Search
SearchToday in Islamophobia: In France, Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced the fatal stabbing of a Muslim worshipper at a mosque in southern France, calling it an “Islamophobic atrocity”, meanwhile in India, as government forces continue to hunt for the attackers involved in the Pahalgam killings, Kashmiris living across India, especially students, have reported heckling, harassment and threats by far-right Hindu groups, and lastly in the United States, the U.S. based Muslim advocacy group CAIR has filed a legal complaint against Orange County New York for forcibly removing and prohibiting the wearing of a hijab by a female Muslim detainee as well as for the desecration of several of her personal items during her incarceration. Our recommended read of the day is by Amir Hussain for America Magazine, who writes on the interfaith legacy of the late Pope Francis and what the former pontiff meant to him and the broader Muslim world. This and more below:
International
What Pope Francis meant to me and the Muslim world | Recommended Read
I never met Pope Francis, but I was one of millions who admired his work. I was intrigued from the beginning when he took the name “Francis.” To many, that brought to mind the beloved, humble friar who founded the Franciscan order. But I knew from my Franciscan friends that St. Francis had a deep connection with the Muslim world during his lifetime. In 1219, St. Francis of Assisi met with the Muslim sultan Malik Al-Kamil in Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, seeking peace. Michael Calabria, O.F.M., one of my Franciscan friends who teaches at St. Bonaventure University, has spoken about the connection between St. Francis’ “Praises of God” and the “Most Beautiful Names of God” in the Qur’an. During his papacy, Pope Francis also reached out to the Muslim world. In his first Holy Thursday as pope, in 2013, he washed the feet of a female, Muslim prisoner in Rome. That simple act of humility spoke volumes about Pope Francis, both in terms of his connection to Muslims and his concern for those on the margins. A decade ago, at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis, Pope Francis yet again did the astonishing. While people around the world were debating whether they should allow Syrian refugees into their countries, wondering if they might instead be duped into bringing in terrorists, Pope Francis quietly and simply brought in three Syrian refugee families to settle in the Vatican. This showed the concern he has had for migrants, immigrants and refugees since the start of his papacy, when his first trip as pope outside of Rome was to the island of Lampedusa, where African migrants sought refuge in Europe. An even more explicit connection to Islam and Muslims came in 2017, when Pope Francis met with the grand imam of Al Azhar, Shaikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb. Al-Azhar University in Cairo, which is over 1,000 years old, is one of the most important centers of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, and Shaikh al-Tayyeb is one of its most important religious scholars. In 2019, Pope Francis co-authored the Document on Human Fraternity with Shaikh Al-Tayyeb and released it at a meeting in Abu Dhabi. And of course, Pope Francis was outspoken about ending war, whether in South Sudan or in Israel, Palestine and Gaza. read the complete article
Who is most likely to succeed Pope Francis and what could it mean for Muslims?
As the world says goodbye to Pope Francis on Saturday, attention turns not only to the future direction of the Catholic Church but also to the global relationships it nurtured over the past decade — particularly with the Muslim world. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where conflicts often intertwine with religious identity, the ideological nature of the next pontiff could have far-reaching consequences. The College of Cardinals is sharply divided. On one side stand the progressives and moderates, who emphasise interfaith dialogue, social justice, and engagement with Islam as a vital path toward peace in a fractured world. On the other are the conservatives and traditionalists, many of whom fear the erosion of Christian identity in an increasingly secular Europe which has large migrant communities. Europe has seen a rapid rise of far-right, openly anti-Islamic movements across the continent. As the world awaits the white smoke over the Sistine Chapel, Muslim communities — from Gaza to Cairo, Beirut to Rabat — are watching closely. The New Arab looks at the leading progressive, moderate and traditionalist candidates to succeed Pope Francis. read the complete article
Why I violated the IHRA definition of antisemitism
On 17 April, the National Day of Action for Higher Education, dozens of scholars of Jewish studies, Holocaust studies and Middle Eastern studies - myself included - took part in an organised effort to intentionally violate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of antisemitism. Defying the IHRA’s definition was an integral part of this day of resistance to Maga authoritarianism, in solidarity with higher education, which saw hundreds of rallies, teach-ins and webinars across the United States. The IHRA definition of antisemitism, which is endorsed by Washington, is a thinly veiled attack on freedom of speech, academic freedom and free inquiry. It prevents scholars from describing and discussing the significance of well-documented historical and contemporary facts. The definition attempts to censor discussions of the settler-colonialism, systemic racism, apartheid and now genocide that have informed the history and current policies of the state of Israel. According to the examples cited by the IHRA, stating that Israel is a racist endeavour constitutes antisemitism, even if one doesn’t say anything about Jews as a people or Judaism as a religion. My public violation of the IHRA definition consisted of sending an instalment of my "Israel-Palestine Update" blog entry entitled "Passover: Holiday of Freedom and Resisting MAGA Authoritarianism", to a mailing list of about 700 and posting it on my website. In it I explained why Israel should be considered a racist, settler-colonial society. read the complete article
