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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, the vandalism of over 80 Muslim graves, mainly belonging to babies and infants, is now being treated as an Islamophobic hate crime, meanwhile in India, the country’s Supreme Court has begun hearing challenges to a new law that expands state control over charitable properties buildings used by Muslims, and in the United States, a government memo obtained by CBS News shows the Trump administration created broad rules outlining which migrants can be held at Guantanamo Bay, allowing officials to send non-criminal detainees. Our recommended read of the day is by Rajeev Syal for The Guardian, who writes that newly released data reveals that Muslim prisoners in England are disproportionately subjected to force, including pain-inducing techniques by jail staff. This and more below:
United Kingdom
Muslim prisoners in England more likely to be subjected to force, charity finds | Recommended Read
Muslim prisoners are disproportionately subjected to force including pain-inducing techniques by jail staff, according to new data. Freedom of information requests found that in eight out of nine prisons with high Muslim populations, Muslim men were more likely than the average inmate to be confronted with batons, made to wear rigid bar handcuffs, or deliberately held in a painful position. The figures have been disclosed amid demands for a crackdown on Muslim gangs within the prison estate, after claims they are effectively running some prisons. At Belmarsh, a prison in south-east London often used to hold terrorist suspects, Muslim prisoners made up 32% of the population in 2023. Over the same period, Muslim men were subjected to 43% of incidents involving the use of rigid bar handcuffs and 61% of incidents involving the use of pain-inducing techniques. At HMP Whitemoor, in Cambridgeshire, Muslim prisoners constituted 43% of the prison population. But more than half – 55% – of the use of rigid bar handcuffs and pain-inducing techniques over the year was on Muslim prisoners. At HMP Isis in Thamesmead, south-east London, Muslim prisoners made up 45% of the inmates. But batons were used on Muslim prisoners in more than 57% of the incidents where batons were drawn, and 56% of incidents of pain-inducing techniques involved Muslim prisoners. read the complete article
Vandalism of Muslim graves in London investigated as Islamophobic hate crime
The vandalism of over 80 Muslim graves, mainly belonging to babies and infants, is now being treated as an Islamophobic hate crime, the leader of Brent Council revealed to The New Arab. The Muslim section of Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery in Watford was targeted, with plaques removed from graves and scattered on the ground last week. Counsellor Muhammed Butt, the leader of Brent Council told The New Arab on Wednesday: "Yesterday I visited the cemetery to talk to the grieving families. Understandably, they are in shock." "Hertfordshire Police are investigating and have confirmed that they are treating this as an Islamophobic hate crime…there is absolutely no place for hate or discrimination of any kind anywhere, but particularly in London – a city where everyone is welcome, and where our diversity is one of our greatest strengths," he continued. He further confirmed that Brent council "will reinstate the damaged name plaques and return Carpenders Park Lawn cemetery to a peaceful, quiet place of remembrance for families as quickly as possible, once the Police have finished their investigation". read the complete article
UK anti-Islam activist 'Tommy Robinson' loses appeal against prison sentence
British anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon on Wednesday lost his appeal against his 18-month sentence after he previously admitted contempt of court for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee. Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, was jailed in October after he admitted contempt of court by breaching an injunction banning him from repeating the allegations against Jamal Hijazi, who successfully sued him for libel. In a ruling on Wednesday, three judges at London's Court of Appeal dismissed Yaxley-Lennon's appeal. They said that a previous judge's "application of the law and his reasoning on the appropriate sanction in this case both exhibit a meticulous approach". read the complete article
India
The endless legal battles over Muslim-donated lands in India
