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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the US, the woman from Oregon who burned a Quran outside a Dearborn mosque on July 13th says she plans to return to the city by the end of the summer to do it again, meanwhile in India, according to research conducted by the National Family Health Survey, Muslims saw the steepest decline in life expectancy in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, indicating the highest rise in mortality risk among all social groups, and in France, a recent report from Amnesty International calls France’s restrictions on religious attire blatant discrimination and “beyond being unfair”. Our recommended read of the day is by Imran Mulla for Middle East Eye on how major far-right commentators in the UK are spreading misinformation that falsely blames Muslims and “third world” migrants for the unrest in Leeds. This and more below:
United Kingdom
UK: Far right blames Muslims and 'third world' migrants for Leeds unrest | Recommended Read
On Thursday evening, unrest broke out in the district of Harehill in the northern UK city of Leeds, following what the city council called a “family incident”. A police car was overturned and a double-decker bus was set on fire. Bonfires were lit across the city as hundreds took to the streets and disorder continued through the night. Local police first responded to the unrest at around 5pm on Thursday evening. But it is understood they were instructed to withdraw and were later largely absent from the area until around 1am. One prominent person on the ground trying to stop the disorder and restore calm was Mothin Ali, a local Green Party councillor elected in early May on a pro-Palestinian platform. The 42-year-old Ali was seen tackling a wheelie bin mid-flight as it hurtled towards a burning bus. He dragged other bins from the flames and confronted rioters, yelling “there are children in there” in reference to a nearby house. Later on, he was seen helping with clean-up efforts in the area. But even as Ali worked to combat the disorder, major far-right commentators online were blaming Muslims and "third world" migrants for the events and accusing Ali himself of participating in and stoking the unrest. Far-right anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson posted on social media platform X: “Let me introduce to the newly elected councillor for the area rioting tonight in Leeds. “Multiple reports he's even on the streets with them.” Paul Golding, co-leader of the far-right group Britain First, posted a photo of Ali in the crowd. “They will never integrate or assimilate,” he commented. His post has received at least 16,000 likes. On Friday morning, Leeds City Council’s chief executive Tom Riordan said the disorder began with a “family incident”, and that the actions of police officers and social service workers had been “misinterpreted”. But on Thursday evening, multiple British politicians put the blame on immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and multiculturalism. 9) Sorry but American Muslims don’t owe Democrats their vote to keep Trump out (United States) Muslims in America have historically been an overwhelmingly Democrat constituency. But in 2024, that has changed over President Biden and Vice President Harris’s unwavering military support to Israel since October last year. To many non-Muslim voters on the left, this is an outrageous thought. Four more years of Trump’s bigotry, radical racism, abortion bans and outright Muslim hatred as a ‘gesture’ of support to Gaza? Be rational, the keyboard warriors furiously write. The alternative to Harris is the unthinkable. Remember the Muslim ban? Are you people crazy? The rage is so terrible, so misplaced. Dear exasperated voters on the left: Don’t put this on American Muslims. Don’t put this on the community America has loved to hate and humiliate for nearly 25 years. Muslims in America are not a small demographic and politicians are catching on not nearly quickly enough that it’s going to hurt to ignore them. Swing states like Michigan with its huge Muslim population were crucial to Democrats winning in 2020. Though population data available is outdated, there are now believed to be roughly four million Muslims in America and Islam is slated to overcome Judaism by 2040 to become the second biggest religion in the US. That’s just four presidential terms away. But despite a growing population, according to three separate surveys conducted by Pew Research Center between 2014 to 2019, Muslims were consistently ranked the most disliked religious group in the country alongside atheists. In 2017, a report by the same center said that during the first few months of the Trump government, nearly half of all Muslim American adults said they had personally experienced some form of discrimination because of their religion in the previous year. read the complete article
Why did Muslims in Birmingham turn away from Labour?
