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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, mosques around the country are tightening security measures as anti-immigration protests continue outside hotels, while across the globe, a group of young Muslim women are redefining what it means to be a “skater”, finding strength, faith and sisterhood along the way, and lastly, Amnesty International on Thursday condemned the lack of accountability for the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Our recommended read of the day is by Reem Aouir for Middle East Eye on how the official Arabic-language X account of the Israeli government posted an Islamophobic tweet framing Muslims in Europe as a ‘fifth column‘, a term meaning “enemy from within”. This and more below:
International
‘Remove this fifth column’: Israel’s Arabic X account sparks outrage over anti-Muslim post | Recommended Read
A tweet posted by Israel’s official Arabic-language X account has ignited a wave of condemnation across social media this week, after claims that Europe, once home to under a hundred mosques in 1980, now shelters over 20,000 - an increase it described as “the true face of colonisation”. The post, published on 25 August, juxtaposed a map of European mosques with inflammatory language warning of violence and indoctrination. While acknowledging freedom of worship as a “basic human right”, the account alleged that “the real danger lies in the contents that are taught in some of these mosques” which encourage “escalating violence in the streets of Europe” and “spread hatred for the other”, while calling on European governments to “wake up and remove this fifth column”. The "fifth column" is a term originating from the Spanish Civil War that refers to a group or entity within a country at war that works to advance the interests of its enemies. Many social media users described the tweet as an Islamophobic campaign targeting Muslims in Europe, echoing far-right talking points and stereotypes. “Israel’s official state ideology is global race war against Muslims,” wrote one person, while another asked: “What would the reaction be if an Arab state wrote this about synagogues and Jews?” Another highlighted the timing of the tweet, warning that “at a time when anti-Muslim racism in Europe has reached unprecedented levels - evidenced by the fact that one in two Muslims report experiencing discrimination in their daily lives - such Islamophobic content further jeopardises the safety and well-being of millions”. read the complete article
Skater Uktis: Muslim Girls are Transforming Skateboarding
From New York to Birmingham to Abuja, a group of young Muslim women are redefining what it means to be a skater, finding strength, faith and sisterhood along the way. Through mixed media and observational storytelling, Skater Uktis captures their journey of self-expression and empowerment. Featuring skaters of Palestinian, Indian, Pakistani and Nigerian heritage, the film offers a timely and powerful exploration of empowerment and identity. Skater Uktis is a short documentary that offers a joyous and inspiring look at skateboarding through the eyes of an international, all-women Muslim skate crew. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Mosques around UK tighten security as anti-migrant protests continue
Mosques around the UK are tightening security measures as anti-immigration protests continue outside hotels. The protests began in July after a man who was housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, was accused of sexual assault, and continued after the high court granted Epping Forest council an interim injunction against the use of the building to accommodate people seeking asylum. Fear of a repeat of last summer’s racist violence means that the Home Office is now paying for security staff to guard the Harlow Islamic Centre, which is the closest mosque to the Epping hotel. “We’ve never faced this type of insult before,” said Abdul Malik, a Bristol councillor and chair of the city’s Easton Jamia Masjid. “It puts us in our place — that we are different. That no matter if people like me are born here and have invested a huge amount of time and energy in this country, it just takes a few idiots to emphasise that we don’t belong here. It makes me feel quite vulnerable.” Although the mosque has security personnel and CCTV, installed after a bomb threat during last year’s riots, Malik said the protests remain a concern for worshippers, especially families and older people. “We are seeing people coming in worried,” he said. read the complete article
China
Amnesty International decries lack of accountability for China treatment of Uyghurs
Amnesty International on Thursday condemned the lack of accountability for the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, noting that nearly three years have passed since a groundbreaking UN report detailed gross violations of international law against the group. In commenting on the sheer scale of crimes committed by state authorities against the community, Amnesty International’s China director Sarah Brooks stated: “Lives have been ruined, families separated and communities dismantled by the Chinese authorities’ continuing cruelty. Today, families of detainees continue to seek truth, justice and freedom for all those suffering in the Uyghur region.” In interviews with Amnesty, distraught family members recounted being prohibited from any form of contact with their loved ones, many of whom were suddenly taken away and imprisoned without due process or formal charges. They spoke of how they have remained in the dark for year about whether their relatives were alive and how lack of transparency has created a cycle of fear and anguish, with one family member describing the uncertainty as a “wound that never heals.” read the complete article