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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United States, the mother of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy killed in October 2023 in Illinois in a stabbing that authorities called a hate crime testified on Tuesday that her son’s alleged attacker said they must die “because they were Muslims”, meanwhile in Thailand, at least 40 Uyghur Muslims have been deported to China by the government despite warnings from human rights groups that they face possible torture and even death, and in Switzerland, the Swiss Center for Islam and Society (SZIG) has released a new report highlighting how anti-Muslim racism seems to be affecting “all areas of life across the country.” Our recommended read of the day is by Nathan J. Robinson for Current Affairs who writes that the current struggle against the growth of Islamophobia is as crucial as the antifascist struggle of the 1930s. This and more below:
United States
We Must Fight Against Anti-Muslim Propaganda | Recommended Read
I’ve been a little shocked myself at just how much I see on Twitter consists of outright bigoted remarks about ethnic minorities, whether Muslims, Haitians, or Jews. The anti-Muslim propaganda is the most ubiquitous. On and on it goes. “Islam is a horrible human invention.” “Imagine thinking Israel is the threat instead of radical Islam.” “Muslims commanded by Allah to ki*ll all of his human enemies on earth.” All of this is nasty bigoted propaganda. It is based in deep levels of ignorance. My reaction to seeing anti-Muslim propaganda is always the same: first, I am disgusted, but then I always think some variation on the same thought. The people who write this can’t possibly know many Muslims. The Muslims I have interacted with in my life have uniformly been decent, ordinary people. I just had a long conversation with the wonderful Islamic scholar and activist Omar Suleiman, who is humane, compassionate, and deeply well-read. I followed and reported on Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign for governor of Michigan in 2018, and he is a brilliant spokesperson for Medicare For All and a more egalitarian public health system, as well as a devout Muslim. I find it ridiculous that I should even have to mention the existence of such great American Muslims, but the bigots are so ignorant of real-life Muslims that it is important to remember that “Islam” is not some faceless abstraction but a set of real people with names, faces, families, jobs, and neighbors. Bigots do not like the word “Islamophobia,” but so much of the discourse about Islam is exactly this: an irrational fear. I am consistently horrified by the level of negative sentiments that so many people in the U.S. and Europe feel comfortable expressing about Muslims. I have noted before that a quick way to be disturbed by the society you live in is to imagine how things said about Palestinians or Muslims would sound if said about Jews. The moment you do this you develop a better understanding of "the banality of evil" and how Nazism became normalized. I see people on Fox News warning about Palestinian birthrates, or coming up with Nazi-like plans to send Palestinians to live on a small island, and I think: do you hear yourselves? Imagine saying there were too many Jews in positions of power or Judaism is a “horrible human invention.” Many of us can see clearly why these positions would be horrifically bigoted, but for some reason anti-Muslim bigotry is much more tolerated, to the point where the New York Times actually employs a columnist, Bret Stephens, who once wrote that there was a “disease of the Arab mind” (namely antisemitism). Imagine someone writing about a “disease of the Jewish mind” and remaining employed by a major newspaper! read the complete article
Mother of Palestinian boy killed in US says they were targeted for being Muslim
The mother of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy killed in October 2023 in Illinois in a stabbing that authorities called a hate crime testified on Tuesday that her son's alleged attacker said they must die because they were Muslims. The family's landlord, Joseph Czuba, 73, was charged with murder and hate crimes and had earlier pleaded not guilty. Police and prosecutors say he targeted 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and his mother Hanan Shaheen for their religion and as a response to the Israel-Gaza war. Shaheen was stabbed several times but survived. "He told me 'You, as a Muslim, must die,'" Shaheen testified, according to remarks reported by local media. Michael Fitzgerald, prosecutor at Will County State's Attorney's Office, presented a 911 call's recording in the trial. "The landlord is killing me and my baby," the mother said in the recording played in court, according to CBS Chicago. "I am in the bathroom waiting for you." read the complete article
New stories of abuse from Guantánamo Bay
Since President George W. Bush opened the facility in 2002, at the height of the “war on terror,” the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba has been associated with torture, isolation, indefinite detention and the denial of basic constitutional protections, including the right to counsel and a fair trial. Most detainees there have been terrorism suspects captured on battlefields in Afghanistan or Iraq, or whisked away on U.S. military aircraft during “extraordinary renditions.” Their treatment violated the Geneva Conventions and U.S. laws. And this was precisely the point. Holding inmates on a U.S. naval base in Cuba kept them outside the protections of U.S. law and the Constitution. Guantánamo detainees could assert no due process rights because they were not on American soil. Now, here we go again. Last month, President Donald Trump, as part of his crackdown on illegal immigration, signed an executive order to expand Guantánamo and fill it with “the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.” The first batch of nearly 200 migrant detainees shipped there were Venezuelans, described by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem as “the worst of the worst.” After they were sent back to Venezuela last Thursday, reports of their treatment at Guantánamo began to emerge. A detailed report in The Post described how some were kept shackled in windowless cages, deprived of sunlight and allowed outdoors for only one hour each week. They were subjected to humiliating, invasive strip searches and denied access to lawyers and phone calls to loved ones. Some screamed during long hours in isolation; others threatened or attempted suicide. read the complete article
New York governor orders removal of Palestinian studies job posting at Cuny