Kashmir attacks: Kashmiris trapped between tourism and terrorism as an insecure nation looks to Modi for accountability
The attack came at the beginning of the peak tourist season, right before a major annual Hindu Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage that attracts thousands each year. It also happened soon after provocative statements from Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir. In a recent speech, Munir said: “No power in the world can separate Kashmir from Pakistan. Kashmir is Pakistan’s jugular vein.” The attack was made by gunmen who identified Hindu men by demanding they recite verses from the Qur'an before killing them, while sparing women and children. Kashmir is a site of multiple competing claims, entrenched conflict and intense militarisation. The political dispute has further been used to divide Kashmiris along religious lines, resulting in a discourse of competing victimhoods between Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Hindus. Against the backdrop of already normalised Islamophobia in India, such an attack creates greater prospects for repression and violence against Muslims. The reaction in the Indian media has followed a predictable script. Amid the Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) ratcheting up of anti-Muslim sentiment in the country, some people took to social media to demand the annexation of Pakistan Administered Kashmir (known as “PoK” – or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir by many in India). Kashmiri Muslims in India are reportedly now facing Hindutva groups threatening to target them. Hindu majoritarianism in India has long relied on constructing a narrative of the beleaguered majority under attack from a Muslim minority. So this attack becomes part of a selectively retold and lengthy history where Muslims have always been aggressors and Hindus always victims. read the complete article
United States
Local Arab Woman Targeted In Hate Incident On Way To Talk To Supervisors About Rise In Anti-Arab Hate
In some recent Instagram posts, local Palestinian organizer and activist Nadia Rahman shared details about a hate incident she experienced on the steps of City Hall, in which an older woman insulted her keffiyeh, calling it “trash” and telling her to "go back to your country." Rahman had been on her way to speak during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting in support of a resolution recognizing Arab American Heritage Month and to emphasize the sharp rise in anti-Arab hate fueled by the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide in Gaza. She immediately reported the hate incident to the Mayor’s office, her district Supervisor Connie Chan, CAIR, AROC, the California Civil Rights Department, and the City Hall Sheriff’s department. In an email to Supervisor Chan and Mayor Lurie's administration, Rahman called for stronger public support for San Francisco’s Arab community, emphasizing that this wasn’t an isolated event. read the complete article
Muslim advocacy group sues New York county jail for forcefully removing inmates’ hijab
The Council on American-Islamic Relations for New York (CAIR-NY), along with Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP, on Thursday sued Orange County, New York, officials for religious discrimination against plaintiff Tammi Green. The 27-page complaint outlines multiple instances where county jail officials are alleged to have violated Green’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. According to the complaint, Green was forced to remove her hijab for her booking photo and her photo identification card. The latter is pinned to the inmates’ jumpsuits and is presented to personnel every day to access all checkpoints and programs within the facility. Despite countless efforts to beg officials to let her keep her hijab on, Green states that she was prohibited from wearing it for more than 12 hours as she awaited arraignment. Although Green was permitted to take a new photo wearing her hijab “after several months of daily humiliation,” the thought of the old photo remaining in the system, where officials continue to view it every day, continues to cause her great harm. The allegations also speak of occasions where facility officials “confiscated Green’s hijab and other religious items and refused to return them.” During a search of her cell, Green found that her misbahah, prayer beads often used by Muslims, had been destroyed, and in a subsequent search, her Quran was “tossed to the ground.” Moreover, the complaint asserts that Green was denied religious meals multiple times, specifically during Ramadan, during which inmates are allowed to apply for a modified meal schedule. read the complete article
They staged protests for Palestine. The consequences have been life-changing
Guardian interviews with student activists, attorneys and researchers reveal an increased sense of hostility on campuses since 7 October 2023, which has stoked fear and anxiety and resulted in financial concerns for some pro-Palestinian student protesters. Some attorneys have said that Palestinians, Arab Muslims, and people of color have been universities’ primary targets when repressing pro-Palestinian free speech. In March, the federal government went even further in targeting pro-Palestinian scholars and students of color by arresting and detaining the Georgetown University professor Badar Khan Suri and the Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. “A majority of students who are contacting us for support are either Palestinian, Arab Muslim or other students of color,” said the advocacy group Palestine Legal’s staff attorney, Tori Porell. Additionally, low-income students or those who rely on financial aid are hardest hit by disciplinary actions, she said: “Students who live on campus might rely on campus meal plans. If they are abruptly suspended, they are losing access to housing, to their food, to healthcare, and they might not have funds to just fly home the way some students with more resources would.” In 2024, Palestine Legal received more than 2,000 requests for legal assistance, with about two-thirds coming from students, staff or faculty on college campuses. read the complete article