So what happened in Birmingham? Why did Labour struggle here while independent candidates thrived, and why is there so much anger? In the run up to the election, political commentators – and I include myself - have probably been guilty of oversimplifying the issues in Birmingham, describing independents and Workers Party candidates in the city as campaigning on a “Gaza platform”. That is true, but there are other, important reasons for the strong performance of those candidates. Ayoub Khan was the big independent winner of the night, overturning a 22,000 Labour majority to become the independent MP for Perry Barr. Speaking outside the House of Commons this week, he acknowledged that Gaza was the “prime factor” in his election. But he also hit out at what he believes is the neglect of areas like Perry Barr. “We have some of the highest levels of deprivation, cost of living. So I think all of those factors combined created a tsunami that resulted in my victory.” And this is a message repeated by those living in ethnically diverse areas with large Muslim populations, overseen by Labour MPs and a Labour council. They feel taken for granted, ignored. read the complete article
France
France: How elections results can affect state Islamophobia
The first round witnessed the second crushing far-right victory in a month, as the National Rally won 33 percent, with nearly 11 million votes - a historic record for Marine Le Pen and her allies. As in past elections, a tactical voting strategy known as the “republican front” was then used by Macron and the left, as they effectively joined forces to defeat the National Rally. This tool, previously able to disrupt the translation of the National Rally’s support into parliamentary seats, initially seemed obsolete - but the second round of the vote ended with another shocking surprise. Despite securing the most votes, the far right couldn’t overcome the front, achieving a disappointing third place in parliament. During this tumultuous electoral process, Muslims were facing increased levels of persecution. Earlier this year, Macron and senior officials gathered to discuss the threat of a Muslim Brotherhood infiltration in France, showing how conspiratorial Islamophobia has penetrated the highest levels of the state in a post-truth era. This led to the commission of a report on the impacts of “political Islam” and a renewed crackdown on Muslim civil society. The report, scheduled to land this fall, is expected to include a “description” of this imaginary threat and a series of recommendations to neutralise it. This will likely form the basis of future Islamophobic laws, such as prohibiting the wearing of the hijab in public. Under the pretext of protecting national security during the Olympics, French police last month undertook a series of violent raids, including 250 in Paris alone. In addition, 5,100 Muslims were being closely monitored. Some victims of the raids have been placed under house arrest for the duration of the Olympics. The National Assembly has traditionally been composed of two main blocs, with the president’s holding the most seats. But the latest vote has ushered in an unprecedented era of uncertainty, with none of the three blocs in a position to rule alone. With no clear majority, who will govern? And what does this mean for institutional Islamophobia? read the complete article
French Olympians can’t wear hijabs. Human rights group says its discrimination
When the 2024 Olympics start this week, France won’t allow its athletes to wear headscarves during the games – seemingly in contrast with the Olympic charter’s calls for respect of religion and protection of human rights. A recent report from Amnesty International calls France’s restrictions on religious attire blatant discrimination and a researcher for the human rights nonprofit told NPR’s Morning Edition that, beyond being unfair, the move could cause systemic issues for women athletes in France. The bans have a wider impact on women in sports, dashing the hopes of female athletes in France, said Anna Błuś, a researcher for Amnesty International. Amateur soccer, basketball and volleyball leagues also don’t permit women to wear hijabs during play. ”They get to a point of constantly being asked to remove their clothing, to give up a part of their identity if they want to progress,” Błuś said. ”And a lot of the women that I spoke to said that they didn't see a future for themselves in France and that they were planning to leave the country and to compete for other national teams.” read the complete article
United States
Some convictions overturned in terrorism case
A judge has overturned a conviction carrying a life sentence for an Islamic scholar from Virginia who was found guilty of soliciting treason after the Sept. 11 attacks for encouraging followers to fight against the U.S. in Afghanistan. The ruling issued Thursday from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema overturns three of the 10 counts of conviction against Ali Al-Timimi. But she upheld other counts that could leave him with decades of prison time beyond the 15 years he already served. Al-Timimi, 60, was indicted in 2004, and convicted and sentenced in 2005. Prosecutors said the U.S.-born scholar, who grew up in the nation's capital and had earned his doctorate in computational biology shortly before his arrest, enjoyed rockstar status among his small group of followers. At a private gathering a few days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Al-Timimi told his followers — some of whom trained for jihad by playing paintball in the Virginia woods — that an apocalyptic battle between Muslims and the West loomed, and that Muslims were obliged to defend the Taliban if they had the ability to do so, according to trial testimony. The judge rejected allegations that prosecutors failed to disclose information that the government sought to use another northern Virginia cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, against Al-Timimi as an informant, and that al-Awlaki tried unsuccessfully to lure Al-Timimi into illegal conduct as part of a government sting. 7) Woman who burned Quran outside Dearborn mosque vows to return to city (United States) A woman from Oregon who burned a Quran outside a Dearborn mosque says she plans to return to the city by the end of the summer to again burn the holy book for Muslims. Sorbeah Almosa lit on fire a Quran at about 4 a.m. on July 13 on a sidewalk outside the Al-Huda Islamic Association, a mosque on Warren Avenue, as a protest against what she said were extremist statements made at rallies in Dearborn in recent months. Almosa is outspoken against Islam, claiming that Islamic law, sharia, poses a threat to the U.S. She has taken part in various conservative protests in Oregon in recent years. "I will be back," Almosa told the Free Press on Wednesday. She said the next time she's in Dearborn, she intends to protest against Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and again burn a Quran because he issued a public alert about her the day before she burned the Quran. read the complete article
