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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, new research out by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) finds that X remains a breeding ground for incitement of harm targeting Muslims and migrants, meanwhile in Spain, far-right political parties such as Vox are leveraging anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric and perpetuating a “wave of Islamophobic attacks” according to reporting by Morocco World News, and lastly, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that Islamophobia is “spinning out of control” in Europe after a Muslim woman was murdered in Germany and a mosque was burned in Spain. Our recommended read of the day is by Maysa Mustafa for Middle East Eye on Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh, who has faced a wave of anti-Black and Islamophobic attacks—fueled by right-wing social media figures—since launching his progressive campaign. This and more below:
United States
Omar Fateh's Minneapolis mayoral run sparks anti-Black, Islamophobic backlash | Recommended Read
Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh has faced a wave of racist and Islamophobic attacks after prominent right-wing social media accounts questioned the 35-year-old's citizenship and falsely claimed he was not American. Fateh, a Minnesota state senator since 2020, launched his mayoral run on 2 December 2024 but began facing a deluge of racist abuse earlier this week when conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the founder and president of the non-profit organisation Turning Point USA, wrote on X that: "Muslims [are] commanded to take over the government in the land they live." "The attempted Islamic takeover of America is made possible thanks to mass migration," Kirk said in the same post. Kirk, an activist who repeatedly attacks the religion of Islam and previously called George Floyd, the Black man killed by a white police officer in 2020, a "scumbag", continued to launch attacks on Fateh and called for an end to "third world immigration" to the US. Fateh took to his personal X account to respond to the sudden spike in hate and the city of Minneapolis being criticised for being "too diverse". "Minneapolis is a beautifully diverse city that stands firm in our progressive values," Fateh wrote. "The hate I’ve seen today - and most days - is not who we will ever be." read the complete article
Trump loyalist attacks mayoral candidate’s Muslim identity; Minneapolis politicians unite in defense
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk launched an Islamophobic verbal attack on Minneapolis mayoral candidate Omar Fateh on Monday, prompting Mayor Jacob Frey and other local politicians to jump to Fateh’s defense. Kirk is one of the loudest, most influential voices in the MAGA movement. He recently began blasting Muslim candidates like Fateh and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary last month. Both Fateh and Mamdani are democratic socialists and state lawmakers. Kirk founded the youth-oriented, pro-Trump Turning Point USA, and has long been accused of antisemitism, but this week began portraying Mamdani and Fateh as part of a Muslim plot to take over the government. He posted on social media Monday that “Muslims are commanded to take over the government in the land they live. The attempted Islamic takeover of America is made possible thanks to mass migration.” Kirk continued his attack Tuesday, tweeting a video of Fateh referring to Somalia as “our home” and commenting that “Mass migration from the third world must be stopped. We are committing suicide.” Fateh is of Somali descent but was born in America. Other right-wing commenters jumped on Kirk’s bandwagon, painting Fateh as a threat to America. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Why is Islamophobia so hard to define?
The UK government wants a new definition of Islamophobia and has created a working group of politicians, academics and independent experts to provide one. It aims to settle long-running political debates over the term. The concept of Islamophobia describes anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic prejudices and their impact on Muslim communities. The term became familiar in the UK following publication of the Runnymede Trust report, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, in 1997. The concept is now used to discuss negative public opinion towards Muslims and Islam, biased media reporting, verbal and physical assaults and online attacks. It is also used when discussing social and economic inequalities, discrimination within various institutional settings and unfair treatment from the police and security services. Previous definitions have been controversial, failing to unite politicians, academics and British Muslims, and leading to charged debates over free speech. Some academics have argued that the word “Islamophobia” – which suggests a phobia or fear of Islam – is an inaccurate label for a prejudice which often targets skin colour, ethnicity and culture. Many Muslim-led organisations accept that the term is imperfect and interchangeable with others such as “anti-Muslim hatred”. However, they maintain the term “Islamophobia” is needed to focus attention on a growing problem. read the complete article
A Year Since the UK Riots, Elon Musk’s X Is Still ‘Profiting From Anti-Muslim and Anti-Migrant’ Hate
