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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, police are investigating an arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex and have arrested three men on suspicion of the crime which investigators said had the “intent to endanger life”, meanwhile in Switzerland, the government does not want to ban schoolgirls from wearing headscarves in public schools, and in India, a BJP Member of Parliament is facing criticism for “purifying” a historical spot with dung and urine from a cow after Muslim women offered prayers there. Our recommended read of the day is by Joseph Stepansky for Al Jazeera, on how working-class Muslim American communities in New York City are viewing November’s mayoral race. This and more below:
United States
From the Bronx to Brooklyn, it's more about rent than religion | Recommended Read
In the Bronx's Morrisania neighbourhood, you often hear a familiar refrain: “Mamdani, Mamdani, Mamdani”. Home to a fast-growing West African community - including many new-immigrant Muslims - Morrisania is among many areas where identity issues of race converge with the needs of the working class ahead of New York’s November 4 mayoral election. Many in this community are counting on 34-year-old candidate Zohran Mamdani to win. After all, a victory for Mamdani over former Governor Andrew Cuomo would mark a series of historic firsts for New York City - its first Muslim mayor, the first born in Africa, and the first person of South Asian descent to lead the largest city in the United States. It is a fact that has sparked hope - and grim reminders of entrenched Islamophobia and xenophobia - across the diverse Muslim communities interwoven into the fabric of the city. But for Aicha Donza, a shop owner in Morrisania, the Bronx, where annual incomes are half the city's average, it is the avowed Democratic Socialist's message of affordability - ambitious pledges for free buses, rent freezes on certain buildings, and universal childcare, paid for, in part, by increasing taxes on the wealthy - that has won her support. Ahmed Jejote, a 55-year-old cab driver from Sierra Leone, echoed the sentiment. “We’ve experienced Eric Adams,” he said, referring to the corruption-plagued current city mayor, who dropped out of the race in September. “We’ve seen Cuomo.” “Mamdani is just starting out, and he wants to go forward,” he said. “So it’s not really about religion for me”. read the complete article
Muslim-American civil rights organizations denounce “Islamophobic” attacks against Imam Siraj Wahhaj
A photo of socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with Councilmember Yusef Salaam and Imam Siraj Wahhaj, taken during a visit to Masjid At-Taqwa in Brooklyn, has gone viral after being amplified by right-wing media outlets. One day after Mamdani posted the photo, the right-wing New York Post put out the headline “Mamdani appears smiling, arm-in-arm with unindicted ‘93 WTC bombing co-conspirator and terrorist apologist.” The Post article labeled Imam Siraj as an “unindicted co-conspirator,” of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. “‘Unindicted co-conspirator’ is a bullshit term with no real legal meaning,” wrote Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan on X. Retired FBI agents who investigated the 1993 WTO bombings also joined in on the attacks against Imam Siraj, claiming the Muslim leader “has endorsed a radical agenda,” according to retired FBI agent John Anticev. “We strongly condemn these dishonest and defamatory attacks on Imam Siraj Wahhaj,” wrote the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on X. CAIR labeled the New York Post as a “a racist propaganda outlet masquerading as a news outlet.” “Unindicted co-conspirator is a label that the government has repeatedly used to smear American Muslims who have done nothing wrong,” CAIR wrote. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Former faith minister urges government to adopt Islamophobia definition in full
A long-awaited definition of Islamophobia is expected within weeks - and a former faith minister is urging the government to adopt it in full. It is expected that the government will move away from the word "Islamophobia", instead replacing it with "anti-Muslim hostility". But Lord Khan, who oversaw the start of the review into the definition, told Sky News the government must adopt the full new definition to tackle hate against Muslims. The Labour peer, who was faith minister until the September reshuffle, told Sky News: "I hope it's a clear definition which reflects the terms of reference which protects people, and it's clear. "There's so many definitions out there, this is an opportunity to address the big problem in our communities. "I would request and urge the government to adopt the definition which fits within the terms of reference on what we wanted to do when we embarked on the process. "It's a strong message to our communities that the work that should be done isn't being done - these are lived experiences and I am one of those people who has suffered." read the complete article
Three further arrests over mosque arson attack
Police investigating an arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex have arrested three people. Sussex Police said it would take "no further action" against the four people it had previously arrested in connection with the fire in Peacehaven, which was set alight on 4 October. Two men aged 34 and 42 from Peacehaven and a 38-year-old man from Seaford are now in custody on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, the force said. The mosque's front entrance and a car parked outside were damaged in the attack. Sussex Police previously said it was treating the incident as a hate crime. read the complete article
Newham Presents ‘Flip the Script’ – Islamophobia Awareness Month Programme
Newham Council is proud to announce Flip the Script, a borough-wide programme marking Islamophobia Awareness Month. This initiative brings together artists, performers, community leaders, and residents to reflect on the impact of Islamophobia, celebrate Muslim heritage, and create spaces for dialogue, creativity, and solidarity. Through a rich mix of workshops, performances, exhibitions, and community gatherings, Flip the Script invites people of all backgrounds to engage with themes of identity and belonging. Councillor Charlene McLean stated, “The events of the past year have tragically highlighted the horrific consequences of hate. Islamophobia Awareness Month offers a significant opportunity to show solidarity with our Muslim communities in Newham.” “This year's Islamophobia Awareness Week could not be more timely or important. Now more than ever, we must stand united against prejudice and discrimination. read the complete article
Why is defining Islamophobia so controversial?
