Today in Islamophobia

Today in Islamophobia: In the United States, calls from concerned residents of New York City increase as pressure to boycott the upcoming visit of Indian nationalist leader Mohan Bhagwat escalate, meanwhile in Northern Ireland, concerns have been raised about why members of a US “right-wing extremist” group who toured Belfast after the June riots were recently granted visas to visit the country, and lastly, Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb general who was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in atrocities during the Bosnian war, has died at the age of 84. Our recommended read of the day is by Christian Paz for Vox, who writes on the new documentary The Great American Conflict, a film produced by a Texas-based organization dedicated to converting Iran to Christianity, which the author claims represents a prime example of a dangerous new pairing of Islamophobia and Christian nationalism. This and more below:

United States

The obscure documentary fueling Islamophobia in Texas | Recommended Read

The Great American Conflict, a 75-minute documentary produced by a Texas-based organization dedicated to converting Iran to Christianity, declares its goal right at the beginning: “to reveal the true Islam to all people, especially in the West,” Iran Alive Ministries’s founder Hormoz Shariat says. “This film is also meant to be a warning to America. There is a serious threat of Islam in our nation.” Released at the start of summer and having premiered at a gathering of the Dallas County Republican Party, it’s an obscure film — you’ve probably never heard of it — but it has so far had a surprising political influence. It’s been shown at gatherings of local Republicans and conservative activists in Texas, where Islamophobic rhetoric and policy proposals have played a key role in activating the Republican base, candidates, and party leaders over the course of this year’s elections. The documentary is both a symptom and a cause of a larger trend unfolding in American politics in 2026 that is picking up steam now: the rise of a new iteration of blatant Islamophobia paired with Christian nationalist sentiment on the American right. read the complete article

Calls grow to block ‘Hindu-supremacist’ RSS chief’s visa ahead of New York City event

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged Washington on Thursday to revoke the visa of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, ahead of a planned event in New York City on Saturday. The group said that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has enforced policies close to the RSS's ideology, and is discriminating against communities, noting that religious freedoms in India are deteriorating, with violence and incitement rampant. "We urge the US government to consider targeted sanctions against RSS members and Indian officials complicit in religious freedom violations, including revoking the visa issued to Mohan Bhagwat and making him ineligible for future entry into the United States,” a statement from USCIRF read. The RSS is a Hindu nationalist group from which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP emerged. Bhagwat's event on Saturday has already triggered protests in New York this week, with activists demanding the event be cancelled over the RSS’s targeting of religious minorities. read the complete article

Abdul El-Sayed’s Win Sparked a Wave of Islamophobia Across Social Media

Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan generated a wave of Islamophobia across social media. That’s the conclusion of a recent Washington Post study and several similar recent investigations, which find that El-Sayed’s religion became the main target of right-wing critics after he won the state’s Democratic Senate nomination and positioned himself to take on the GOP nominee, Mike Rogers, this fall. According to the paper’s analysis, almost 1 in 3 posts about El-Sayed from right-wing figures mentioned Islam, Muslims, or Sharia Law, within 2 weeks of his August 4 victory. This included far-right pundits like Laura Loomer, who referred to El-Sayed as a jihadist, and GOP lawmakers, like Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) who declared that the former public health official could be the first “TERRORIST” to join the Senate. In a post on X, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that El-Sayed is a “Hamas supporter” who could help send the United States down a “truly dark road” if Americans don’t “wake up to this threat.” read the complete article

International

Belfast visit by US far-right figures raises questions over UK visa rules

Concerns have been raised about why members of a US “right-wing extremist” group who toured Belfast after the June riots were granted visas to visit the UK. Enrique Tarrio and Barry Ramey, members of the ‘Proud Boys’, travelled to Northern Ireland and met with various right-wing, anti-Muslim and loyalist activists. The Proud Boys are most known for their role in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, where hundreds of Trump supporters attempted to stop Congress from certifying President Biden's 2020 election win. The Proud Boys have been described as “a right-wing nationalist extremist group” by the UK’s Intelligence and Security Committee, and is designated as a “terrorist entity” by the Canadian government. While in Northern Ireland, Tarrio and Ramey produced a short documentary about the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie and subsequent riots. Framed as a “warning to America", the documentary also promotes the idea that Catholic and Protestant communities have put aside their differences to protest rising immigration. read the complete article

The far right's immigration trap closes in on Europe

Upcoming election campaigns across Europe – with parliamentary elections in Sweden, regional elections in Germany and a presidential election in France – illustrate just how effective the far right's escalation on immigration has become. With every victory – whether joining a government or passing anti-immigrant legislation that fits its scapegoating strategy – the far right logically pushes further and becomes ever more openly xenophobic. The example set by US President Donald Trump and his harsh immigration enforcement emboldens them. Their ultimate aim is so-called "remigration." Conservative escalation can only lead to European policies absorbing this vague identitarian concept, shifting from targeting irregular migrants to regular immigrants, and then to citizens deemed "unassimilable" by racial criteria. European democrats, convinced of the need for better protection of the continent's borders, are being challenged to put forward an alternative to the unacceptable. read the complete article

United Kingdom

It is open season on Muslims – I fear for our survival in Britain

In our times, white supremacy and xenophobia are being funded by big money, from tech billionaires to shadowy, neo-fascist operators. Elon Musk, raised a privileged boy in Apartheid South Africa, backs Tommy Robinson’s anti-Muslim, pro-“white natives” antics. We didn’t have social media back then. Now, it is the most potent force in our national consciousness. And rife with racism and nativism. Most of the traditional media and the political class reinforce these trends. That’s how neo-fascism appears and takes over. Muslims are one of the most reviled groups (and are the biggest target of religious hate crime in Britain). Disparaging them (or worse) an easy route to political influence and commercial gain. The hideous demonisation of all asylum seekers is the other. Sikh, Hindu, black British Christian and Muslim individuals are joining in with the mass hatred. They’re too obtuse to realise that racism, when aroused, will not spare them. Yes I mean you Kemi Badenoch, and you Zia Yusuf, and you Nadhim Zahawi, and others in your unholy club. read the complete article

Met Police restrict UKIP anti-Islam protest in London this weekend over 'serious disorder' fears

The Metropolitan Police have slapped restrictions on an anti-Islam march due to take place in central London this weekend over “serious disorder” fears. Protesters will no longer be able to gather in Edgware Road for Saturday’s Unite the People “No to Sharia Law” demonstration. Counter protests have also been planned. Businesses owners and residents in Edgware Road had raised concerns about the rightwing march, organised by the UK Independence Party (UKIP). read the complete article

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Ratko Mladić, ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ Convicted of Genocide, Dies at 84

Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian Serb general who was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in atrocities during the Bosnian war, has died at 84. Known as the “Butcher of Bosnia,” Mladić was a key player in the fighting that devastated the Balkans in the early 1990s in connection with the breakup of Yugoslavia. During the war in Bosnia, civilians of all ethnicities — Muslims, Serbs and Croats — became victims of horrible crimes, but Bosnian Muslims suffered the greatest losses, with thousands slaughtered by Serb forces. Mladić oversaw the brutal, years-long siege of Sarajevo, and commanded the troops who massacred more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica — considered one of the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II. In 2017, he was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and sentenced to life in prison. His death came nine years into his sentence. read the complete article

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