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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer dodged a question aimed at providing clarity on his plan to proceed with developing an official definition of Islamophobia, offering instead general remarks condemning “hatred”, meanwhile in the United States, President Donald Trump ended his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday by unleashing criticism on Somali immigrants, whom he described as “garbage,” and lastly, Pope Leo said that Islamophobia in Europe is often fueled by those seeking to exclude people of different faiths or ethnic backgrounds. Our recommended read of the day is by Faisal Hanif for Middle East Eye on how many British Muslims feel politically homeless, as they find little welcome on the progressive left and face outright hostility on the right. This and more below:
United Kingdom
Why many British Muslims have no political home | Recommended Read
For decades, British Muslims have been treated as a dependable progressive bloc, particularly by Labour. But the partnership was never ideological; it was strategic, and today’s left demands moral conformity on questions of gender, sexuality and identity, producing inevitable collisions with orthodox Muslims. The Green Party, which some have suggested as an alternative home for Muslims who feel disenfranchised, has shown its own blind spots. The 2019 call by Jonathan Bartley, then the party’s co-leader, for a ban on halal slaughter revealed tensions between progressive rhetoric and respect for Muslim religious life - and these fissures are not new. In a column for Middle East Eye, Peter Oborne and John Holmwood have described how the “British values” framework imposes a one-way demand: Muslims must show tolerance, but their own moral boundaries are rarely tolerated in return. Amid this backdrop, Gaza is no longer a peripheral issue; it is a defining one. It has reordered political loyalties, particularly among younger Muslims who are unwilling to accept moral equivocation. For many, Gaza is not simply a foreign policy question; it is a referendum on political sincerity. With little room on the progressive left and outright hostility on the right, many Muslims are searching for new political avenues. Some are exploring faith-rooted civic platforms, while others are investing inwards: building mosques, schools, community organisations and local advocacy networks. Some are even contemplating migration to countries they perceive as more accommodating of religious life - an indictment of Britain’s shrinking pluralistic space. read the complete article
British premier ducks question over abandoning official definition of Islamophobia
Pressed over dropping plans to officially define Islamophobia, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dodged the question on Wednesday, offering instead general remarks condemning “hatred.” During Prime Minister’s Questions, independent MP Shockat Adam asked why an official definition of Islamophobia – accepted by the party while in opposition – had been abandoned in government, citing several high-profile attacks on Muslims, including fatal incidents outside places of worship. He then asked Starmer what has changed within the Labour government to drop the term Islamophobia. Not addressing the policy shift, Starmer instead offered general remarks condemning hatred. The government has not provided a timeline for revisiting the issue, and Wednesday’s exchange drew renewed attention to concerns from advocacy groups, who say the lack of clarity leaves gaps in policy and enforcement. read the complete article
International
Pope blames Europe’s Islamophobia on those bent on excluding others, says coexistence is possible
Pope Leo XIV said on Tuesday that Islamophobia in Europe is often fuelled by those seeking to exclude people of different faiths or ethnic backgrounds. He stressed that the coexistence of Christians and Muslims in Lebanon offers lessons for Europe and North America and that pathways for genuine dialogue and respect must be pursued. "I know that at times, fears exist in Europe, but they are often fuelled by those who oppose migration and who try to exclude people coming from another country, another religion, or another ethnic background." He said dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians are indeed possible. read the complete article
Australia
The merchants of Islamophobia: From the “fake mosque” sham to the burqa stunt
The recent wave of media hysteria and political posturing around Muslims in Australia — from a “fake mosque” proposal in Fairfield to a cynical burqa stunt in federal parliament — amounts to much more than mere sensationalism. It is a coordinated assault on truth, on Muslim dignity, and on social cohesion. The “mosque scandal”: sloppy journalism, political opportunism, and dangerous consequences On 19 November 2025, journalists Jan Fran & Antoinette Lattouf’s independent news platform Ette Media exposed what should have been obvious from the start: the “mosque proposal” that had set off a frenzy of headlines, outrage from politicians, including the mayor of Fairfield, Frank Carbone, and racially charged public commentary, was fake. The so-called flyer circulated among residents, purporting to announce a new mosque – turned out to be entirely bogus. Not a week later, the far-right politician Pauline Hanson carried out a repeat of her 2017 burqa stunt — walking into the federal Senate cloaked in the full Islamic face-covering she seeks to ban. The spectacle: calculated, provocative, and designed to provoke fear and disgust rather than reason. read the complete article
United States
Trump describes Somali immigrants as 'garbage' amid feud with Minnesota congresswoman, governor
President Donald Trump ended his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday by unleashing criticism on Somali immigrants, whom he described as "garbage," saying he doesn't want them in the United States. "You know, our country's at a tipping point. We could go bad. We're at a tipping point. I don't know if people mind me saying that, but I'm saying it," Trump said. "We could go one way or the other, and we're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country." He ascribed the same description to Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali American who represents Minnesota, who replied on social media that Trump's "obsession with me is creepy." "I hope he gets the help he desperately needs," she added. read the complete article
India
Under siege: Why India’s minorities are facing a new systemic rights crisis
Fear has become a daily companion for India’s Muslims, Christians and Kashmiris. Muslim neighbourhoods in India have experienced demolitions, police raids, detentions, and rising harassment. Christian communities report attacks on churches and intimidation during prayer gatherings. A combination of political consolidation of Hindu nationalism (also known as Hindutva), everyday normalisation of bigotry, and the expanding use of state machinery to enforce majoritarian dominance has, particularly in the last two years, produced a marked rise in extremism, public hatred and discriminatory state action. A sense of siege has become ambient. The ruling Hindu nationalist party BJP has been in power in India for over a decade now. But why are we witnessing an escalation in minority vulnerability right now, and what political and ideological forces are driving this? Experts say the present surge in extremism is not a spike but a consolidation. read the complete article