University of Nebraska-Lincoln responds to alleged Islamophobia in social media video
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln responded to allegations on Saturday of a possible case of Islamophobia on campus. A video has been circulating on social media showing a man making disrespectful comments to Muslim students. Channel 8 is choosing not to share the video yet until we can confirm who is involved and the authenticity of the video. We are working to find out if the man has any connection to the university. The Students for Justice in Palestine group at UNL has called for the man to be held accountable. read the complete article
United Kingdom
My daughter’s grave was destroyed in an Islamophobic attack – but I don’t hate those who did it
I felt sick as I stood among the remains of the graves at Carpenders Park Lawn cemetery in Watford. My daughter’s final resting place – along with dozens of others – trampled, kicked and defiled; the broken wooden stakes that carried the names of children and babies that had been taken from their loved ones far too young, tributes and flowers scattered across the clipped grass. This is a place of refuge, of peace and of memory. What kind of mind would think to debase it? Carpenders Park, where dozens of graves were desecrated earlier this month in what the council branded an “Islamophobic hate crime”, has been a place of sacred rest for both Christian and Muslim communities for decades. But it is more than that to me. It was the place where my beloved Baraka chose as her final resting place. A bright and beloved graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Baraka was an exceptionally gifted soul. In 2013, at just 21 years of age, she was diagnosed with bilateral stage 3 small cell lung cancer and given three to six months to live. She chose Carpenders Park because it was close to our home, but it was also a place that she felt reflected both her British identity and her Muslim faith. When I showed her a map of the available plots, she chose one closest to the footpath. I asked her why. With a twinkle in her eye, she said: “So that when my friends come to visit me, their shoes won’t get muddy.” Today, as we grieve after the violence that has shattered that space, I urge our communities to return to what Baraka embodied: compassion, humility and mutual respect. read the complete article
Mayor announces £875,000 boost to his record fund tackling hate crime and extremism in London
New funding will empower community groups across London to continue tackling antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate crime in all its forms. Additional £875,000 fund will strengthen communities against extremism and stop the spread of hateful ideologies with 50,000 Londoners set to participate over the next year. Funding forms part of the Mayor’s record £15.9m investment - more than any Mayor - to combat hatred, intolerance and extremism in all its forms and support grassroots community groups to stand up to hate. Action follows increased concern about online radicalisation and the spread of misinformation following the Southport disorder and stats showing that although hate crime incidents are falling across London, they still remain too high. read the complete article
Reward offered after Muslim graveyard vandalism
A £5,000 Crimestoppers reward has been offered after 85 graves were vandalised in the Muslim section of a cemetery. The damage to the plaques and graves at Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery in Hertfordshire is being treated by police as an Islamophobic hate crime. The charity said the money would be "for information we exclusively receive - that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible". It said the "deeply troubling incident" happened between about 13:00 BST on Friday 11 April and 17:00 on Saturday 12 April. read the complete article
India
‘We’re cursed’: Kashmiris under attack across India after Pahalgam killings
Walking through the narrow and crowded lanes of Jalandhar, a city in the northern state of Punjab, *Aasif Dar suddenly realised that “all eyes were on me”. And they weren’t friendly gazes. “I felt like every single person in the crowd had vengeance in their eyes,” recalled Dar. As Dar and a friend stopped by an ATM, two unknown persons approached them, asking about their ethnicity. They panicked and ran away. The next morning, on April 23, Dar left his house to buy milk. “Three men saw me and hurled Islamophobic slurs,” said Dar. “One of them shouted, ‘He is a Kashmiri, everything happens because of them.’” On Tuesday, April 22, gunmen opened fire on tourists in Kashmir’s resort town of Pahalgam, killing 26 tourists and injuring a dozen others. Yet, even as New Delhi has blamed Pakistan for the attack, which was claimed by an armed group seeking secession from India, the killings have also opened up the country’s religious and ethnic fault lines. As Indian government forces continue to hunt for the attackers in Kashmir’s dense jungles and mountains, Kashmiris living across India, especially students, have reported heckling, harassment and threats by far-right Hindu groups – or even their classmates. read the complete article
India’s Waqf Amendment Act: Who needs bulldozers when you have bureaucrats?
