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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In France, a 43-year-old Muslim woman was violently attacked by two women in the town of Gardanne due to her wearing a hijab, meanwhile in the US, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation into law this week to target hate crimes includes criminalizing the forcible removal of religious clothing, including the hijab, and in China, NPR investigators follow the story of one man, a Uyghur Muslim, trying to reunite with his family amidst China’s systemic campaign to erase Uyghur heritage. Our recommended read of the day is by Thor Benson for Al Jazeera on how the trend of ‘de-risking’ by financial institutions has had a disproportionate impact on Muslim and immigrant-owned businesses, with many being completely cut off from banking services. This and more below:
International
Muslim charities face discrimination as Palestinians are desperate for aid | Recommended Read
As the people of Gaza face famine and the continued bombing of their homes by Israel, numerous Muslim charities and organisations are desperately trying to help keep Palestinians alive and help those in need. However, many of these organisations have found over the past year that the banks they rely upon to help get this aid to the people of Gaza do not want to work with charities that are run by Muslims – especially if they are focused on Gaza. This has become referred to as “Muslim while banking”. “We used to joke when we started our company that we had 99 problems and payments wasn’t one of them, and that quickly changed,” says Amany Killawi, co-founder of LaunchGood, a crowdfunding platform for Muslims. “I do feel there’s additional scrutiny on Muslim organisations.” LaunchGood is one of many organisations that are trying to help people from Gaza who have found their payment accounts closed for no discernible reason over the past year. Killawi says she thinks these banks are afraid of receiving bad publicity for working with Muslim organisations while the highly contentious debate over the future of Israel and Palestine goes on. “You have two problems in our space: Most banks are very risk-averse. They don’t want to support humanitarian work, even though it is all registered charities in good standing that have gone through vetting,” Killawi says. “The other issue you have is that there’s been a politicisation of humanitarian aid.” read the complete article
India
‘Status crimes’: Are Indian Muslims being criminalised simply for being Muslim?
India, despite formal guarantees of constitutional equality, today is experiencing an atmosphere where biases within the criminal justice system and the impunity granted to those in power have resulted in an ever-increasing criminalisation of the poor and marginalised. The situation of Muslims in India, particularly, illustrates how state laws, municipal regulations and officials’ pronouncements work together to accuse them of what can only be described as “status crimes”. Ministers, law enforcement officials and judges frequently use incendiary rhetoric that positions Muslims as inherent threats to national security or social harmony, reinforcing a normative environment where their “criminality” is presumed. Official pronouncements often label Muslims as disloyal or unpatriotic, making them targets of legal and extra-legal harassment laying the groundwork for laws and policies that aim to restrict their rights and freedoms. The increasing criminalisation of Muslim identity in India reveals the limits of formal constitutional equality when substantive biases persist in the criminal justice system. As a religious and cultural minority, Indian Muslims face a barrage of regulations and targeted policies that do not criminalise specific criminal acts but their very social and cultural presence, reminiscent of other oppressive regimes. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Challenging Islamophobia
“There has never been a more important time to raise awareness of Islamophobia” said Dr Abdulkarim Khalil, Chief Executive of the UKIM West London Islamic centre, reflecting on their recent and compelling exhibition in Ealing for Islamophobia awareness month. He continued “It has been a challenging time for British Muslims; as a community we regularly face prejudice because of our faith with many crimes going unrecorded. And with the riots in August, this has had a significant and worrying impact on many people’s lives.” In the past year, the Home Office reported 40% of all religiously motivated hate crimes target Muslim communities, making Muslims the most affected faith group – this doesn’t yet include figures from the far-right rioting witnessed during the summer. Islamophobia awareness month is a campaign founded by a number of Muslim organisations and aims to showcase the positive contributions of Muslims in the UK and raise awareness of Islamophobia. This year’s theme ‘seeds of change’ focused on the critical role of allyship and the need to tackle hatred together. read the complete article
France
Islamophobic attack on Muslim woman in France's Gardanne leaves her injured and traumatised
A 43-year-old Muslim woman was violently attacked by two women in Gardanne, a town in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of southern France, due to her wearing a hijab. The assault occurred on November 25 and is believed to have been motivated by Islamophobia, involving both physical violence and racist slurs, Caliber.Az reports, citing Moroccan media. The attackers allegedly followed the woman, calling her "veiled" and accusing her of "taking advantage of social benefits while we’re starving." They also reportedly said, “We should get rid of her like the Palestinians.” When the woman confronted them, telling them, "You have no right to talk to me like that," the attackers attacked her. “They pinned me to the ground and beat me. They ripped off my hijab and pulled my hair while calling me a ‘dirty race,’” the victim recounted. The assailants also issued death threats, saying, “We must finish her off.” A friend of the woman took her to the hospital, where medical staff treated her for a wrist hematoma, fractured ribs, abrasions on her legs, and facial bruises. According to reports, two days after the attack, the emotional trauma remained intense, and the victim struggled with psychological distress. read the complete article
United States
New York makes it illegal to forcefully remove hijab
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation this week to target hate crimes on the streets of New York, which includes criminalising the forcible removal of religious clothing, including the hijab. The legislation consists of three new laws to protect New Yorkers from hate-fuelled violence, including fighting harassment or threats against those who wear religious clothing, enhancing anti-violence education in schools and cracking down on stolen phones. "Public safety is my top priority, and I'm committed to using every possible tool to keep New Yorkers safe," Governor Hochul said in a statement. "There is more to do to stop hate and prevent violence in our communities. Signing these bills today will create three new laws to help protect New Yorkers and further reduce crime." Removing or threatening to remove religious clothing like the hijab or kippah is now classified as aggravated harassment in the second degree and takes effect immediately. read the complete article
China
Introducing The Black Gate from NPR
This is the story of a people being erased, one family at a time. For almost a decade, the Chinese government has been detaining hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uyghurs in what critics call a systematic attempt to dismantle their culture. And since the beginning, NPR correspondent Emily Feng has reported on these detentions, which were described by the United Nations as possibly constituting crimes against humanity. In this three-part series, Emily follows one man desperately trying to reunite with his wife and children. Along the way, she uncovers surprising new details about some of the Uyghurs enabling this massive surveillance state. read the complete article