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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United States, a new lawsuit filed by the national American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to deport foreign students over pro-Palestinian advocacy and demonstrations, while community members in Plainfield, Illinois, have unveiled a monument last month honoring six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, who was murdered by his family’s landlord in an anti-Muslim hate crime in 2023, and a rage-tweet by the multi-millionaire general partner of a large Silicon Valley investment firm targeting Democratic Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani “demonstrates how deeply anti-Muslim bigotry has become embedded in Silicon Valley culture”, according to reporting out by Zeteo. Our recommended read of the day is by Sabbiyah Pervez & Hayley Coyle for BBC News on how the July 7th, 2005 bombings in London brought about discriminatory counter-terrorism policies, procedures, and practices, which continue to shape the lives and perceptions of the British Muslim community. This and more below:
United Kingdom
How the 7/7 bombings changed a generation of British Muslims | Recommended Read
"It changed the stereotypical narrative of what a terrorist looked like to someone who was British-born, wearing western clothing and with a backpack," says youth worker Fahad Khan, who was 18 at the time of the atrocity 20 years ago. "When I found out they were from Leeds, it was just a huge blow." Mr Khan now volunteers at the youth centre which some of the bombers visited in their teenage years. Local people were traumatised and the events forced issues like extremism and radicalisation to the forefront of the city's Muslim community. For Mr Khan, now 38, the news altered people's perceptions of young Muslim men. "It changed that narrative to someone who looked like me - and that's a lot to deal with," he says. However, the Prevent strategy has been criticised by some MPs, the National Union of Teachers and the Muslim Council of Britain. Some argue it is counterproductive and that it can make Muslim students feel isolated and can add to a general sense of distrust across communities. Yahya Birt, a researcher, British Muslim affairs academic and community advocate, was among those consulted by the government in the early days after the attacks. "The Muslim communities wanted a more pastoral approach where they dealt with youth issues seriously and get support for that...but the government wanted a combative approach to take on extremist elements. Ms Warsi called the government's anti-terrorism plans "toxic". "It was supposed to be an upstream policy done with Muslim communities, but it became a policy done to Muslim communities," she says. "It wasn't about a battle of ideas - it became about policing communities." read the complete article
Islamophobia Working Group Definition
In February, the government established an independent working group, chaired by Dominic Grieve KC, to advise on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia. This step has been taken in response to the concerning rise in anti-Muslim hate crime, which has reached record levels. According to the most recent statistics, two in five police-recorded religious hate crimes were directed at Muslims, highlighting the urgent need for a clear and robust framework to address this form of hatred. The group’s work will support wider and ongoing government-led efforts to tackle religiously motivated hate crime – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change mission for safer streets. The government, and the working group’s published terms of reference, make clear that any proposed definition must be fully compatible with the enduring and fundamental right of British citizens to freedom of speech and expression. This includes the right to criticise, express dislike of, or insult religions, as well as the beliefs and practices of their adherents. The government has made clear it will not compromise on this principle which is essential in a democratic society. The group is operating independently and will provide Ministers with evidence-based advice, in line with the terms of reference already made public. Their work will be informed by a wide range of perspectives and expertise, ensuring that any recommendation is not only thoughtful and principled, but also grounded in the lived experiences and realities faced by communities across the country. read the complete article
United States
Trial to consider Trump’s ‘ideological-deportation policy’ targeting pro-Palestinian students
A lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s effort to deport foreign students over pro-Palestinian views goes to trial in a Massachusetts federal court on Monday, where the government for the first time will need to defend its extraordinary position that it can deport noncitizens over their political speech. The case was brought by the national American Association of University Professors (AAUP); its Harvard, Rutgers and New York University chapters; and the Middle East Studies Association (Mesa) following the arrest and detention of several noncitizen students and scholars who have spoken out on Palestinian rights. The government has claimed the authority to deport noncitizens who have committed no crimes but whose presence it deems poses a threat to US foreign policy. Witnesses testified on Monday about the chilling effect of the Trump administration’s harsh clampdowns on university campuses, with professors describing how they have censored their own speech and activities despite Trump’s long insistence that under him Americans will have a robust first amendment. The case is the first of half-dozen legal challenges to the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on universities to make it to trial, with civil rights and education advocates asking the judge to declare the “ideological-deportation policy” unconstitutional and unlawful. read the complete article
Slain Palestinian Boy Honored in Illinois Playground Monument
