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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In Germany, senior newsroom figures at Deutsche Welle are allegedly cultivating a culture of fear among journalists who are tasked with reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza, meanwhile, the newly released European Islamophobia Report 2023 exposes the deep-rooted and systemic nature of anti-Muslim racism across Europe, revealing its impact through discriminatory laws, hate crimes, and the erosion of fundamental rights, and in the UK, the country’s shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has been heavily criticized for saying that no “sharia courts” should exist in the country, referring to the informal bodies issuing non-legally binding religious rulings on marriage. Our recommended read of the day is by PBS News on a new documentary following Aymann Ismail (staff writer, Slate Magazine) as he explores the role that Muslims played in the imagination of America’s founding generation. This and more below:
United States
How Muslims Influenced Thomas Jefferson and America’s Founders | Recommended Read
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson owned a copy of the Qur’an? That George Washington owned enslaved people who were Muslim? And that a Muslim diplomat broke his Ramadan fast in the White House in 1805? These are some of the facts that Aymann Ismail (staff writer, Slate Magazine) discovers as he explores the role that Muslims played in the imagination of America’s founding generation. Aymann’s journey takes him from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello but begins in the Library of Congress. Here he sees two books that symbolize the promise and contradictions of the early Republic; Jefferson’s copy of the Qur’an and an autobiography written by an enslaved African Muslim, Omar Ibn Said, who was brought to the United States during Jefferson’s presidency. Through these books, Ayman discovers how some Muslims were included in the founders’ vision of religious freedom in the nascent Republic, while other Muslims were denied all their rights, because of their race and legal status. The film features interviews with Keith Ellison (the first Muslim elected to Congress,) Denise A. Spellberg (author of Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an: Islam and the Founders), and Jeffrey Einboden (author of Jefferson’s Muslim Fugitives: The Lost Story of Enslaved Africans, their Arabic Letters, and an American President). read the complete article
How framing white supremacy as a domestic security threat can backfire
In his first presidential address to Congress in April 2021, President Joe Biden described white supremacy as a domestic terror threat that the country could not ignore. Framing white supremacy as a national security threat is a relatively new phenomenon in Democratic politics. Scholars have documented multiple consequences of invoking the threat of terrorism in political communication, but until recently, American news media connected terrorist threat almost exclusively to Muslims. We wanted to know how white voters might react to this new rhetoric that frames white supremacy as a security threat. We started the study with two competing expectations. On one hand, given the degrees of affective polarization (where people feel more positive about the party they support and negative about the one they oppose) and negative partisanship (where dislike for one party fuels support for another) in modern US politics, Democrats and Republicans may simply reject any messages coming from the opposing party. On the other hand, racial identity may lead white respondents to reject messages about white supremacy as a threat—regardless of their partisanship. We find that messages linking white supremacy to terrorism increase the perceived acceptability of tweets directed against Islam and Muslims – but only for Democratic respondents (see Figure 2). Specifically, exposure to a Democratic tweet on white supremacy leads Democrats to rate a Republican tweet on radical Islam as more acceptable. The increase is substantial: approximately 0.8 on a 7-point scale in the student sample and 0.6 on the same scale in the adult sample. In other words, political messages framing white supremacy as a security threat increase the acceptability of anti-Muslim appeals, and this effect is driven by Democrats. We do not find, however, that framing white supremacy as a security threat increases respondents’ agreement with anti-Muslim tweets. Similarly, presenting a Republican tweet first does not impact perceived acceptability of Democratic tweets on white supremacy as a terrorist threat. read the complete article
United Kingdom
GP made derogatory comments about Muslim patients
A doctor who accidentally recorded himself making derogatory comments about two Muslim patients in a voicemail has been given a warning by a medical tribunal. Dr Balvinder Mehat left the comments inadvertently after he phoned a different patient and failed to disconnect the call. The GP, who is senior partner at Bakersfield Medical Centre in Nottingham, is also currently being investigated by the General Medical Council for circumcising a boy without his father's consent. Dr Mehat told the BBC he regretted his comments and the warning was "a necessary, appropriate, and proportionate outcome". The comments were made in the strongest language and included a claim that "these Muslims are very bad" and made a reference to incest. Dr Mehat, who is Sikh, made the comments while having a conversation with his practice manager on 8 July 2021. read the complete article
UK shadow justice secretary criticised for demanding end to Islamic courts in UK
Britain's shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has been heavily criticised for saying that no "sharia courts" should exist in the country, referring to the informal bodies issuing non-legally binding religious rulings on marriage. Responding to an article in The Times calling Britain the "western capital for sharia courts", Jenrick - who previously called for people shouting "Allahu Akbar" in public to be arrested and pushed to remove a Palestinian student's visa after she spoke at a pro-Gaza rally - said on social media platform X: "None of these courts should exist." He added: "There’s only one law in this country and it is British law." The UK has three separate legal systems: a combined legal system based on common law in England and Wales, an independent legal system in Scotland combining common and civil law, and another independent legal system in Northern Ireland. A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain, the country's largest representative umbrella group of Muslim organisations, told Middle East Eye that Jenrick's comments "reveal a concerning pattern of inflammatory rhetoric that surfaces every few years to whip up antagonism against British Muslims". read the complete article
International
Report unveils systemic anti-Muslim racism rooted across Europe