The New York governor, Kathy Hochul ordered the City University of New York (Cuny) to immediately remove a job posting advertising a Palestinian studies professor role at the state university system’s Hunter College. In the job listing, Hunter College wrote that the institution is seeking “a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality”. It added that Hunter College is open to a “diverse theoretical and methodical approaches” to teaching the class. A spokesperson for Hochul told the New York Post: “Governor Hochul has directed Cuny to immediately remove this job posting and conduct a thorough review of the position to ensure that antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom.” read the complete article
United Kingdom
Downing Street consults former Boris Johnson advisor who said Islamophobia 'exaggerated'
Downing Street is consulting Boris Johnson's former policy chief, who described institutional racism as a myth and defended the former prime minister likening Muslim women who wear veils to "letterboxes", on multiculturalism. It comes amid suggestions that Keir Starmer's Labour government could adopt a more right-wing approach to immigration and multiculturalism in response to the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform party. Munira Mirza, a prominent and polarising figure in British policy circles, ran the Number 10 policy unit from 2019 until 2022 under Johnson, and is now being consulted on multiculturalism by Starmer's aides, according to the Times. A longtime critic of liberal multiculturalism, Mirza has reportedly been discussing "how to govern a multi-ethnic society" and the future of the left with Starmer's advisers, with the backing of the prime minister's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. These conversations are occurring alongside talks with leaders of Blue Labour, a socially conservative faction of the party, who are working on a project entitled "Future of the Left" for the right-wing thinktank Policy Exchange. Widely accused of promoting Islamophobia, Policy Exchange was considered highly influential in shaping the counterextremism policy of the previous Conservative government. Now it appears it has the ear of key Downing Street figures. Mirza, whose family is originally from Pakistan, grew up in Oldham in the north of England. She has extensively argued against state multiculturalism and suggested that Islamophobia and racism are exaggerated by anti-racism campaigners. read the complete article
BBC Making British TV History With First Ever Live Eid Ceremony
Hosted by Jason Mohammad, Eid Live will make UK history as the first service from a mosque broadcast on terrestrial TV, the BBC said. Coming live from next month on the morning of Eid, the show will spotlight 1,500 worshippers at Bradford Central Mosque. Two presenters will be stationed outside and there will be a range of guests. Later that day, Celebrity Eid will see well-known Muslim faces come together with non-Muslims and neighbors to celebrate the arrival of Eid, with those taking part set to be announced in due course. read the complete article
London Muslims demand security as Ramadan nears after mosque vandalism
The British Muslim community in London has expressed deep concern following a series of Islamophobic attacks last month, in which mosques, community centres, and a school were vandalised with anti-Muslim graffiti. As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches, community leaders are calling for heightened security measures to protect worshippers and religious institutions from further attacks, Anadolu Ajansi reported. Seven buildings, including mosques, community centres, and a primary school, were targeted between Jan 6 and Jan 25, shocking local residents and faith leaders. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are investigating “several incidents of criminal damage” and treating them as “shocking” hate crimes. The attacks have raised alarm among the Muslim community, prompting strong condemnations from organisations such as the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques (WFCOM), which emphasised that Muslims “will not be intimidated by the few ignorant individuals trying to cause division.” The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are investigating “several incidents of criminal damage” and treating them as “shocking” hate crimes. The attacks have raised alarm among the Muslim community, prompting strong condemnations from organisations such as the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques (WFCOM), which emphasised that Muslims “will not be intimidated by the few ignorant individuals trying to cause division.” read the complete article
International
What is Ramadan? How Muslims Observe the Islamic Holy Month
Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts. For Muslims, it’s a time of increased worship, religious reflection, charity and good deeds. Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast. Ramadan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Ramadan’s religious rituals and spiritual essence unite diverse Muslim communities around the world. The plights of some fellow Muslims and some issues that have resonance beyond borders — including conflicts and political turmoil — can become part of the focus of the month’s prayers, giving or advocacy for many. read the complete article
Thailand deports dozens of Uyghurs to China
At least 40 Uyghurs have been deported to China, the Thai authorities have confirmed, despite warnings from rights groups that they face possible torture and even death. The group is thought to have been flown back to China's Xinjiang region on Thursday, after being held for 10 years in a Bangkok detention centre. China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang. Beijing denies all of the allegations. It is the first time Thailand has deported Uyghurs since 2015. The deportation has been shrouded in secrecy after serious concerns were raised by the United States and United Nations. read the complete article
Switzerland
Anti-Muslim racism is everywhere, according to study
Anti-Muslim racism affects all areas of life in Switzerland. This is the conclusion of the first qualitative baseline study published on Thursday by the Swiss Center for Islam and Society. "It is not just an individual problem, there is a structural problem. Anti-Muslim racism is deeply rooted in our society," said co-author Hansjörg Schmid from the Swiss Center for Islam and Society (SZIG) to the Keystone-SDA news agency. This type of racism is evident in a wide variety of institutions: Education, work, authorities, police and media. The authors assume a large number of unreported cases, which indicates underreporting. Out of 2471 Muslims who perceived discrimination, only one person reported it, according to the study. "Many of those affected lack the confidence to seek help from institutions because they are afraid that their concerns will not be taken seriously," Marianne Helfer, Head of the Service for Combating Racism (FRB), told the media. The FRB commissioned this study. The authors of the study also propose tackling this problem by strengthening advisory services and monitoring in order to counteract underreporting. A better understanding should also be created in society. read the complete article