A new law. A deleted clause. A lone government official standing on a distant hill, raises his hand to his brow, surveys the land, and casually points. “That one,” he says. “I do not believe that land, or the property on it, was entrusted to you, or to the purposes you have dedicated it to.” With bureaucratic calm he declares the land to be government property. You are now an encroacher.From that moment forward, the land stops being under your guardianship. The state steps in and assumes control. And just like that, the bungalow cared for by your family for generations and used for goodwill, is no longer under your guardianship. There is no due process. They say there will be an investigation. Eventually. They give you no date, no deadline. Until you hear from them, all you can do is wait. Outside. For you now require permission from the state to step into the building your ancestors built and tasked you with protecting. Sounds dystopian? Not to Indian Muslims, for whom this is the lived reality under the Waqf Amendment Act – a piece of legislation that turns foundational principles of ownership, due process, and religious neutrality on their head. Waqf, by its very definition, is a perpetual endowment to God – meant to benefit the community by providing services, such as education and healthcare. It is not “owned” by an individual. It is held in trust, safeguarded by a mutawalli (custodian), and protected – one would assume – by the state. But the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, flips that assumption. Gone is the troublesome clause that allowed land to be declared “waqf” by user – the traditional understanding that land held in trust for charitable purposes should be protected from arbitrary claims, based on historical usage. In its place, we now have unilateral executive control. As a result, a single government official can now decide, with the wave of a hand, whether a property is waqf or government-owned. read the complete article
France
French PM condemns ‘Islamophobic’ stabbing at mosque, suspect still at large
Prime Minister François Bayrou Saturday denounced the fatal stabbing of a Muslim worshipper at a mosque in southern France, calling it an “Islamophobic atrocity”. The suspect, identified as a French citizen of Bosnian origin, remains on the run. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. read the complete article
Suspect in France mosque attack that killed Malian man on the run
A man suspected of killing a Muslim worshipper in a mosque in southern France remains on the run, authorities say, in an incident that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has branded as “Islamophobic”. Both men were alone in the mosque in La Grand-Combe, a former mining town in the Gard region, on Friday when the victim was fatally stabbed. The assailant reportedly recorded the attack on his phone and filmed the dying Malian man, who was in his 20s. A source close to the case, who asked not to be named, said the suspected perpetrator, while not apprehended, has been identified as a non-Muslim, French citizen of Bosnian origin, according to the AFP news agency. After initially praying alongside the man, the attacker stabbed the victim about 50 times before fleeing the scene. The body was found later in the morning, when other worshippers arrived at the mosque for Friday prayers. The suspect, who has been identified only as Olivier – born in France in 2004 and unemployed, with no criminal record – is “potentially extremely dangerous” and it is “essential” to arrest him before he claims more victims, according to regional prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini. read the complete article
Australia
Muslim Australians are crying out to be heard. Will the major parties listen to us?
Living in the multicultural area of Casey in the city’s south-east, I have noticed the complexities of identity struggles within various communities, and how these tensions echoed through the political arena. Having spent much of my career fighting for democracy and equal rights in Afghanistan’s autocratic and feudal system, I find it fascinating to witness how those same principles of identity and representation unfold here in Australia. Nearly two centuries after Monga Khan roamed this land, Muslim Australians like myself continue to navigate the political implications of our identity. The challenge is not merely one of representation but of belonging – ensuring that in the pursuit of political solutions no community is left feeling alienated from the very nation it calls home. This tension has heightened since the Gaza war and was also laid bare in February when Creative Australia decided to revoke Lebanese Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi’s appointment as Australia’s representative in the Venice Biennale just five days after he was selected, following negative commentary around two of his historical works. Sabsabi has described his anger at the decision and how damaging the past two months have been: “I’m a Lebanese Muslim Australian artist. Regardless of my ethnicity or where I was born, regardless of my faith, I am an Australian artist, who has lived here for the majority of my life. So therefore I should be entitled to the rights of every other Australian citizen.” He has also described what he called a “double – or triple – standard” when it comes to the idea of citizenship in Australia. “Who is Australian? What is Australian? These definitions, and these hierarchies of citizenship, all they do is just further divide the nation, further cause infighting and breed more hate, breeds more distrust of the other.” These questions – and this sense of alienation – has emerged in conversations with people in my community in Casey and are no doubt present in other parts of the Muslim Australian community. It has no doubt been exacerbated by the war in Gaza, and the rise in reports of Islamophobia in the community (the number of in-person incidents doubled between late 2024 and early 2023, with women and children disproportionately targeted). read the complete article
Canada
Liberal support from Canada’s Muslims may no longer be a sure thing
For the past two decades, Canada’s Muslims have largely voted Liberal, but that support could be shifting. CBC’s Farah Nasser goes into the community and finds that silence on Gaza has become a deal-breaker for many at the ballot box. read the complete article