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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In China, a new state policy rolled out by President Xi’ to “better integrate” ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region is being met with sharp concern from human rights advocates, meanwhile in Canada, the country’s Special Representative for Combating Islamophobia Amira Elghawaby in an interview with The Canadian Press says that the ongoing war in Gaza has exacerbated the existing “climate of fear” felt by many Canadian Muslims, and in India, according to the fact-check research group Boom, out of 1,190 published fact-checked stories circulating across Indian Mass Media, 183 tried to target Indian Muslims using fake or fabricated information. Our recommended read of the day is by the Muslim civil rights and advocacy group CAIR on how in the last three months of 2023, the organization received a staggering 3,578 complaints of anti-Muslim hate and discrimination, representing a 178 percent increase in incoming complaints from the previous year. This and more below:
United States
CAIR: New Data Shows the End of 2023 was a ‘Relentless’ Wave of Bias, Community Resilience is ‘Impressive’ | Recommended Read
Muslim civil rights group received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023, 178 percent increase over previous year. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate. This represents a 178 percent increase in incoming complaints in the last three months of 2023 compared to a similar period the previous year. read the complete article
Families worry kids are facing rise of antisemitism, Islamophobia since start of Israel-Hamas war
Leaders in Long Island's Jewish and Muslim communities say they worry that children of those faiths are facing an increase of prejudice and discrimination following the October start of the Israel-Hamas war. read the complete article
Canada
Ceremony planned to honour memory of those killed in 2017 Quebec City mosque attack
QUEBEC — A ceremony commemorating victims of the deadly 2017 attack on a Quebec City mosque is scheduled to take place Monday evening. Six Muslim men were killed and five others were seriously injured when a gunman burst into the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre shortly after evening prayers on Jan. 29, 2017. Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, and Aboubaker Thabti died that night. Organizers say the seventh anniversary event is intended to honour the memory of the dead and show support for their families, as well as for survivors of the attack. read the complete article
‘Lot of Silencing’: Envoy Exposes Chilling Effect of Gaza War on Canadian Muslims
Amira Elghawaby said in an interview with The Canadian Press that the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip had created a climate of fear and censorship for Muslims in Canada who wanted to express their views on the situation. Elghawaby said that many members of Canada’s Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities “do not feel fully safe” to share their opinions on the brutal campaign that had killed thousands of people in Gaza, including relatives of many Canadians. “There is a lot of silencing,” she said, adding that the right to free speech was being undermined by the threat of hate crimes, which had increased against both Muslims and Jews since the conflict erupted in October, and by the accusations of terrorism or antisemitism that were often leveled at those who participated in protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Globe and Mail reported on Saturday. read the complete article
India
Islamophobia has infiltrated the mainstream Indian media
The Indian media continue to spread Islamophobic discourse and misrepresent Muslims. To create religious animosity and demonize the minority Muslims, the mainstream media have again resorted to publishing fake news. This is a key finding of fact-check portal Boom analysis for the year 2023. The Boom did a fact check of around 2,000 stories from January to December 2023. According to its report, out of 1,190 published fact-checked stories, 183 tried to target Muslims. The important findings report media disseminating fake news and spreading misinformation about Muslims. News channels, news portals, and wire news with a large circulation are involved in targeting the Muslim community and dividing society on religious lines. read the complete article
China
China tests new ethnic assimilation policy on Uyghurs
Northwest China’s Xinjiang region is the first area to implement a government policy promoting integration among ethnic groups to achieve President Xi Jinping’s goal of establishing a unified national identity, Chinese media reported. The regulation calls for the creation of mixed housing, themed venues and cultural parks, and sports and cultural activities that highlight characteristics of Chinese culture and promote zhonghua minzu — a single Chinese nationality that transcends ethnic divisions. The policy has raised concern among China watchers and scholars, who say its goal is to further erase the cultural identity of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples and subsume them into the dominant Han Chinese culture. read the complete article