A controversial new law introduced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has put the spotlight on waqf, or properties donated by Indian Muslims over centuries. Waqf is a tradition across many Muslim-majority countries, where these properties are used to house and operate schools, orphanages, hospitals, banks and graveyards. The properties in India are managed by waqf boards formed by different state governments. A federal organisation called the Central Waqf Council coordinates their functioning. But thousands of these land tracts, worth billions of rupees, have been mired in legal disputes across the country for decades. They form just a fraction of thousands of such cases fought by waqf boards across India against private parties - Muslims and non-Muslims - as well as government departments. It is one of the challenges that the federal government claims will be resolved through the new law, called the Waqf Amendment Act 2025, which has brought in dozens of changes to the existing system. Many Muslim leaders and opposition parties have criticised the law, calling it an attempt to weaken the rights of minorities, and it has sparked protests and violence in some states. India's Supreme Court has also begun hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the law. read the complete article
Why Indian Muslims say the ruling BJP continues to marginalize them
India's Supreme Court has begun hearing challenges to a new law that expands state control over charitable properties buildings used by Muslims. The law, called the Waqf Amendment Bill, was introduced by India's Hindu nationalist government. Muslims have been protesting, saying it leaves mosques and other religious buildings vulnerable to demolition or confiscation. read the complete article
Australia
Cracks in social cohesion - the major parties must commit to reinvigorating multiculturalism
In the run up to the May 3 election, questions are being raised about the value of multiculturalism as a public policy in Australia. They’ve been prompted by community tensions arising from the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the sharp increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes. Is the erosion of social cohesion a consequence of multiculturalism? Or is multiculturalism the most effective approach to minimising the fissures opening up in the Australian community? Can Australia still pride itself on being one of the world’s most successful multicultural societies? Or will reinvigorating Australian multiculturalism be one of the great policy challenges for the next government? Two government-appointed envoys against antisemitism and Islamophobia have been crossing the country talking to communities, and testing the capacity of institutions to support their aspirations. This hive of activity around social cohesion distracts from the limited action on multiculturalism and the persistence and pervasiveness of racism in Australia. Last month’s federal budget funded increased security and support for multicultural communities. But the government has failed to rework the institutional infrastructure needed to move forward on the deeper issues raised by the review. read the complete article
This federal election, Australian Muslims face an ethical dilemma — and it’s not clear where their vote should go
Casting a vote is a significant civic act for many Muslims today. Islam encourages Muslims to be involved in decision-making and to be active citizens — especially when those decisions could have implications for the condition of Muslims and of humankind in general. In Australia, with Labor and the Liberal Party running neck-and-neck in the polls, Muslims find themselves faced with an ethical dilemma. Over the last fifty years, because of Labor’s generally affirming approach to multiculturalism, voting for ALP candidates has been the norm for many Muslims. But more recently, Muslims’ trust in Labor has waned primarily due to what many of us believe to be the apathetic stance it has taken to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as that of Lebanese migrants trapped in Lebanon when Israel extended its war against Hezbollah. The anger and dismay that many Muslims feel toward Labor have turned to vindictiveness: should they vote for the Liberal Opposition in order to punish the Albanese government? Could their vote be decisive in voting in a new government? But the fear of being further marginalised and scapegoated under a Coalition government led by Peter Dutton may discourage them from resorting to such measures. read the complete article
United States
Memo shows U.S. can send migrants without criminal records to Guantanamo, despite Trump's promise to hold "the worst" there
A government memo obtained by CBS News shows the Trump administration created broad rules outlining which migrants can be held at Guantanamo Bay, allowing officials to send non-criminal detainees there despite a vow to hold "the worst" offenders at the naval base. As part of his aggressive crackdown on immigration, President Trump in late January directed officials to convert facilities inside the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, into holding sites for migrants living in the country illegally. At the time, Mr. Trump said "the worst" migrants would be held at the base, directing officials to make space for "high-priority criminal aliens." But a previously undisclosed agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense indicates that the Trump administration gave officials wide-ranging discretion to decide who to send to Guantanamo Bay, enacting criteria not predicated on the severity of detainees' criminal history or conduct. In fact, the memo does not mention any criminality assessment. read the complete article