Elon Musk’s X platform continues to be a breeding ground for violent anti-Muslim & anti-migrant hate, according to a new report from counter-hate researchers. Analysis by the the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) – an organisation despised by far-right billionaire Musk – found that in the aftermath of the Southport murders last July, high-profile hate figures on social media platforms like Elon Musk’s X “falsely linked the attack to Muslims and migrants, leading to widespread disorder and violent riots across the UK.” Now one year on from the 2024 riots following the Southport stabbings, new CCDH research finds that little has changed. Research from the monitoring group found that “hateful influencers” garnered millions of views per day on X, with the platform “utterly failed to moderate this explosion of dangerous, violent content.” CCDH’s findings led the UK’s online safety regulator Ofcom to conclude that there was a “clear connection” between posts on social media and the eruption of the 2024 riots. Worryingly, the group finds that the “same forms of violent and murderous rhetoric that precipitated and inflamed the 2024 riots” are still widely circulating, with scant moderation by the platform. The research shows how posts from six far-right or extremist influencers – Tommy Robinson, Paul Golding, Ashlea Simon, Andrew Tate, Laurence Fox and Calvin Robinson – are the initial “parent” posts in an “intensely violent” series of replies from platform users. Reply posts “encourage extreme acts of violence against Muslims and migrants: to shoot, to maim, and to kill.” read the complete article
Fuelling Hate: One year after the 2024 summer riots, X still lets calls for violence spread unchecked
A year after the Southport stabbings and the riots that followed, new research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) finds that X remains a breeding ground for incitement of harm targeting Muslims and migrants. Looking at six high-profile hateful figures previously researched, the new findings show that graphic calls for violence against Muslims and migrants have proliferated in the replies and have consistently remained unmoderated. By allowing such material to spread unchecked, X fails to enforce its own rules against violence and hate and puts public safety at risk. In August 2024, CCDH identified six high-profile figures on the X social media platform – Tommy Robinson, Paul Golding, Ashlea Simon, Andrew Tate, Laurence Fox, and Calvin Robinson – as key figures in spreading false or misleading claims linking Muslims and migrants to the Southport attack. Today, CCDH revisits X and these six accounts with new research revealing that the platform has learned nothing from last year’s events and continues to allow calls for violence to remain largely unchecked. Analysing 322 posts across the six profiles previously studied, CCDH uncovered over 4,300 replies, which included statements advocating for physical harm or even killing Muslims and migrants. In addition, all six accounts retain X Premium (formerly known as the verified “blue tick”), a status boosting their visibility, prioritising their posts in replies, and granting access to advanced publishing features. read the complete article
International
CAIR Says Islamophobia in Europe ‘Spinning Out of Control’ After Murder of Muslim Woman in Germany, Fire at Mosque in Spain
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said that Islamophobia is “spinning out of control” in Europe after a Muslim woman was murdered in Germany and a mosque was burned during anti-immigrant riots in Spain. A 26-year-old Algerian woman who was stabbed to death in Hannover, Germany, had previously told her family she was facing racist insults and harassment from her neighbor, who police arrested as the main suspect. Anti-immigrant riots have been going on for several days in Spain. The Piera mosque in Barcelona caught on fire one day before it was supposed to be inaugurated. Police are investigating the incident as connected to the riots. read the complete article
Spain
Far-Right Party Leads Looming Islamophobia, Anti-Migrant Hatred Large in Spain
Muslim migrants and residents in Spain are facing a large wave of Islamophobic attacks and anti-migrant sentiment, and slander. Far-right rhetoric is gaining ground as parties like Vox weaponize a recent attack on a Spanish man to portray all migrants as potential criminals. Torre Pacheco in southeastern Spain witnessed an increase in tension and violent incidents, with Vox members calling on Spaniards to hunt migrants from North Africa, particularly from Morocco. This came after an isolated attack against a 68-year-old Spaniard on Friday, with converging reports suggesting that three youths of North African origin had beaten him up. Since then, police arrested dozens, including three who have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack. Seven detainees were also arrested for assault, public disorder, and hate crimes. The suspects include six Spaniards and one person of North African origin. International media shed light on the situation, expressing concerns over far-right media rhetoric, portraying migrants and Muslims as the villains in the story. Despite an investigation to identify the main suspects in the assault case against the retiree, far-right members and media blamed North African immigrants living in the town. The news outlet said the assault that took place in the region was the product of attackers that were not local residents, but radical outsiders, “reportedly influenced by far-right leaders from parties like Vox and alt-right social media influencers promoting white nationalism.” Social media has been swept by posts targeting Muslims in Spain, blaming the government for “allowing migrants in.” read the complete article
Australia
'Focus on what brings us together': Ed Husic on plans to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia
Australia's former Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, has shared his views on special envoy Jillian Segal's plan to combat antisemitism, along with the upcoming plan from special envoy Aftab Malik to combat Islamophobia. Mr Husic, who was one of the country's first two Muslim federal ministers sworn into office, says both plans need to focus on "what brings us together." read the complete article