Today in Islamophobia

Today in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, the rise of the far-right populist party, Reform UK, is leaving British Muslims worried given the party’s discriminatory policies, meanwhile an exclusive investigation from Middle East Eye reveals that both the US and Israel are coordinating to remove Jordan’s custodianship over al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site, and lastly, pro-Palestinian American streamer Hasan Piker and his uncle have been barred from entering the United Kingdom, prompting criticism from free speech advocates over what they say is a crackdown on dissent related to Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Our recommended read of the day is by Haris Tarin for The Hill, who argues that the FBI’s muted response to the San Diego mosque shooting, notably avoiding the term “hate crime”, reflects political pressure from Trump allies and members of Congress who have openly dehumanized Muslims. This and more below:

United States

After a mosque shooting, American Muslims deserve comfort, not hate | Recommended Read

On the morning of May 18, a gunman opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing a security guard and two worshippers at morning prayer. By Monday afternoon, San Diego’s police chief had told reporters there was “definitely hate rhetoric involved.” Investigators reportedly found anti-Islamic writing in the suspect’s car. Before the day was out, Laura Loomer — a Trump ally with documented White House access — had a different message for federal law enforcement. In a social media post, she called the mosque “evil” and demanded the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid it — not to investigate a hate crime but to raid the victims. I have spent more than a decade at the intersection of national security and American Muslim civic life — first as a senior advisor at the Department of Homeland Security and now at the Muslim Public Affairs Council. I know what it looks like when political pressure is applied to federal institutions. I have watched it happen to the ones I helped build. What I am watching now is more direct than anything I saw then. Loomer is not a fringe voice in this administration. She is a named ally of the president, one whose influence on personnel decisions at federal agencies has been reported and documented. When she tells the FBI — publicly, the same day as a mass shooting — that the appropriate response is to raid the mosque rather than investigate the attack on it, that is not a random post. It is pressure. And the FBI has done nothing to suggest that pressure is being resisted. read the complete article

Comments about Muslim community a factor in Frisco mayoral runoff

Frisco voters began casting their ballots Monday in the runoff election for mayor, a race in which the candidates have very different views on Muslims who live in this Collin County community. None of the four candidates who ran for mayor last month earned 50% or more of the vote, triggering a runoff election. Rod Vilhauer, a former planning and zoning commissioner, and Mark Hill, a Frisco ISD school board trustee, are on the ballot. Hill received about 35% of the vote in last month’s election, and Vilhauer got about 31%. Vilhauer has stirred up controversy — and support — over his stance on Frisco’s growing Muslim population. The city council heard hours of public testimony about a Hindu temple, Jain temple and a mosque being built in Frisco at a recent meeting. Several commenters who were against the mosque said they support Vilhauer for mayor. At a Frisco Chamber of Commerce forum last month, Vilhauer expressed his support the Indian community in Frisco, which has also faced backlash over unfounded claims of H-1B visa fraud. But he said he doesn’t support the Muslim community. “When it comes to people of Sharia that govern themselves, they are not welcome here,” he said. “I will never welcome them here. We're going to fight that.” read the complete article

United Kingdom

Why Reform's political rise is making British Muslims feel unsafe

For years, the idea that this far-right populist party, started in 2018 by ex-UKIP (The UK Independence Party) leader Nigel Farage, a man famous for his hypernationalism, might win an election seemed far-fetched. But May’s results were concrete proof that opinion polls were correct. For the past two years, Reform has steadily gained popularity; according to YouGov polls, if Britain held a General Election now, Reform would win. Former Muslim Council of Britain Secretary-General and diversity and inclusion consultant Zara Mohammed tells TRT World that the results are a stark reminder of what could happen at the next general election. “It really speaks to the sentiment of how fed-up people are, but also how completely divisive our politics are,” she says. With Reform’s proposed policies, including scrapping indefinite leave to remain, revoking the Equality Act 2010 (a piece of legislation designed to protect people from all forms of discrimination), and curtailing immigration, people like Fadeela are concerned about what that might mean for their residency status. It is not only Muslim immigrants who feel, following local elections, that their future in Britain is precarious. British Muslims are deeply concerned that a Reform government would enable anti-Muslim sentiment. read the complete article

Muslim International Film Festival returns to “reflect breadth and intricacies of Muslim storytelling”

The Muslim International Film Festival will return to London’s Leicester Square for its second edition, running 2-5 July, “championing the narratives of international Muslim filmmakers and highlighting their compelling stories”. “MIFF first entered the film festival circuit in 2024, at a time of polarised public opinion and a prevalence of negative portrayals of Muslims in the mainstream media,” organisers said. “Two years later and the overriding perception of Muslims has, if anything, worsened. A significant portion of Muslims face higher levels of hostility, systemic prejudice and suspicion towards Islam. “Flashpoints like the right-wing marches in the UK and anti-Muslim narratives perpetuated by the media has led to a rise in reported Islamophobic incidents.” MIFF continued: “MIFF is ever more determined to use the medium of film to counter this, by showcasing the diverse nature of Muslim communities in Britain and throughout the world. read the complete article