Community members in Plainfield, Illinois, unveiled a monument late last month honoring six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, who was murdered by his family’s landlord in an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate crime in 2023. Depicting Alfayoumi’s silhouette with his right hand raised to complete a red heart shape, the public artwork was unveiled on Saturday, June 28 at a local playground renamed in his honor. Based on a photograph taken of him shortly before his death, the piece was designed by visual artist Savera Iftekhar and crafted by Syed “Saif” Rahman, founder of the Islamic interior decoration brand Modern Wall Art. At the monument’s presentation last month, community members denounced Islamophobia, echoing an inscription on its base that reads “Hate has no home in Plainfield.” “To Wadee, I hope that you hear this, and I hope that you are at peace,” said Soha Khatib, an activist with the Palestinian Youth Movement, at the ceremony. “You are still so, so loved, and I hope you’re running around in fields just like this one in heaven.” read the complete article
This Pro-Israel Silicon Valley Bro Just Went Viral for Islamophobic Tweets About Zohran Mamdani
At 10:00 am on July 4, while many people in the US were preparing to pop some burgers on the grill and celebrate the birth of America, Shaun Maguire, the multi-millionaire general partner at Sequoia Capital, one of the most esteemed venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, was rage-tweeting. "[Zohran] Mamdani comes from a culture that lies about everything," he posted. "It’s literally a virtue to lie if it advances his Islamist agenda. The West will learn this lesson the hard way." Maguire was alluding to a deeply misleading and inflammatory article in the New York Times that published hacked material from 2009 revealing that Mamdani had checked the “Asian” and “African American” boxes on his application to Columbia University, handwriting “Ugandan” to reflect his Ugandan‑born Indian heritage. The Times article relied primarily on Jordan Lasker, a race‑science proponent, as the source. Mamdani told the New York Times that he was simply trying to convey his complex identity, not mislead anyone or gain an improper advantage. Mamdani did not get accepted to Columbia. Maguire lives in the Bay Area, but has tweeted incessantly about Mamdani since the progressive leader won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary last month. He has repeatedly falsely claimed that Mamdani, who is Muslim and has faced a tidal wave of Islamophobia since his win, is a radical Islamist. Maguire also published a post on the Fourth of July, implying that "ending America" is a "religious goal" for Mamdani. "Mamdani is a new strain of Islamism, mutated to be more palatable for the Western mind," Maguire posted. The fact that Maguire can make such extremely racist and Islamophobic comments publicly about a major American political figure shows how deeply anti-Muslim bigotry has become embedded in Silicon Valley culture. Silicon Valley billionaires are now openly embracing anti-Muslim hate as they pivot toward defense startups that profit from perpetual war and the genocide in Palestine. The US war machine is structurally dependent on Islamophobia to justify decades of military intervention and surveillance, and, as Silicon Valley becomes even more intertwined with the defense sector, extremists like Maguire will likely only obtain more power and influence. read the complete article
Anti-Muslim Hatred Surging on the Far Right
Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary is serving as a flashpoint for anti-Muslim bigotry from the far right. Almost immediately after the election, Mamdani, an Indian-Muslim born in Uganda who became a citizen in 2018, faced calls for deportation, along with a slew of Islamophobic rhetoric rooted in baseless conspiracies about Muslims. Muslims are routinely and ruthlessly profiled by racists, painting them as national security threats, terrorists, and aiming to undermine American sovereignty. This recent surge of hateful rhetoric is just the latest in American post-9/11 Islamophobia which had deadly consequences for anyone perceived to be a Muslim. That included Balbir Singh Sodi, a Sikh man, who was murdered days after 9/11 by a racist looking to “go out and shoot some towel-heads.” Mamdani reported facing racism from political opponents and received bomb threats, which are being investigated by the NYPD, during his campaign. After winning the Democratic mayoral primaries on June 24, he faced a tidal wave of bigotry from the far right. Many of these attacks based their hatred of Mamdani on a belief in the racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which falsely purports that “elites,” often Jews, are plotting to “replace” the “native” European populations of countries with non-white immigrants. Many called for his deportation. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller blamed Mamdani’s victory on “how unchecked migration fundamentally remade the NYC electorate,” claiming “Democrats change politics by changing voters.” Miller’s comments are fundamentally and falsely based on the belief that non-white immigrants are admitted into the United States to vote for Democrats, a common racist lie with “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory origins peddled by the far right. read the complete article
Inside Trump's supercharged version of Bush's "War on Terror"
Mass surveillance. Pre-emptive military strikes in the Middle East. Shipping people to domestic and foreign prisons. Citing national security to hide information from the courts. Labeling people as "terrorists" as a political and legal strategy. Why it matters: Donald Trump became president in part by running against the legacy of George W. Bush, the last Republican in the White House before him. But now Trump is supercharging many of the post-9/11 legal, tactical and political strategies Bush used. Driving the news: Trump's push to deport "millions" of unauthorized immigrants and his strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in particular have many parallels to Bush's "War on Terror." Trump's sending unauthorized immigrants to high-security prisons in the U.S. and abroad — sometimes denying them due process. Bush sent alleged terrorists — including undocumented people in the U.S. — to prisons around the world and the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Trump administration is now using "Gitmo" for detainees it says have criminal histories. Trump preemptively, and unilaterally, attacked Iran with 14 bunker-buster bombs and launched missiles at an Iranian-backed proxy group in Yemen, killing dozens. He said he ordered the first attack out of concern Iran was close to gaining a nuclear weapon. Bush used a similar rationale for invading Iraq, though unlike Trump he got Congress' approval beforehand. read the complete article