Today in Islamophobia

United Kingdom

Barham terror plot: What we know so far | Recommended Read

It was supposed to be a chance for thousands of Muslims to come together to pray, celebrate Islam and their community, and learn more about their faith. But the UK Ijtima event at Shrubland Hall, in Barham, near Ipswich, descended into panic on Sunday morning as police, including armed officers, swarmed the scene. The weekend-long celebration, which started on Friday, was shut down by Suffolk Police after an alleged terror threat was made against the event. Counter Terrorism Policing launched an investigation and confirmed that 12 people had been arrested. So what happened and what do we know so far? read the complete article

Far-right danger facing Muslims 'real, not imagined', say leaders after UK Ijtima threat arrests

Arrests over a right-wing terror threat to an Islamic event highlight that Muslim communities are facing "real, not imagined" dangers, leaders have said. Twelve people were arrested on Monday as part of the investigation into an extreme right-wing terror threat against the UK Ijtima, a gathering of more than 10,000 worshippers in Suffolk over the weekend. Three of the 12 suspect were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, police said. The event was held at Shrubland Hall, Barham, near Ipswich, from Friday to Sunday, when Suffolk Police ended the event early following concerns over a "possible threat". The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said the police's intervention had "undoubtedly saved lives". Ruman Muhith, an Ipswich borough councillor who helped with the event said: "People are really concerned and shocked saying this could have happened on this doorstep. "As a Muslim, personally, I have seen a huge rise in hatred towards Muslims in the last 10 years." read the complete article

Muslim woman who rescued bird racially abused

A Muslim woman says she has been racially abused after a video widely shared on social media, including by a council leader, opened her up to false accusations she had harmed a bird. Nora Mubarak, from Grimsby, said footage of her attempting to rescue a gull last week that had fallen from its nest led to her being called "savage", "barbaric" and a "seagull eater". Oliver Freeston, the Reform UK leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, shared the video on Facebook with the caption: "Grimsby in 2026." Freeston deleted the post and issued an update on Thursday 9 July, where he said he was "really pleased" to hear the video, in fact, showed a rescue. However, Mubarak said his response was "too little too late" and "the damage he has caused to me is huge". She added: "He should be held responsible for his actions." read the complete article

United States

Police say man planned to kill muslims after mall stabbing leaves victim in critical condition

A Utah man accused of stabbing a Muslim mall worker multiple times in broad daylight told police he targeted the victim because of his religion and "intends to kill Muslims," according to court documents. Investigators allege Peter Michael Larsen, 48, carried out the attack Monday inside Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City after asking the victim about his faith. The victim has been named by friends in local media as Sohail. Police wrote in a booking affidavit that Larsen poses "a substantial danger to the public" because of his "violent actions ... ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events." The victim suffered multiple stab wounds across his body and was bleeding heavily when officers arrived, according to the affidavit. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, citing Utah Islamic Center Imam Shuaib Din, Larsen approached the victim, asked his name and religion, and requested a bottle of water. As the victim turned away to retrieve it, Larsen allegedly began stabbing him. read the complete article

Why Conservative Commentators Changed Their Views On Islam

Far-right circles have often called Islam into question. Speaking of Muslims back in 2015, President Donald Trump said: “Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension.” It wasn’t just Trump calling out Islam. In 2019, Muslim Advocates called on Fox News to fire Tucker Carlson for what he said about Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar and her muslim faith. In a much more grave instance, also in 2019, a man killed nearly 50 people in a New Zealand mosque. In his manifesto, he named conservative commentator Candace Owens as the person who had most radicalized him. Owens, of course, did not endorse these killings. But her stance on Islam at the time was certainly more negative. This year, a quick look through the talk shows and podcasts of Carlson, Owens and other right-wing commentators will paint a very different picture of how these groups feel about Muslims. The same pundits who once criticized Islam are now defending it. To better understand the right’s evolving relationship with Islam, I spoke with Matthew Schmitz. He is the editor of Compact Magazine and the religion editor for the Washington Post’s opinion section. He is also co-host of the “Against The Grain” podcast. Schmitz also wrote an article back in May about the phenomenon of conservative influencers who have radically changed the way they talk about Islam online. We talked about this trend, how Trump measures up and what it might mean for the future of the Republican Party. read the complete article

Citing Vague ‘Legal Requirements,’ Mamdani Puts A Fig Leaf On His Predecessor’s Bedford Ave. Bike Lane Junk

Mayor Mamdani on Monday cited vague “legal requirements” to explain his continued inaction to reverse his predecessor Eric Adams’s backroom decision to erase three blocks of the protected bike lane on Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue. On Monday, the mayor said his administration “believes there should not be a hierarchy of safety. Whether you are driving, whether you are walking, whether you were biking, whether you are using public transit, you should come to expect the same level of safety in our city.” Hizzoner stopped short of explicitly extending that commitment to Bedford Avenue, however. That obfuscation may have to do with the political value offered by Indig, one of the few Orthodox Jewish voices willing to defend the Muslim mayor in the press from unsubstantiated allegations of anti-semitism, said one political analyst who studies Muslim identity in American politics. “Anyone who’s aware of these issues and aware of the [anti-Mamdani] campaign and what happened would immediately realize that identity is at the forefront of what is happening,” said Mobashra Tazamal, the associate director of Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative, and the author of, “Islamophobia And The Political Rise of Zohran Mamdani.” Tazamal’s report traced the Islamophobic rhetoric used against Mamdani by other politicians during his campaign. The young mayor continues to face intense scrutiny over his views on the Middle East, specifically Israel and the war in Gaza. He has been clear to call Israel’s actions a genocide and has advocated for Palestinian rights. read the complete article

India

SC refuses to restore Friday namaz at Bhojshala but allows Muslim prayers near disputed site

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices on petitions filed by Muslim groups challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court judgement that declared the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex to be a Hindu temple, Live Law reported. The court, however, declined to issue an interim order restoring the status quo that existed before the High Court’s verdict, under which both sides were allowed to pray inside the complex on designated days. On May 15, the High Court ruled that the complex in Dhar district is a temple of Hindu deity Saraswati and quashed a 2003 order of the Archaeological Survey of India allowing Hindus to perform prayers on the premises on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer namaz in the complex on Fridays. The High Court had allowed the Muslim side to seek alternative land within the district to build a mosque. read the complete article

Australia

Watching Australian sport embrace Modi broke my heart – and showed inclusion is still just a strategy

For most of my life, being Indian, Muslim, Australian and devoted to sport has never felt like a contradiction. Until now. When I saw AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh smiling alongside Indian prime minister Narendra Modi last week, I wasn’t simply watching a diplomatic engagement. I was watching two institutions I love celebrate a leader whose name carries deep pain for many people like me. Modi is the democratically elected leader of the world’s largest democracy and one of Australia’s most important strategic partners. That is true. But for many Indian Sikhs, Muslims and Christians, Modi’s name represents a decade of growing fear. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticised his Hindu nationalist government over discrimination against religious minorities, crackdowns on dissent, pressure on journalists and civil society, and the erosion of democratic freedoms. Australia has also publicly dealt with allegations of Indian government interference on its own soil. Both realities exist. That is exactly why this moment in sport mattered. Not because sport should refuse to engage with governments. International relationships are complex, and sport has always intersected with politics. Cricket Australia’s (CA) relationship with India is significant. What troubled me was whether anyone had considered what that relationship would communicate to the Indian Muslims, Christians and Sikhs who also call Australia home. read the complete article

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