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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United States, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump pushed back against a social media post by Florida state Senator Randy Fine, which referred to Islam as a “fundamentally broken and dangerous culture,” meanwhile in Switzerland, the government’s burqa ban has been put into practice in the new year. Our recommended read of the day is by Kate Brady for The Washington Post on Elon Musk’s continued interventions in European politics, with this week involving his calls to release jailed British far-right extremist Tommy Robinson. This and more below:
United Kingdom
Who is Tommy Robinson, and why does Elon Musk want him freed? | Recommended Read
Elon Musk’s interventions in European politics continued this week with his calls for the release of jailed British far-right extremist Tommy Robinson. “Why is Tommy Robinson in a solitary confinement prison for telling the truth?” the billionaire and newly appointed adviser to Donald Trump wrote on his X platform on Wednesday. “He should be freed and those who covered up this travesty should take his place in that cell.” A British judge in October ordered Robinson to serve 18 months for repeating a libelous claim that a Syrian refugee schoolboy had attacked English girls. In a series of tweets on Wednesday and Thursday, Musk asserted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had failed to prosecute child rapists and encouraged people to watch Robinson’s banned documentary on migrant “rape gangs.” Robinson, 42, is one of the most high-profile far-right activists in Europe. His real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Professionally, he has worked as an apprentice aircraft engineer, a plumber and a tanning salon owner. But in 2009, he emerged as a leader of the English Defense League (EDL), organizing anti-Islam protests around Britain, drawing from soccer fan groups for support. Robinson distanced himself from the EDL in 2013 but continued to hold anti-Islam and anti-immigration rallies that attracted thousands. read the complete article
Elon Musk calls for release of far-right British campaigner Tommy Robinson
Elon Musk has demanded the release from prison of Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist currently serving an 18-month prison sentence in the UK. On Thursday morning, Musk used his X platform to call for Robinson's release, describing a libelous documentary by the English Defence League (EDL) co-founder as “worth watching”. Robinson was jailed in October for breaching a court order by airing the documentary, which included defamatory and false claims about a Syrian refugee schoolboy who was attacked and bullied at his school. Lawyers for the schoolboy, who successfully sued Robinson for libel, have said the activist’s false claims in the documentary caused “devastating” harm to the boy’s family, forcing them to relocate. Musk, who owns X and is part of US President-elect Donald Trump's team, shared the documentary with his followers and in a quick succession boosted and promoted posts from other far-right accounts. read the complete article
United States
What Educators Need to Know About Countering Islamophobia
As we usher in a new presidential administration this January, many educators may be considering the future of public education. There are renewed conversations about the relevance of the U.S. Department of Education and the necessity of a federal role in education. I recently completed a six-month appointment with the department serving as an adviser in the office of the secretary, where I had a front row seat to federal policymaking and enforcement actions taken to counter hate, bias, and discrimination. Last month, the Education Department detailed 25 key actions it had taken to counter hate, bias, and discrimination targeting Muslims, Arabs, and Sikhs. These actions were part of the first National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate.I knew from my own research that Muslim, Arab, and Sikh students face complex challenges in school. Students themselves have shared with me that they encounter identity-based bullying, they lack support for religious accommodations, and their teachers and peers remain largely uninformed about these inequities as well as their communities’ unique American heritages. Although the federal government wrote the strategy, it will be the work of communities across the nation to counter Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate on behalf of all of us. Below, I outline what the Education Department calls for educators to do to counter Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate. read the complete article
Trump Ally Rebukes Republican's Anti-Muslim Post After New Orleans Attack
Richard Grenell, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump who is set to serve in a key diplomatic role soon, pushed back against a social media post by Republican Florida state Senator Randy Fine that called Islam a "fundamentally broken and dangerous culture," following an ISIS-inspired attack in New Orleans. In December, Trump named Grenell as presidential envoy for special missions, a role focused on managing foreign policy with an emphasis on Venezuela and North Korea. On January 1, Florida State Senator Randy Fine posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Muslim terror has attacked the United States — again. The blood is on the hands of those who refuse to acknowledge the worldwide #MuslimProblem. It is high time to deal with this fundamentally broken and dangerous culture." His post received over 30,000 likes and was shared over 5,600 times, as of Thursday morning. Grenell pushed back on Fine's comments, writing: "They are Radicals. The Radicals must be defeated. Muslims call them Radicals, too. You aren't helping. There's this thing called the First Amendment which guarantees religious freedoms." Grenell previously served in Trump's first administration in several roles, including U.S. ambassador to Germany, special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations and acting director of national intelligence. Prior to Trump's administration, Grenell served as U.S. spokesperson at the United Nations under President George W. Bush. read the complete article
Switzerland
Switzerland’s Burqa Ban: A Crossroads of Freedom, Identity, and Social Cohesion
At the call of midnight on December 31 of the year 2024, Switzerland has put in the practice of a new burqa ban, and in this way the question of freedom and culture freedom along with the authority of the state comes again in the front line. It bans full-face veils, like the niqab, in organisations, with penalties of up to CHF 1’000 (approx. 307,700 PKR). This movement coming in a country that once upheld the principle of neutrality and democracy showcases society’s constant fight to uphold individual freedom against the process of assimilation. read the complete article