UK blocks visit by pro-Palestinian US streamer Hasan Piker

Britain’s government has barred pro-Palestinian American streamer Hasan Piker and his uncle from entering the country, prompting criticism from free speech advocates over what they say is a crackdown on dissent related to Israel’s campaign in Gaza. The United Kingdom’s Home Office canceled travel permits belonging to Piker, 34, and Turkish-American broadcaster and attorney Cenk Uygur. The pair were scheduled to speak this week at the South by Southwest technology and business festival (SXSW) in London and address the Oxford Union, a debating society at the prestigious British university. In a statement to CNN, the Home Office said it revoked Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for Piker and Uygur — which permits non-UK citizens to visit the country without a visa for up to six months — “on the grounds that their presence in the UK may not be conducive to the public good.” In a text message to CNN on Monday, Piker harshly criticized Israel and Britain, charging that free expression and due process in the UK “are falling by the wayside at the behest of a foreign apartheid state and its expansionist interests in the Middle East.” He added, “This is a real crisis of democracy.” read the complete article

Watchdog probes Colchester church over sermons

The Charity Commission is assessing concerns linked to an Essex evangelical church. Sermons at the Bread of Life Community Church in Colchester were criticised for including Islamophobic, homophobic and sexist remarks. Preacher and trustee Stephen Clayden "wholeheartedly" rejected the claims. The regulator confirmed it received information from the National Secular Society (NSS) and said it was considering whether it needed to take action. The NSS claimed videos include criticism of feminism and references to Islam and socialism, and some sermons also use biblical passages to condemn homosexuality. It came as the church is in the process of appealing against a legal notice from Colchester City Council. The notice restricts its street outreach activities. The council previously raised concerns about "intimidating behaviour". read the complete article

International

Al-Aqsa: The moment of peril is here. Will the Muslim world act?

An exclusive investigation by Middle East Eye last week revealed that both US and Israel were coordinating to remove Jordan's custodianship over Islam's third holiest site. This is not a diplomatic manoeuvre. It is the culmination of a systematic campaign to erase the Islamic presence in Occupied Jerusalem and a direct call upon Muslims worldwide to awaken from a dangerous and complicit slumber. When the announcement arrives, it will wear the language of pluralism as a mask. It will invoke "multi-faith coexistence", "equal access", and "shared heritage". Yet, beneath this veneer lies the reality; it is the final act of Israeli colonisation. Jerusalem’s Islamic identity will be effaced, its name and meaning repurposed to serve the Israeli colonial order. The Trump administration wishes to see al-Aqsa stripped of its Islamic identity. It would then be repackaged as a tourist attraction hosting all three Abrahamic religions. This is not a mere proposal. It is a blueprint for ethnocide. The systematic campaign aims to purge Jerusalem of its Muslim identity and render invisible the histories and presences that have shaped this sacred space. read the complete article

If Muhammad will not go to the mountain, Trump will find him from space

You need a whole AI-generated search engine, perhaps one of those software gadgets that the Palantir Technologies chief executive Alex Karp employs to help Israel commit genocide in Palestine and mass murder children in Iran, to monitor and catalogue the mere number of unvarnished stupidities Donald Trump commits every single day of his miserable existence - but this one gets the cake. During an interview with Fox News (where else?), he was blabbering away to the host Bret Baier about the US Space Force's ability to surveil Iranian nuclear sites: Space Force, which I created, has got cameras - nine different cameras - in space on that site. We know everybody that moves there. We can read the name of a person. If his name is Muhammad something - and most of 'em are Muhammad, you can guess about 50 percent right - we can read his name right on his tag from space. We Muslims have a hadith (the sayings and doings of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) that says: "God is beautiful and he loves beauty." So first and foremost there is nothing wrong with the precious name Muhammad or any of its variations like Mahmoud, Ahmad, Hamed, or yours truly, Hamid. Our parents have loved our prophet and named us after him or his children, or else find our name in the Holy Quran through bibliomancy. But we also carry the names of other prophets or saints we hold respectfully and dearly like Isa (Jesus), Musa (Moses), Mariam (Mary), Ebrahim (Abraham), Ya'qub (Jacob), Nuh (Noah) and others. We love and respect them all. We name our children after them too. They are our prophets too. The larger question, upstream from Donald Trump's incurable racism and bigotry, is not how utterly and irredeemably illiterate and xenophobic the US president is. The question is the Islamophobic environment that has informed, sustained and enabled his racism. read the complete article

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