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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In India, new research out by India Hate Lab has found that India has recorded a total of 1,318 hate speech events in 2025, meanwhile in the United States, New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced a settlement ending the New York based Betar US’s (Betar) campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation against Arab, Muslim, and Jewish New Yorkers, and lastly in the United Kingdom, more than 50 international authors and academics signed a declaration published Monday in support of hunger-striking pro-Palestine activists. Our recommended read of the day is by Faisal Hanif for Middle East Eye, on the politically-charged “Islamist” label, which “once deployed, renders Muslim political agency inherently suspect, irrational or dangerous.” This and more below:
United Kingdom
How the 'Islamist' label is used to delegitimise UK Muslims | Recommended Read
From the classrooms of Birmingham to the pages of Britain’s most powerful newspapers, one word has taken on extraordinary political weight: Islamist. It is routinely presented as a neutral descriptor; a technical term separating religion from politics. But in practice, it functions less as analysis and more as accusation. Once deployed, it renders Muslim political agency inherently suspect, irrational or dangerous. The term does not merely describe; it condemns. British news is now firmly in the grip of what can only be described as an Islamism conspiracy theory: the idea that Muslims, imagined as a monolith, are hell-bent on undermining the state and “western civilisation” itself. Across domestic reporting, foreign policy commentary and political speech, “Islamist” has become a catch-all charge used to discipline dissent and prevent scrutiny of power. It is a strategy. “Islamist” has become a tool of delegitimisation, allowing journalists and politicians to justify surveillance, repression and exclusion while claiming neutrality. Muslims are permitted to exist culturally and privately, but not politically. The moment they organise, protest or dissent, a label is waiting. read the complete article
Jailed UK Pro-Palestine Hunger Strikers Are at Imminent Risk of Death
More than 50 international authors and academics signed a declaration published Monday in support of hunger-striking activists allegedly linked to the banned Palestine Action movement, who are at imminent risk of death after refusing to eat for more than two months. The brief statement — “We oppose genocide, we support the Palestine Action prisoners” — was signed by prominent figures including historian Tariq Ali; novelist Sally Rooney; former Guantánamo Bay prisoner Moazzam Begg; journalists Owen Jones and George Monbiot; and professors Angela Davis, Judith Butler, Naomi Klein, and Ilan Pappé. The declaration echoes the message on a placard held by Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg when she was arrested last month in London protesting the imprisonment of people accused of being part of Palestine Action after the nonviolent direct action group was officially declared a terrorist organization in July by the UK government. Eight accused Palestine Action activists are awaiting trial for allegedly breaking into and damaging a British military base and a facility run by Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems. The defendants are facing at least 18 months behind bars before trial. On November 2, a small group of imprisoned activists launched a hunger strike. Three people — Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello — are still striking, despite imminent danger of death. read the complete article
United States
US labels Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan as ‘terrorists’
The United States has designated Muslim Brotherhood organisations in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as “terrorist” groups, as Washington intensifies its crackdown on Israel’s rivals across the world. The decision on Tuesday came weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing his administration to start the process of blacklisting the groups. The US Department of the Treasury labelled the groups in Jordan and Egypt as “specially designated global terrorists”, and the State Department blacklisted the Lebanese organisation with a more serious designation – “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO). The Trump administration cited alleged support for the Palestinian group Hamas and “activities against Israeli interests in the Middle East” as the reason behind targeting the Muslim Brotherhood. Abdel Haq suggested on Tuesday that pressure from Israel and the United Arab Emirates in Washington drove the Trump administration’s decision. read the complete article
Tuberville blasts ‘radical Muslims’ on Senate floor: ‘The enemy is now inside the gates’
Alabama’s senior senator on Tuesday decried “radical Muslims” in a speech on the Senate floor, referring to them as the “enemy” and accusing Democrats of “empowering” them “to take a foothold” in the country. “You know, some Americans see what’s happening in Europe and they think, ‘would that ever happen in our country?’ The reality is, yes, it’s happening right now, right before our very eyes. The enemy is now inside the gates,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said in the 11-minute, 51-second floor speech, according to a transcript of his remarks. While Tuberville said there are “plenty” of Muslims who assimilate into the country, he said they have “a duty to join in the fight and speak out against the mainstream media and elected officials who are empowering radical Islam to take a foothold in the United States of America.” Tuberville, who is running for Alabama governor this year instead of seeking another term in the Senate, singled out New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani -- whom he referred to as “Commie Mamdani” -- as being among the Democratic elected officials who are enabling radical Islam. read the complete article
Attorney General James Stops Violence, Harassment, and Intimidation from New York Extremist Group
New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a settlement ending Betar US’s (Betar) campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation against Arab, Muslim, and Jewish New Yorkers after an extensive investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that the group repeatedly targeted individuals based on religion and national origin. Betar is a New York-based organization labeled an “extremist group” by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for its “embrace of Islamophobia and harass[ment] of Muslims.” The OAG investigation uncovered evidence of Betar’s widespread persecution of Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers, driven by broad hostility and animus toward several protected groups, in violation of New York civil rights laws. The settlement requires Betar to immediately cease instigating or encouraging violence against individuals, threatening protesters, and harassing individuals exercising their civil rights, and subjects the organization to a suspended $50,000 penalty that will be enforced if Betar violates the agreement. Betar is seeking to dissolve its not-for-profit corporation and has indicated to OAG that it is winding down operations in New York. read the complete article
The God They Preach at the Pentagon
On Dec. 17, 2025, evangelical minister and Republican political activist Franklin Graham led a Christmas worship service at the Pentagon, where he preached about God being a “God of war.” I find it to be one of the most bizarre Christmas sermons ever given, but it was telling. In fact, it telegraphed the foreign policy of the U.S. A few weeks later, President Donald Trump would order the kidnapping and extradition of Nicolás Maduro to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges. Now is the time for Christians to reclaim the message of peace that is at the heart of the gospel, and to resist imperialism. While there are undoubtedly many root causes of this violation of international law, one of them is Christian nationalism and its insistence that the U.S. is a country chosen by God. Once a country’s chosenness has been established, all things become possible, from invading foreign countries so that the U.S. can “run” them and control their oil reserves to acquiring Greenland by force. While this idea has no bearing in scripture, it does represent the apotheosis of one of the U.S.’s most sacred beliefs: American exceptionalism. That hubris has often led to disastrous results for both the U.S. and the world. From the Cold War to the War on Terror, the U.S.’s self-conception as a global police force has led to death and misery, with at least 80 people being killed in the attack on Caracas, Venezuela as the latest example. When dangerous theology becomes policy, Christians have a unique opportunity to propose better ideas about the nature of God, and we can start in scripture. read the complete article
India
As hate spirals in India, Hindu extremists turn to Christian targets
According to a new report, religious hate speech and violence in India are escalating, with the country’s small Christian minority emerging as an increasingly visible target, alongside Muslims, in a climate of intensifying Hindu majoritarian rhetoric. The research by India Hate Lab, a project of the Washington, DC-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), has found that the country recorded a total of 1,318 hate speech events in 2025, an average of more than three per day. These events, organised and led largely by Hindu majoritarian groups as well as the governing BJP, targeted Muslims and Christians, marking a 97 percent increase in hate speech since 2023, and a 13 percent rise over 2024. While Muslims remained a primary target, the report found a sharp rise in anti-Christian rhetoric. Hate speech events targeting Christians rose from 115 in 2024 to 162 in 2025, a 41 percent increase. Hindu supremacists have fuelled suspicion, anger and hate against religious minorities, based on conspiracy theories and other incorrect claims. read the complete article