Sky's Serena Barker-Singh explains why British Muslims say without a specific definition of Islamophobia, crimes can often go underreported. read the complete article
India
Indian MP ‘purifies’ Muslim prayer spot with cow dung and urine
An Indian member of parliament is facing criticism for “purifying” a historical spot with dung and urine from a cow after Muslim women offered prayers there. Medha Kulkarni, from prime minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marched with some Hindu activists to the historical Shaiwarwada fort in Pune, Maharashtra after video of Muslim women visitors offering prayers at the site was shared widely on social media. The lawmaker was seen “cleaning” the spot with urine and dung from a cow – an animal held sacred by many Hindus – as part of a “purification” ritual against Muslim prayers. She also chanted a prayer to a Hindu deity in her protest. “This site is not just a historical monument but a symbol of Maratha pride. No one should indulge in acts that hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community,” she said during the act, on Sunday. Maharashtra, India’s third largest state which is home to the financial capital Mumbai, has seen varying political fights along religious lines with the state being ruled by Hindu majority coalition between Mr Modi’s BJP and regional leader Eknath Shinde. She doubled down on her claim and said if someone wants to offer namaz in this manner, then Hindus should also be permitted to perform their rituals in mosques or Taj Mahal, a mausoleum built by a Mughal ruler. Ms Kulkarni has been facing backlash from the state’s opposition leaders and even her political allies for stoking religious tensions. read the complete article
Why India’s ‘bulldozer justice’ overwhelmingly targets Muslims
In many Indian states, bulldozers have become a tool for targeting Muslim neighbourhoods. Demolitions are often carried out without due process and described by rights groups as collective punishment. read the complete article
International
EU urged to tighten anti-hate speech rules
The EU should swiftly pull funding from organizations that fail to uphold its values, and do more to tackle hate speech, France, Austria and the Netherlands urged in an informal document seen by POLITICO. Citing a surge in antisemitic and racist incidents following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and the war in Gaza, the three countries call on Brussels and national capitals to “redouble their efforts to combat racism, antisemitism, xenophobia and anti-Muslim hatred” and ensure that “no support is given to entities hostile to European values, in particular through funding.” The document lays out proposals to tighten financial oversight and expand the EU’s criminal and operational response to hate crimes. read the complete article
How Britain's far right learned to love Israel
Britain has seen months of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, while Saint George’s and Union flags are aggressively displayed in towns and cities. At last month’s “Unite the Kingdom” march in London, speakers declared that Islam has no place in Europe - to near-silence from the Labour government. While Unite the Kingdom was ostensibly a display of British patriotism, Israeli flags could also be seen, as marchers hurled obscene anti-Palestinian abuse at counter-demonstrators. Tommy Robinson was recently invited by Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli to visit the country - a trip that has delayed Robinson’s ongoing trial on terror-related charges. Chikli has cultivated close ties with extreme-right figures like Robinson in a sign of changes over the last two decades: parties and movements that once reviled Israel for antisemitic reasons, and sometimes even expressed solidarity with Palestinians, now appear increasingly supportive of Israel. This shift, which can be traced in Failed Fuhrers, reveals much about far-right - and Israeli - politics. As Robinson directed his attacks towards British Muslims, his ties with Israel grew closer: in 2016, he visited Israel, including illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and Golan Heights. During the Gaza genocide, Robinson doubled down, describing pro-Palestine protests in London as “the takeover of our capital city” - and he is now visiting Israel again. As a historical view shows, the far right’s declaration of love for Israel does not have deep roots; it is a marriage of convenience for far-right activists who emerged from a political culture where antisemitism was common, yet became fixated on demonising Islam. read the complete article
Spain
Madrid government challenges Islamophobia with dossier on immigration
The Spanish government has published a dossier against clichés on immigration and the rising wave of Islamophobia, especially on social media. As conservative and far-right parties are pushing for stricter migration policies, Madrid's executive says it is promoting a "positive discourse" on immigration. According to the report first published by newspaper El Pais, immigrants give more than they receive, contributing to 10 percent of social security revenue, but only to 1 percent of public expenses. Their participation in the labor market is above the national average (69.3 percent against the 56.4 percent of Spanish citizens) and their contribution is key in sectors such as agriculture, construction and services, according to the report. "Seven out of 10 domestic workers are migrants (72 percent), nearly one in two (45 percent) are employed in the hotel sector and one in three in agriculture," said the dossier. The report also denied the existence of alleged economic aid for undocumented migrants, also rejecting the idea of an "Islamic invasion" of the country: only 2 percent of residents in Spain, for example, were born in Morocco, it said. Moreover, crime rates are dropping and are not linked to immigration. read the complete article