The European Islamophobia Report 2023 exposes the deep-rooted and systemic nature of anti-Muslim racism across Europe, revealing its impact through discriminatory laws, hate crimes, and the erosion of fundamental rights, while calling for urgent action to dismantle these entrenched injustices. The newly revealed report touches on numerous issues and calls on European governments to adopt measures to combat Islamophobia. EIR 2023 stands out as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers, and civil society, delivering comprehensive insights and practical strategies to tackle Islamophobia effectively. The report noted that even though the United Nations declared an International Day to Combat Islamophobia, only Spain designated such a day, with no other European government recognizing it in 2023. The resolution calls for the appointment of a U.N. special envoy to combat Islamophobia. It further urges member states to take decisive action against religious intolerance, particularly targeting Islamophobia. It also requests the U.N. secretary-general submit a report on the implementation of the measures and efforts to combat Islamophobia at the General Assembly this fall. Ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza exacerbated anti-Muslim rhetoric in Europe, wrongly portraying solidarity with Palestine as extremism, prohibiting protests and other restrictive measures imposed in Germany, France and Denmark, the report said. read the complete article
Palestinian Christians call on western churches to ‘humanize’ the children of Gaza
In a recent message for the first Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Munther Isaac, one of the foremost Palestinian Christian theologians, issued a letter pleading for the world to “humanize the children of Gaza, the children of Palestine.” Similar pleas are also being made from Muslim and Jewish voices in support of Palestinian human rights. Such faith-based communities protesting Israel’s occupation and genocide say that criticizing Zionist ethnonationalism is not to be equated with antisemitism. Israel disputes the accusation of genocide and states that it is acting in self-defence following the Oct. 7 attacks. As a Christian theologian and a professor of religion and culture, I have been considering what this call to “humanize” means for Christian churches and theologians. I co-authored a recent article with theology professor Michel Andraos of Saint Paul University, “A Sin against Humanity and God: the Genocide of the Palestinian People and the Churches’ Silence.” This article explores how and why many abiding silences pervade western church responses to the crisis in Gaza. read the complete article
Germany
As Gaza war rages, Deutsche Welle insiders accuse outlet of pro-Israel bias
Senior newsroom figures at Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle are cultivating a culture of fear among journalists who are tasked with reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza, 13 staff members and freelancers currently working for the network – plus a former long-term correspondent – have told Al Jazeera. They accuse Deutsche Welle of pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian bias, allege that they have heard colleagues make Islamophobic and dehumanising remarks about Palestinians and protesters in the Berlin office with impunity, and have shared with Al Jazeera several internal documents – one of which lists “possible comebacks” for anchors to use during live interviews with “pro-Palestinian voices” who make “controversial statements” – such as accusing Israel of war crimes. Other documents include a separate style guide specifically for covering Israel and the Palestinian territories, which informs staff that the word “Palestine” cannot be used in coverage “as it has not yet gained the status of a state”. A handout from an anti-Semitism awareness training event suggests that “hatred of Jews is expressed using codes such as the ‘Zionists’ or the ‘Israelis’ … Therefore, criticism of Israel can also be a form of Israel-related anti-Semitism.” A planning document for the war’s anniversary, at a time when at least 42,000 Palestinians, including 17,000 children, included the sentence: “The focus should be on the terrorist attack on Israel, but stories dealing with the war in Gaza can also be published on this day.” read the complete article
France
Israeli fans assault pro-Palestine activists at French basketball game
Israeli basketball fans attacked Pro-Palestinian protesters after they interrupted a game between French team Nanterre and Israeli team Hapoel Holon in Paris on Wednesday by waving Palestinian flags, widely shared social media videos showed. The game took place in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, with social media footage showing activists evading security on the court as they escaped into the stands, where they were assaulted by Israeli fans. Israeli fans could be seen fighting with pro-Palestine fans and grappling with security, while some can also be seen throwing items into the crowds. Police intervened to separate the groups and reportedly used force against the activists. During the clashes, Israeli fans could also be heard hurling insults at the protesters. read the complete article
Australia
Racism rife at universities as many fear speaking out
Staff and students from minority groups have reported multifaceted forms of racism at universities, with many too afraid to speak out. Indigenous staff and students endured "structural and interpersonal racism" including their achievements being undermined by others characterising them as special treatment, an Australian Human Rights Commission report found. "Limited understanding of historical and systemic discrimination remains a barrier to equity," said the interim report into racism at universities, delivered on Thursday. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims described hostility, threats and discriminatory practices such as restrictions on cultural expression and prayer spaces. Many didn't want to speak out for fear of academic repercussions. Africans and Asians encountered severe racism and often had to moderate and self-censor how they expressed themselves, while international students reported exclusion, social isolation and feeling like they were reduced to "cash cows". Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said universities played a critical role in providing academic qualifications and "are gateways to opportunity that can either address inequality or exacerbate it". "However, structural racism has been legitimised by Australia's colonial history and remains embedded in our society," he said in the report's foreword. read the complete article
India
Why an Indian lawmaker’s ‘Palestine bag’ riled the Hindu rightwing
India’s Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi left leaders of the Hindu nationalist BJP griping about “Muslim appeasement” when she walked into parliament on December 16 with a Palestine-themed handbag slung over her shoulder. Along with the word “Palestine” written in capital letters, the tote bag had images of watermelon and dove, symbols of Palestinian solidarity and peace, respectively. A daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter of India’s prime ministers, Gandhi currently serves as secretary general of the secular Congress party, which has ruled India for the most part of its existence since 1947. She has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “barbarism” in Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians in the last 14 months. Gandhi’s pro-Palestine stance puts her at odds with India’s recent shift towards stronger support for Israel under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had unequivocally condemned the October 7 incursion by Hamas last year. Since 2014, when he came to power, Modi has nudged New Delhi closer to Israel, emphasising defence cooperation, counter-terrorism and economic ties. read the complete article