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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In India, a now-deleted AI-generated video shared by India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been widely condemned after it showed a state’s chief minister appearing to shoot at an image of Muslims, meanwhile in Australia, the country’s special envoy for Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, has called for an investigation into NSW Police’s use of force during a Sydney rally on Monday after officers intervened while a group of Muslim protesters were praying, and lastly in the United Kingdom, a Doncaster councillor who has been suspended over several Facebook posts criticizing Islam has said his actions were “thoughtless” following a visit to a mosque. Our recommended read of the day is by Forrest Wilder for Texas Monthly on how Texas GOP hopefuls are using Islamophobia to try to appeal to voters as midterms approach and approval numbers across the nation have begun to dwindle. This and more below:
United States
Inside the Texas GOP’s Anti-Muslim Campaigning | Recommended Read
Steve Bannon had come with a dire warning. Western civilization was on the brink of falling, and only Texas could stop it from happening. It was early January, and Bannon, a globe-trotting MAGA intellectual and activist, had convened hundreds of conservatives for Save Texas From Radical Islam, a dark but spirited evening event at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, a half million or so square feet of climate control in Grapevine. At one point, Geert Wilders, a far-right Dutch politician, warned from the stage that “Islamic jihadists are plotting against you.” Glenn Beck, the blue-eyed granddaddy of televised conspiracy, headlined the sold-out event. But it was Bannon who spun the most gripping story. Islamists were conquering the West with hardly a fight. “They’ve taken London. They’ve taken New York City. They’ve taken Chicago. And they would give them all up for Texas.” Our state, he said, was the great prize because it “is where the future is being built.” The good news, though, was that an election was coming. In the March primary, Republicans would get to vote on a nonbinding ballot proposition to ban sharia law, the divine guidance drawn from the Quran. At the Gaylord, it meant something ineffable, sinister, and world-ending. “In this very state, we’re going to tell them, ‘Take your sharia law and shove it.’ ” The crowd roared. Suddenly, everywhere, all at once, loud voices in Texas are hollering about Muslims. Every Republican candidate in the coming midterms must now have an angle on Islam, it seems, no matter how risible. Public focus naturally shifts over time. But the abruptness with which Islamophobia reemerged in the past year or so suggests something less organic, more cynical. The midterms are coming, and things aren’t looking great for Trump and his party. Without the president on the ticket—and his uncanny ability to get low-propensity voters to the polls—downballot Republicans may be overwhelmed by highly motivated Democrats and independents. The supposed Muslim invasion gives every Republican candidate something to run on. Fear of the Other has always been a major motivator in American politics. read the complete article
Texas GOP lawmaker claims Dallas malls feel 'like Pakistan,' igniting backlash
A Texas lawmaker is making bold xenophobic and Islamophobic remarks, claiming parts of Texas are being overtaken by Muslim communities. Congressman Brandon Gill shared an excerpt from his interview with the right-wing streaming channel Real America's Voice, where he noted how his constituents were "desperately concerned about the Islamization of the Dallas area." Gill's comments come amid a broader rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas politics. Last year, Governor Greg Abbott designated civil rights organization Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Muslim Brotherhood as "foreign terrorist organizations" —a move CAIR sharply dismissed as baseless. read the complete article
From Guantanamo to Minneapolis
It seems like a cruel irony that Cuban migrants in the United States were jailed at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay. After 9/11, the base became synonymous with the excesses of the “war on terror,” torture, unchecked executive power and the violation of rights. More than 20 years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. is weaponizing the legal and political apparatus it forged during the war on terror as part of its campaign against migrants in the United States. Making the connections between Guantanamo Bay and immigration courts even starker, lawyers representing migrants today, like lawyers for those at the detention facility in Cuba before them, are turning to habeas corpus, a legal tool of last resort. Guantanamo Bay is rarely front-page news anymore. It has been largely forgotten, even though the 9/11 military tribunals lumber on, and 15 men remain imprisoned on the base. The Bush administration’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have faded into the rearview mirror. But I turn back to the war on terror and the unlawful detentions at Guantanamo Bay because they set the stage for ICE’s detentions and deportations today. read the complete article
Australia
Islamophobia envoy calls for apology over Sydney prayer incident; Minns defends police
Australia's special envoy for Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, has called for an investigation into NSW Police's use of force during a Sydney rally opposing Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit on Monday evening, after officers intervened while a group of Muslim protesters were praying. Footage circulated on social media, and shared by Greens senator David Shoebridge, appeared to show a group of about eight Muslim men kneeling in prayer during the demonstration outside Sydney's Town Hall. Several NSW Police officers were seen physically moving two of the men away from the group and trying to drag another to his feet as others continued praying. More than 100 Muslim organisations, including the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Lebanese Muslim Association and the Islamophobia Register Australia condemned the incident in a joint statement, describing it as "completely unacceptable". Malik has called for NSW Premier Chris Minns to publicly apologise to the Muslim community in one of the envoy's strongest rebukes yet against a government official since being appointed the role in September 2024. read the complete article
India
AI video of Assam CM Sarma shooting Muslims causes outrage in India
A now-deleted video generated by artificial intelligence and shared by India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam state, home to more than 12 million Muslims, has been widely condemned after it showed the northeastern state’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, appearing to shoot at an image of Muslims. The 17-second clip shared on X and titled “point blank shot” circulated widely on social media on Saturday before being removed after public outrage and criticism from opposition politicians. The video appeared to combine original footage of Sarma handling a rifle and AI-generated images showing him shooting at picture of two Muslim men under the title “No Mercy”. Sarma has been accused of running xenophobic campaigns against Muslims, who form one-third of the state’s population, before state elections expected in March or April. Local media identified one of the men in the image as an MP of the opposition Indian National Congress party. The video also included images of Sarma dressed as a cowboy and pointing a pistol, overlaid with text such as “Foreigner free Assam”. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Councillor says Facebook posts were 'thoughtless'
A Doncaster councillor who has been suspended over a number of Facebook posts criticising Islam has said his actions were "thoughtless" following a visit to a mosque. The posts shared on Paul Cutts' Facebook page, created by other users and shared on his profile, included three which targeted the Muslim faith in a derogatory way, with a fourth criticising niqab face veils, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Cutts, who represents Wheatley Hills and Intake, was suspended from Reform UK in January. After visiting Jamia Masjid Sultania Mosque on 1 February, Cutts said he "realised even more now what a thoughtless action it was to share the social media posts I did". Imam Habeeb Minhas invited Cutts to the mosque and councillor Karl Hughes helped to organise the visit. Speaking afterwards, Cutts said: "I cannot tell you how informative the visit was. I learnt so much about Islam and Muslims; it was extremely enlightening. "The Jamia Masjid Sultania Mosque is a truly beautiful building and extremely impressive." read the complete article