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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, according to recent reports, incidents of Islamophobic hate crimes have been on the rise, with many British Muslims facing verbal abuse, workplace discrimination, and even physical attacks across the country, and in the United States, investigative journalism by CNN has uncovered that sources from within the U.S. Department of Defense and DHS say that “nobody knows what’s going on” in terms of carrying out President Trump’s orders to transition the Guantánamo Bay prison into a migrant detention facility. Our recommended read of the day is by Corey Saylor for Al Jazeera about how there are important lessons in the Muslim American experience since 9/11 that can help opposing voices survive Trump’s second term. This and more below:
United States
What America’s Muslims can teach you about resisting political oppression | Recommended Read
For those wondering how an administration that favours headline-grabbing over justice and lawfulness might deploy weaponised law enforcement, baseless investigations, and political retaliation against those with differing viewpoints, there is much to be learned from the experiences of America’s Muslims. For us, it is the same old story. After 9/11, a broad range of Muslim organisations based in the US were targeted by law enforcement under the pretext of combating terrorism. This campaign involved high-profile investigations, asset seizures, and public accusations. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) staff, in their 2009 report Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity, reported that “According to the 9/11 Commission staff, Treasury officials acknowledged that in the post-9/11 period, ‘some of the evidentiary foundations for the early designations were quite weak,’ and that the haste to designate charities after 9/11 ‘might [have] result[ed] in a high level of false designations’.” Many other groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the US, where I work, were similarly smeared. The consequences of these smears persist to this day. Take CAIR, for example. If you are a Muslim in the US with political opinions, particularly on civil rights or issues affecting marginalised minorities, you have been subjected to government scrutiny. By 2011, then-Attorney General Eric Holder concluded that “the facts and the law” did not support any legal action against CAIR. The Bush administration had reached the same conclusion earlier. Undeterred by facts or law, however, internet warriors claimed the decision was due to political interference. US Attorney James Jacks, a key figure in one prosecution, later issued a statement addressing these allegations, saying, “The decision to indict or not indict a case is based upon an analysis of the evidence and the law. That’s what happened in this case.” Still, the labels and rumours persist. Be prepared, as this is likely what you – alongside anyone publicly expressing a dissenting opinion or standing opposition to a government position – will face under Trump 2.0. Facts? Law? Not in this case. The same old story: Disinformation serving political agendas. It will make your allies hesitant to come to your defence. It will make donors nervous. It will obstruct your ability to advance charitable causes. read the complete article
The Pentagon's Rush to Staff Trump’s Guantanamo Migrant Prison Camp Should Terrify Us All
As intern-age DOGE engineers gut federal agencies, leading to mass firings and confusion, new job offers of a much higher degree of reckless bloat and excess are quietly cropping up elsewhere. One “opportunity,” as the Pentagon bills it, involves helping build up migrant prison camps at a detention facility synonymous with human rights abuses. An internal army bulletin was flagged to me earlier this week. “We are in urgent need of certain skill sets to support our Service Members recently deployed to Guantanamo,” the blurb read. Essentially, the Pentagon is urging civilian officers to enlist for a six-month deployment to construct and manage Donald Trump’s migrant prison camps. Civilian officers would begin the deployment in March and assist the Joint Task Force Southern Guard – a spanning unit made up of the Department of Homeland Security, Army, military intelligence, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and more – with building up the prison to detain migrants. The all-hands effort underscores how fast institutional machinery is churning to obediently implement the Musk-Trump-Vance administration’s brash plot to mass detain migrants, raising not only legal questions but also widespread concerns about how migrants will be treated at an island prison notorious for human rights violations. After all, it was only two weeks ago that Trump said he wanted to capture and hold tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in the widely criticized detention facility. Since then, tents have gone up, dozens of migrants have been flown in, and several branches of the military have come together to make it all happen. Little fanfare, little pushback – cogs falling into place, gears whirring into motion. Morals, Congress, the Constitution be damned. And transparency? What’s that? Even the officials tasked with carrying out the plan seem confused. “Nobody really knows what’s going on, between DOD, ICE, and CBP. We’ve got everybody pointing fingers, saying, ‘They’re in charge,’ ‘They’re paying for this,’ ‘They’re providing security.’ No one actually knows,” one source told CNN. read the complete article
‘Nobody really knows what’s going on’: US officials scramble to expand Guantanamo Bay for migrants
