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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In France, Julien Odoul, a lawmaker from France’s National Rally party, stated that he “does not recognize the concept of Islamophobia” and believes negative attitudes toward Islam are legally and morally permissible, meanwhile in the United Kingdom, the Home Secretary has blocked the entry of Valentina Gomez, a US-based anti-Islam and self-styled MAGA influencer who’d been authorized to attend a far-right rally in London, and lastly in Canada, a threatening email was sent to a Muslim student group at the University of Calgary earlier this month leaving many on campus increasingly worried about Islamophobia in their community. Our recommended read of the day is by The Center for the Study of Organized Hate, on their new report mapping how Republican elected officials built a coordinated anti-Muslim campaign over the past thirteen months, with many posts satisfying all five criteria for speech likely to inspire violence. This and more below:
United States
Manufacturing the Muslim Threat | Recommended Read
Anti-Muslim bigotry by Republican Party elected officials across the United States has surged dramatically since early 2025. In more than 1,100 posts on their official social media accounts, Republican members of Congress and governors have promoted conspiracy theories about Muslim Americans, called for the deportation and denaturalization of Muslims, promoted negative portrayals of Islam, described U.S. cities with significant Muslim populations as “conquered” or “invaded”, weaponized domestic terror attacks to vilify Islam and Muslims even when no Muslim had anything to do with them, used dehumanizing language, and invoked claims of a supposed Muslim takeover of the United Kingdom and Europe to whip up anti-Muslim hysteria and fearmongering at home. This wave of hateful, false, frightening rhetoric puts Muslims in danger. The ongoing rhetoric paints any and all Muslims as threats, and it constitutes dangerous speech1 — since it can make people more likely to commit or condone violence against members of another group, in this case, Muslims. This rhetoric is especially dangerous because it carries the imprimatur of elected officials. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez blocked from entering UK for far-right rally
A US-based anti-Islam influencer who had been authorised to attend a far-right rally in London has been blocked from entering the UK by the home secretary. Valentina Gomez, a self-styled Maga influencer, was given permission last week to enter via a UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA). She was due to speak at the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The Guardian understands that Shabana Mahmood has intervened to withdraw the authorisation on the grounds that Gomez’s presence “would not be conducive to the public good”. Gomez, 26, attended the first Unite the Kingdom rally in September last year alongside Yaxley-Lennon, and warned from the stage that “rapist Muslims” were “taking over” the UK. “England, they took your guns, they took your swords, and they raped your women. You have nothing else to lose, but there’s still hope. You are still the majority. So you either fight for this nation or you let all of these rapist Muslims and corrupt politicians take over,” she said. She also addressed police officers, telling them: “I need you to stop following orders because you know you are being told to look the other way while your country is being raped into submission.” read the complete article
British universities paid security firm to ‘spy’ on pro-Palestine students
Twelve British universities paid a private firm run by former military intelligence officials to “spy” on student protesters and academics, including those who have expressed solidarity with Palestine, it can be revealed. A joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates has uncovered evidence that Horus Security Consultancy Limited trawled through student social media feeds and conducted secret counter-terror threat assessments on behalf of some of Britain’s most elite institutions. Horus, which describes itself as a “leading intelligence” firm, has been paid at least 440,000 pounds ($594,000) by universities since 2022. Among those monitored were a Palestinian academic invited to give a guest lecture at Manchester Metropolitan University and a pro-Gaza PhD student at the London School of Economics, according to internal documents. In October 2024, the University of Bristol provided the firm with a list of student protest groups it wished to receive alerts about, an internal university email suggests. It included pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists. read the complete article
International
Art from Guantánamo
Abu Zubaydah is a 55-year-old Palestinian who has been detained in Guantánamo Bay for 24 years. In the aftermath of 9/11, he was secretly held and brutally tortured by the CIA, with the complicity of many states, including the UK. He is dubbed the “forever prisoner” as the US claims the right to continue to detain him without any such charge or trial for the remainder of his life. Many facts surrounding that torture and complicity remain classified, and his conditions of confinement at Guantánamo mean that he is not allowed to communicate with the outside world. In this exhibition, he speaks through his art. It urges us to reflect, learn and act to end torture, arbitrary detention and the inhumanity of Guantánamo. read the complete article
The Tech Oligarch's Republic
WHILE WE AWAIT the future course of a global catastrophe, Palantir, the data and AI giant that services such clients as ICE and Israel, published something like a manifesto on Saturday. Its CEO Alexander Karp's high-profile book The Technological Republic is not something I've read—I had to return it to the library before I got very far—but the company posted its summary of the book, and in the process collapsed whatever difference existed between Karp's perspective and Palantir's. There is much in here that's vague and question-begging, but I can't very well complain about a summary of a book I haven't read. Still, the interpretation of the book Palantir presented reflects the id of the War on Terror: the only way to protect the United States (sometimes presented as "the West") from a conflated package of threats ranging from violent attack to multipolarity is to assert unbridled military dominance, in this case through artificial-intelligence superiority. Here it's helpful to remember that Palantir began with a $2 million investment from the CIA in 2004, when the War on Terror was the organizing principle of the U.S. government. This is what the rising tech oligarchy intends for the United States as it purchases politicians to consolidate and expand its power: war for dominance abroad and at home. read the complete article
Canada
Threatening email to UCalgary Muslim students sparks safety concerns
A threatening email sent to a Muslim student group at the University of Calgary has left many on campus increasingly worried about Islamophobia. Members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) say they still don’t know why their group was targeted in an email sent earlier this month, but say they’re treating the message seriously. Aitazaz Shah, president of the MSA, says the email came without warning. “We have no idea what instigated the email.,” he says. “Unfortunately, the world is filled with a lot of hatred. It’s a lot of Islamophobia. “And really, in the past few years, it’s been a huge rise in Islamophobia.” read the complete article
France
French lawmaker rejects concept of Islamophobia
Julien Odoul, a lawmaker from France’s National Rally party, has stated that he does not recognise the concept of Islamophobia and believes negative attitudes toward Islam are legally and morally permissible, sparking renewed debate over the limits of religious criticism and free speech in France. In an interview on a French television channel, Odoul declared: "I fully reject the very concept of Islamophobia," adding that "Islamophobia is legal in our country, and we have the right not to like any religion," Caliber.Az reports per local media. When reminded that incitement to hatred is a criminal offense in France, not a protected opinion, Odoul pushed back, arguing that religious criticism is distinct from racism. "Islam is a religion, not a race," he said, and described the term "Islamophobia" as political. read the complete article
India
Anti-Muslim Crimes In UP & Assam May Be International Crimes, Finds Panel
A 2026 expert report alleges widespread anti-Muslim discrimination and violence in Assam and Uttar Pradesh may constitute international crimes under international human rights and criminal law, including crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute, to which India is not a signatory but is party to several other treaties and conventions. In Assam, the panel cites evidence of hate speech, forced evictions, deportations, police abuses, and discriminatory policies. In Uttar Pradesh, practices include “encounter” killings, hate speech, and abusive, punitive policing targeting Muslims. read the complete article