the country into an Islamic caliphate. There has been massive opposition in Turkey against his actions, with liberal and secular groups making their voices heard on a regular basis. But instead of upholding democratic values in his own country, Erdogan strikes at them with an iron hand. Had France converted a mosque into a church, what would be Erdogan's reaction? He would have denounced Macron for promoting "Islamophobia." read the complete article
#IStandWithFrance trends in India amid outrage in Muslim world
As Muslims across the world protest and broaden their calls for a boycott of French products over comments by President Emmanual Macron about Islam and depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, hashtags with a different message are trending in Hindu-majority India. read the complete article
Myanmar
Opinion | Myanmar’s Elections Won’t Be Free or Fair
On Oct. 16, Myanmar’s election commission canceled upcoming elections in nine of 17 townships in conflict-torn Rakhine state. Many of the unaffected townships are held by the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), and the move tilts the electoral playing field in the party’s favor in the state where it needs it the most. On top of other violations of democratic norms, the decision further undermines the credibility of an election that the NLD was always going to win. The party of the civilian leader and onetime democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, which came to power in 2015, still retains broad support elsewhere in Myanmar. read the complete article
Canada
Canada is doing little to stop anti-Islam hate crimes and mosque vandalism
Muslim communities across Canada are facing a rising wave of anti-Islam sentiment, with a spate of break-ins and vandalism targeting mosques throughout the country. Muslims number more than 1 million, or 3.2 percent of Canada’s population, according to the country’s last census, more than double any other visible minority. In spite of that, concerns are increasing as Canadian Muslims say authorities are not doing enough to stop hate crimes or investigate the break-ins. read the complete article