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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In France, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) announced that copies of the Qur’an were torn and thrown after an individual broke into a mosque in the Le Puy-en-Velay region of south-central France, meanwhile in Australia, One Nation Senator Malcom Roberts has been accused of fanning anti-Muslim hate and associating with neo-Nazis after grilling Australia’s envoy to combat Islamophobia about “sharia law,” and speaking from Martyrs’ Square in Beirut Lebanon, Pope Leo called on the leaders to be “builders of peace: to confront intolerance, overcome violence and banish exclusion”. Our recommended read of the day is by the Editorial Board of The Houston Chronicle, which insists that those like Gov. Greg Abbot, who wish to sow Islamophobia, should “log off social media” and visit Islamic Centers, instead of promoting hate and division. This and more below:
United States
The cure for Texas politicians’ Islamophobia? Visit Houston | Recommended Read
Forget flooding or a changing energy industry or slowing economic growth. There’s a new threat facing Texas: Sharia law. Apparently Texas politicos from the governor on down have decided that Islam presents a terrifying danger to us all. We’re skeptical. Lawmakers in Austin have already targeted a suburban development organized around a mosque and faith-based school as a “Sharia compound.” Congressman Chip Roy, who is running for attorney general, is warning about the rise of an Islamic revolution in the United States. Bo French, chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, is running for Railroad Commissioner on a promise to “stop the Islamic invasion.” Even Gov. Greg Abbott is urging an investigation into entities supposedly enforcing Sharia law — though his office struggled to define the term. He also formally declared the Council on American-Islamic Relations to be a foreign terrorist organization, relying on sometimes decades-old allegations to ban the nonprofit from buying land in Texas. We have to ask: Do any of these politicians actually live in Texas or have they all taken up permanent residency online? Because this bizarre hatred toward Islam feels like a social media conspiracy utterly detached from reality on the ground. Anyone eager to join the crusade against Islam in Texas needs to, as the kids say, log off and touch grass. read the complete article
YouTuber Ms Rachel on 'Antisemite of the Year' list after showing support for Gaza's bombed and starved children
The pro-Israel Stop Antisemitism group has named popular children’s YouTuber Ms Rachel among its ten "candidates" for the annual 'Antisemite of the Year' competition, in a list including individuals with no history of anti-Jewish prejudice. Stop Antisemitism has relentlessly attacked Ms. Rachel, a child educator with over 17 million subscribers on YouTube, for her pro-Palestinian activism in response to Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. Over the year, the pro-Israel group has accused Ms Rachel of "spreading Hamas propaganda" and being "funded by a foreign party to push anti-Israeli rhetoric" after she called for Gaza’s starving children to be helped, in one of her videos. Ms Rachel also drew attention to Hind Rajab, the six-year-old Palestinian girl who was shot multiple times and subsequently killed by Israeli forces as she waited inside a car to be rescued. She also spotlighted the plight of Rahaf, a three-year-old Palestinian girl left disabled by Israel’s war on Gaza. The YouTuber, whose full name is Rachel Accurso, has also pledged not to work with anyone who refuses to speak out on Gaza and has been named as Palestine Children's Relief Fund’s global ambassador. read the complete article
Is Trump aiming for migrants from Muslim-majority countries in new clampdown?
After the shooting of two US National Guard troops near the White House, allegedly by an Afghan immigrant, President Donald Trump has vowed to end immigration from all "Third World" countries. His administration has yet to provide a final list of which countries might be affected, but it appears several Muslim-majority nations are being looked at. Joseph Edlow, head of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, said his agency would conduct a “rigorous re-examination” of every permanent resident in the US who has come from a “country of concern”, seemingly expanding efforts to deport people with green cards. Those countries are the 12 listed in a travel ban from earlier this year. Whether the “Third World” nations Mr Trump referred to match that list is not yet clear. The travel ban imposed in June restricted foreign nationals from 12 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa, from entering the US, claiming it was necessary to counter the threat of terrorist attacks and protect the public. read the complete article
France
Quran copies torn in French mosque break-in amid rising anti-Muslim hatred
The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) has announced that copies of the Quran were torn and thrown after an individual broke into a mosque in south-central France. "Muslims in France are deeply shocked and hurt by the desecration of copies of the Quran, which were torn and thrown on the ground by individuals who broke into a mosque in broad daylight in Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire department)," the French Council of the Muslim Faith wrote on X on Sunday. While noting that there were no victims, the group warned of the risk of such acts multiplying in a “toxic climate” recently fueled by “biased” surveys, reports, and stigmatising proposals targeting Muslims. "This desecration, which symbolically targeted the sacred book of Muslims within a place of worship, constitutes a serious Islamophobic act that reflects a hatred that must not be underestimated," the Council of the Muslim Faith added. read the complete article
Australia
One Nation senator criticised for 'Islamophobic' questions to envoy
A One Nation senator has been accused of fanning anti-Muslim hate and associating with neo-Nazis after grilling Australia's envoy to combat Islamophobia about sharia law. Malcolm Roberts, a Queensland-based representative of the right-wing party, questioned Aftab Malik during Senate estimates on Tuesday about why his report outlining a national response to Islamophobia did not mention sharia law. "Sharia law, should it be allowed into Australia, would replace Australian law, Australian courts, police and governments," Roberts said. "How can you talk about opposition to Islam without addressing the elephant in the room: sharia law?" Malik said the question was a good example of why his role was established by the federal government: to help people understand misconceptions around Islam and sharia law, which were fuelling anti-Muslim discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion. Greens senator David Shoebridge asked Malik whether false, politicised attacks, like saying sharia law was about to be imposed on Australia, were partly to blame for rising Islamophobia. read the complete article
International
Pope urges unity at gathering of Muslim and Christian leaders in Beirut
Christian and Muslim leaders gathered on Monday as Pope Leo XIV urged them to work for peace in their divided nation. As the call to prayer was heard from the nearby Mohammed al Amin mosque, located next to a church, clerics gave speeches and a children's choir sang Christian and Muslim hymns. Speaking from Martyrs' Square – which served as a demarcation dividing Beirut along sectarian lines during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war – Pope Leo called on the leaders to be "builders of peace: to confront intolerance, overcome violence and banish exclusion, illuminating the path toward justice and concord". The pope sat surrounded by the spiritual heads of 16 Muslim and Christian denominations, out of the 18 recognised by Lebanon. read the complete article