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department are racing to set up multiple tent facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house thousands of migrants, but the scattered efforts have prompted questions internally about who’s in charge and what will happen once people arrive on site. The unprecedented move to transfer migrants from the United States to Guantanamo Bay has involved multiple federal agencies – including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection – each with their own set of expertise and responsibilities. While DHS and DOD have worked together on border security missions before, doing so at Guantanamo has been a steep challenge roiled by confusion, sources told CNN. “Nobody really knows what’s going on, between DOD, ICE, and CBP. We’ve got everybody pointing fingers, saying, ‘They’re in charge,’ ‘They’re paying for this,’ ‘They’re providing security.’ No one actually knows,” one source with knowledge of the planning said. read the complete article
United Kingdom
British Muslim creators 'herded' into Prevent funding, says Equi think tank
A major report by a new think tank has found that British Muslims are important "cultural producers" - but that Muslim creatives are often "herded" into receiving counter-extremism related funding. Equi, which describes itself as a "think tank that was born out of the UK Muslim community", launched its report on "UK Arts and Culture and the role of British Muslims" in parliament on Wednesday. The packed event was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims. It featured talks by the APPG's co-chair Labour MP Sarah Owen, its vice-chair Labour MP Afzal Khan and former Conservative Party chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi. Professor Javed Khan, Equi's managing director, told parliamentarians and civil society figures at the launch that the think tank is "seeing engagement" from the Labour government, including ministers and special advisers. The report, authored by Dr Muhammad Gulbar Khan, argues that British Muslims are "transitioning from cultural consumers to cultural producers in a global marketplace in which the global halal food and Muslim lifestyle market is at least $3.7 trillion". "The British Muslim cultural sector brings influences, connections, histories and a cultural capital that understands and intersects across large parts of our world," it argues. Singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, wrote in the foreword that Muslim cultural activities face challenges "such as severe funding cuts and reductions in arts funding, which threaten cultural institutions". read the complete article
Living Under the Shadow: The Mental Health Impact of Islamophobia on Muslims in the UK
Islamophobia remains a persistent issue in the UK, affecting countless Muslims who face discrimination, hate speech, and offensive remarks daily. Whether overt or subtle, these experiences are not just social issues but also profound mental health challenges. For far too long, Muslims have been expected to “just put up with it,” internalizing pain and discomfort to avoid conflict or escalation. However, it's time to break this silence, spread awareness, and acknowledge that it is okay not to be okay. According to recent reports, incidents of Islamophobic hate crimes have been on the rise, with many Muslims facing verbal abuse, workplace discrimination, and even physical attacks. The effects of these experiences go beyond immediate hurt; they leave lasting emotional scars, impacting self-esteem, sense of safety, and mental well-being. Living under the weight of Islamophobia contributes to anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental health issues. The feeling of alienation and the pressure to conform to avoid discrimination often lead to identity crises, making it difficult for individuals to fully express themselves. A psychologist specializing in cultural trauma, explains, “The ongoing stress of facing hate speech or discrimination can lead to chronic anxiety and even PTSD. It’s not just the incidents themselves but the anticipation of them that can be deeply damaging.” read the complete article
Exclusive: British Muslim Network backed by charity set up by former archbishop Welby
A new national body appearing to challenge the leadership credentials of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has lost many of its earlier supporters and is being backed by a charity set up by disgraced former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Middle East Eye can reveal. The new body, the British Muslim Network (BMN), is set to hold its launch event on 25 February but faces an escalating crisis as increasing numbers of Muslim MPs refuse to attend, MEE understands. Last July, MEE first reported on plans to create a new Labour-supported Muslim group designed to engage with the government. Since then, MEE understands that the initiative has lost most of its backing, including hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding. Several Muslim MPs have privately said they will not accept invitations to attend the upcoming launch event. BMN co-founder Akeela Ahmed said in late January that the network was “only speaking to potential funders within the British Muslim community”. But three anonymous Labour insiders with knowledge of the matter told MEE that the BMN is receiving a large part of its support from the Together Coalition. The coalition is a charity co-founded by Welby and Brendan Cox, the husband of the Labour MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a far-right-inspired gunman in 2016. read the complete article