Sorry but American Muslims don’t owe Democrats their vote to keep Trump out
Muslims in America have historically been an overwhelmingly Democrat constituency. But in 2024, that has changed over President Biden and Vice President Harris’s unwavering military support to Israel since October last year. To many non-Muslim voters on the left, this is an outrageous thought. Four more years of Trump’s bigotry, radical racism, abortion bans and outright Muslim hatred as a ‘gesture’ of support to Gaza? Be rational, the keyboard warriors furiously write. The alternative to Harris is the unthinkable. Remember the Muslim ban? Are you people crazy? The rage is so terrible, so misplaced. Dear exasperated voters on the left: Don’t put this on American Muslims. Don’t put this on the community America has loved to hate and humiliate for nearly 25 years. Muslims in America are not a small demographic and politicians are catching on not nearly quickly enough that it’s going to hurt to ignore them. Swing states like Michigan with its huge Muslim population were crucial to Democrats winning in 2020. Though population data available is outdated, there are now believed to be roughly four million Muslims in America and Islam is slated to overcome Judaism by 2040 to become the second biggest religion in the US. That’s just four presidential terms away. But despite a growing population, according to three separate surveys conducted by Pew Research Center between 2014 to 2019, Muslims were consistently ranked the most disliked religious group in the country alongside atheists. In 2017, a report by the same center said that during the first few months of the Trump government, nearly half of all Muslim American adults said they had personally experienced some form of discrimination because of their religion in the previous year. read the complete article
International
Palestine and the fight for the soul of anti-racism
In October 2023, as Israel began its genocidal bombing and starvation campaign in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attacks, Minister of Education Yoav Kisch said of Palestinians: “[t]hose are animals, they have no right to exist. I am not debating the way it will happen, but they need to be exterminated.” This was but one of the hundreds of documented genocidal statements made by Israeli officials and politicians about Palestinians over the past nine months. Since that time, their dehumanizing rhetoric has proved prophetic: the prestigious medical journal The Lancet published an article which conservatively estimates the number of direct and indirect deaths in the Gaza Strip at 186,000, a significantly higher toll than what is shown in official figures. The targeted mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza, the deliberate infliction of conditions of group destruction, and repeated statements of genocidal intent have been described by scholar Raz Segal as “a textbook case of genocide.” Yet if one followed the media reporting and political rhetoric in Canada and other Western countries, one might be forgiven if they thought the crisis was not about racism against Palestinians under occupation and siege, but rather a crisis of hateful bigots unfairly criticizing the occupying state, Israel. As a result, advocates for Palestinian human rights opposing genocide, occupation, and apartheid have been subjected to McCarthyist campaigns of doxxing, harassment, threats, academic and employment discipline, character assassinations, and even raids, arrests, and criminal charges. read the complete article
India
Muslims worst hit by Covid-19 mortality during first wave in India, new study shows
Muslims saw the steepest decline in life expectancy in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, indicating the highest rise in mortality risk among all social groups, a new research paper based on the National Family Health Survey has found. Life expectancy of Muslims went down by 5.4 years between 2019 and 2020, more than four times the decline of 1.3 years seen among upper-caste Hindus. The decline among other socially disadvantaged groups was also high: 4.1 years for Scheduled Tribes and 2.7 years for Scheduled Castes. The study shows that excess mortality and a sharper decline in life expectancy prevailed across population groups that are vulnerable and marginalised in terms of sex, religion, caste and age. For Muslims specifically, Gupta pointed out that marginalisation had become more prominent in recent years. “In the beginning of 2020, for example, there were riots in Delhi, so the narrative of marginalisation intensified, and there were reports of Muslim-dominated areas being completely cut off from health care.” Gupta said the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi was an example of marginalisation of Muslims during the pandemic. read the complete article
Netherlands
Dutch Islamophobe kills Muslim neighbour hours after his racist post on social media
A 25-year-old Muslim man named Hamza el-Baghdadi was fatally shot multiple times in front of his house in the Netherlands by his neighbour Gerben van Vlimmeren, just hours after he posted a series of racist tweets on social media. According to the reports, on the day of the shooting, Gerben van V, 55 posted a series of racist posts targeting the Muslim community. Shortly after these posts, he confronted El-Baghdadi outside his residence and shot him multiple times. Hamza was shot in the back while his wife and their 2-month-old baby were hiding in the bathroom at the time, fearing for their lives. Subsequently, the furious Gerben allegedly banged on the bathroom door, shouting threats at El Baghdadi’s wife and infant child. “You two are next." On the other side, various Dutch media reports suggest the killing stemmed from a prolonged parking dispute. However, Gerben’s X-profile exposes a darker side, showing a deep-seated hatred for Muslims and violent fantasies. read the complete article
Australia
Tina Rahimi: Australia's hijabi boxer has no fear heading to her first Olympics
Tina Rahimi trains at the Brotherhood boxing gym in Western Sydney but considers herself a role model for the sisterhood. The 28-year-old boxer has qualified for her first Olympics, two years after winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. She will be the first female Muslim boxer to represent Australia at the Olympic Games, and she's made it to Paris without the same government funding enjoyed by other sports. She will also wear a hijab in the competition where French women are controversially banned from doing the same. She tells SBS News why she's happy to keep having the same conversations about identity and representation. read the complete article