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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the US, Delta Airlines has decided that only US flags will be allowed on uniforms after it faced backlash for saying they would be “terrified” as well when an X user pointed out two employees wearing Palestine flag pins, meanwhile in the UK, a council care worker for the London Borough of Hackney has won a religious discrimination case against his employer after he faced ridicule and disparagement for requesting Fridays off for religious purposes, and Arthur Townend for The Socialist Worker writes on how myths on British Muslim voting behavior is leading to a nationwide increase in Islamophobia. Our recommended read of the day is a new report by Amnesty International on the upcoming Olympics and how France, the host country, is discriminating against Muslim women and girls as it banned French athletes from wearing the hijab. This and more below:
France
“We Can’t Breathe Anymore. Even Sports, We Can’t Do Them Anymore.” Violations of Muslim Women’s and Girl’s Human Rights Through Hijab Bans in Sports in France | Recommended Read
On International Women’s Day, the International Olympic Committee and the Paris Games organizers proudly announced that “France is preparing to host the first Games with full numerical gender parity on the playing field.” President of the French National and Olympic Sports Committee Tony Estanguet thanked local authorities in the country who committed to renaming sports facilities after renowned women: “We thank the local authorities working with us who, through these symbolic actions – which are not only strong but also concrete – contribute to making sport more inclusive and equal.” The French authorities made it emphatically and unashamedly clear however that their proclaimed efforts at improving gender equality and inclusivity in sports do not apply to one group of women and girls – those Muslim women and girls who wear religious head coverings. In September 2023, the Minister of Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Games Amélie Oudéa- Castéra announced while speaking to the broadcaster France 3 that “representatives of our delegations, in our French teams, will not wear the headscarf.” This publication attempts to shed light on the discriminatory practices described above and how they violate the human rights of Muslim women and girls in France. Amnesty International believes that when the world will be watching its athletes compete for medals and exercising their right to practice sports without discrimination, it should also cast a critical eye on the Olympics host country, which does not apply Olympic values to everyone. When the French authorities are boasting about gender parity in sports, they purposefully do not count Muslim hijab-wearing women as women. read the complete article
“Excellence, respect, friendship”: Why hijab bans in French sports defy Olympic values and human rights
26 July 2024: the Paris Olympic Games begin. A moment of joy for sports fans around the world. A moment to embrace the values of Olympism: excellence, respect and friendship. But how can such values be embraced when the French authorities’ efforts to improve gender equality and inclusivity in sports do not apply to one group of women and girls: Muslims who wear religious head coverings? At the 2024 Olympic Games, the host country France has banned Muslim women from wearing a sports hijab or any other form of religious headgear when they compete for France. Such a ban is imposed in several sports in France, including football, basketball and volleyball, in competitions at all levels, including youth and amateur ones. The bans undermine efforts to make sports more inclusive and mean that Muslim players and athletes who wear a hijab in France will continue to be discriminated against. A new briefing by Amnesty International, “We can’t breathe anymore. Even sports, we can’t do them anymore.” violations of Muslim women’s and girls’ human rights through hijab bans in sports in France, documents the experiences of Muslim women players and their allies and their message on hijab bans is loud and clear: they must be overturned. read the complete article
United Kingdom
‘Where are the artists?’: Muslim creatives call for greater representation in the arts
In her 20-year career as a visual artist, Zarah Hussain has never been commissioned by or worked with a curator at a senior level in the UK who is also Muslim. “Where are the role models in the arts? Where are the musicians and the artists?” The lack of Muslims in the creative sector is a reality that’s been addressed in research published this year. In May, a Creative Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) State of the Nations Report found that the UK’s arts, culture and heritage workforce still has a long way to go towards inclusion. While headlines focused on race and class, one new notable finding was neglected by media coverage: the report’s analysis of religious affiliations. Previous census data has been limited on religion and faith, and this is the first major report to highlight the representation of Muslims in arts, culture and heritage occupations. The results were not encouraging. Other than as authors, writers and translators, the report found that Muslims are “particularly poorly represented” across creative industries and jobs which include dance, music, visual art, acting and managerial positions. Hindus were also poorly represented, and the largest representation in the arts, culture and heritage workforce was, in fact, “no religion”. For example, there were 500 Muslim musicians listed in the census compared to the 27,300 musicians who did not identify as religious. read the complete article
Council care worker wins £20,000 after his boss told him 'seems you suddenly became a Muslim' when he asked for Fridays off work to visit a mosque
A council care worker has won almost £20,000 after his boss told him 'seems you suddenly became a Muslim' when he asked for Fridays off work to visit a mosque. Sahabuddin Molla alleged his boss, Keith Suckram, was a 'vile Islamophobe' who subjected him to 'nothing but a planned psychological torture' during his tenure at the local authority. After requesting Fridays off for religious purposes, Mr Suckram made the 'Islamophobic' remark to his employee which a tribunal concluded was an 'inherently discriminatory' and 'derogatory' comment toward his faith. Mr Molla successfully sued the London Borough of Hackney for race and religious discrimination, harassment and victimisation. He has now been awarded £19,611 in compensation. read the complete article
Muslims are not a monolith
The right is in a panic about Muslims in Britain and how they vote. And it’s the election of five pro-Palestine independents, including four Muslim candidates that beat Labour, that has them triggered. Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, Jake Wallis Simons said, “An insurgent force has entered British politics. “The Muslim Vote had no rosette and advanced no meaningful manifesto beyond a set of deeply sectarian principles.” Simons, aghast at those advocating for votes against Israel’s genocide, said The Muslim Vote organisation has “the energy of unvarnished tribalism”. Labour too is in a flap over the issue. Labour suffered significantly in areas with large Muslim communities. Inspired by the Palestine movement, people throughout Britain voted in solidarity with Gaza. In some areas those votes went to independent candidates, while in others the Green Party benefited. George Galloway’s Workers’ party amassed 210,194 votes. It advocated for Palestine but combined that with the most dreadful anti-migrant and anti-LGBT+ language and policies. The right’s fear that Muslims are now voting as Muslims is not new. Daily Telegraph articles echo remarks made by Charlotte Littlewood in the Daily Express newspaper after George Galloway’s win in the Rochdale by-election. She wrote that Muslims “exploiting Palestinian suffering for tribal voting in Britain undermines multicultural unity”. These claims are blatantly hypocritical. Mainstream parties regularly engage with specific ethnic and religious groups, promising representation through councillors or funding for community groups, in a grubby bid for votes. read the complete article
United States
Delta changes its policy after its X account creates firestorm over photo of employee with Palestinian flag pin
Delta has decided that only US flags will be allowed on uniforms after it faced backlash for saying they would be “terrified” as well when an X user pointed out two employees wearing Palestine flag pins. The airline confirmed the change in an email to The Independent. The new policy will go into effect on July 15. The decision followed an X exchange between the airline’s account and the complaining user this week. Photos had emerged of flight attendants wearing the Palestinian flag on their uniforms. “On Wednesday, we removed a reply that was not in line with our values. We strive for an environment of inclusivity & respect for all, in our communities & our planes. The employee responsible no longer supports Delta’s social channels. We apologize for this hurtful post,” the company said on Thursday. However, the ordeal has changed the airline’s policy on what pins could be allowed on uniforms. Previously, Delta allowed flight attendants to wear pins representing other countries or nationalities. read the complete article