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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United States, the Ohio chapter of CAIR is calling for an investigation and the filing of criminal charges by Columbus police after a video captured a Somali Muslim woman being assaulted by her neighbors in what the organization is calling a possible hate crime, while in Washington D.C., over 130 Georgetown faculty, students, and community members participated in a walkout Tuesday, protesting the DHS’s detainment of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown postdoctoral fellow, and in Canada, the City of Montreal has taken down a welcome sign depicting a woman wearing a hijab as a followthrough on Mayor Valérie Plante’s commitment to remove the sign “in the name of secularism”. Our recommended read of the day is by Michael Savage for The Guardian on how the number of Islamophobic posts aimed at London Mayor Sadiq Khan has more than doubled in a year. This and more below:
United Kingdom
Islamophobic posts about Sadiq Khan more than double in a year, analysis shows | Recommended Read
The number of Islamophobic posts aimed at Sadiq Khan has more than doubled in a year, according to fresh analysis that suggests the London mayor remains a lightning rod for racist abuse. Almost 28,000 social media posts referring to Khan included a key Islamophobic phrase last year, a huge increase on the 12,000 sent a year earlier and a more than eight-fold increase from 2022, according to the analysis commissioned by the Greater London authority (GLA). This year, Khan has already been mentioned alongside Islamophobic keywords 2,180 times. The vast majority of abuse was posted on X, with a record number of posts referring to Khan posted from the UK in the past year. The research found that 89% of the offending Islamophobic posts about Khan since 2015 had originated on the platform. Patrik Hermansson, senior researcher at Hope Not Hate, said that Khan’s Muslim identity “makes him a target that people project their Islamophobic conspiracy theories on”. He added: “There is a wider anti-migrant and Islamophobic narrative and conspiracy theory that London is becoming a Muslim majority city and that this is intentionally accelerated by Khan.” read the complete article
United States
After LA fires destroyed places of worship, Methodist, Muslim and Jewish congregations form ‘an island of grace’
Entering a sacred space like the First United Methodist church in Pasadena can stir emotions. Curious visitors often wander through the church doors, attracted by its gothic exterior, and instinctively start to whisper. The space on Colorado Boulevard – a busy thoroughfare that doubles as part of the Rose Parade route every New Year’s Day – has always felt holy, said the Rev Amy Aitken, the pastor. Now she wants it to feel like a safe space for two other religious groups that are sharing the facilities for worship: the Islamic Center of Southern California and the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center. Conflicts in faraway lands and ideological differences make these three religious groups unlikely cohabitants in a shared space, but here the groups form a microcosm of peaceful coexistence united by tragedy. In January, the Pasadena synagogue burned down in the Eaton fire leaving its Jewish congregation in need of a place to grieve and worship. The Methodist church, already a host to Islamic Center members as a satellite worship location, welcomed the Jewish congregation. “We are trying to cultivate an ‘island of grace’ in the midst of differences that we are told should divide us,” said Aitken. Under this arrangement, all three Abrahamic faiths are worshiping under one roof at 500 East Colorado Boulevard. “I can’t think of another church that can say the same,” said Aitken. read the complete article
Faculty, students, and community members walk out in support of detained Georgetown fellow
Over 130 Georgetown faculty, students, and community members participated in a walkout Tuesday, protesting the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) detainment of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown postdoctoral fellow. Organized by Georgetown Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, the walkout and rally called for the immediate release of Khan Suri, a researcher at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU). Khan Suri is legally in the U.S. on a student visa, according to a university spokesperson last week, who also told the Voice they are unaware of Khan Suri engaging in any kind of illegal activity. “Badar Khan Suri is an innocent man,” Nader Hashemi, director of the ACMCU, said at the rally. “He has committed no crime. He should have his visa reinstated. He should be allowed to return to his job. He should be immediately reunited with his family.” Khan Suri’s arrest is troubling for many students and faculty members on its own, particularly because of his legal status and engaged role in the community. At the walkout, several faculty also voiced concerns that Khan Suri’s arrest belongs to a greater pattern of attacks on academic and ideological freedoms. “The unlawful detention of our colleague and friend, Badar Khan Suri, is yet another troubling escalation in the repression that students and other activists have faced,” Lahra Smith, an African Studies Program professor, said in a speech. read the complete article
CAIR-Ohio calls for investigation after Muslim woman attacked in 'possible hate crime'
A Muslim advocacy group is calling for an investigation and the filing of criminal charges by Columbus police after video captured a Somali Muslim woman being assaulted by her neighbors in what the organization is calling a possible hate crime. The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations posted a video to their YouTube channel on Tuesday showing a Muslim woman being assaulted by four people on March 20 at around 8 a.m. at the Southpark Apartments in Franklinton. The woman was returning from dropping off her kids at the bus stop for school. The beginning of the video shows the Muslim woman surrounded by two women and a man as she argues with the man, who is standing on the landing of some stairs. One of the women then charges and punches the victim, and they briefly exchange blows before a second woman begins attacking the victim from behind. The man also joins in the attack, and the video shows the three assailants beating on the Muslim woman, who is lying on the ground as she is pummeled. "This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of discrimination and hostility that marginalized communities face daily," Khalid Turaani, executive director of CAIR-Ohio, said in a prepared release. Turaani, who met with the victim on Tuesday, said the victim related that the assailants are her neighbors, and that the assault stemmed out of the woman standing by the neighbors' car. read the complete article
Canada
Montreal Liberal volunteers allegedly target of ‘Islamophobic harassment’ | VIDEO
"Unacceptable,” said Pierrefonds—Dollard Liberal candidate Sameer Zuberi on his team's two female volunteers who were allegedly target of “Islamophobic harassment” on Monday evening while putting up campaign posters in Montreal’s DDO read the complete article
Muslim woman attacked in library by woman who tried to set hijab on fire, Canadian police say
A Canadian Muslim woman was targeted at a public library over the weekend in what police called an unprovoked attack by a woman who tried to remove and set the woman's hijab on fire. Police said the attacker also tried to remove the victim's hijab and poured "an unknown liquid on it" before she grabbed a lighter and tried to set the hijab on fire. The victim screamed for help, and the library's security intervened, police said. "The suspect fled the library but was located by officers a few hours later and taken into custody without incident," police said. Kaley-Ann Freier, 25, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and three counts of failure to comply with a probation order, police said, adding that "she was held for a bail hearing." The investigation continues, police said, adding that “investigators are required to consult with the Crown Attorney’s office to determine whether the evidence meets the legal threshold for hate to be considered a factor.” read the complete article
Montreal takes out city hall welcome sign that included woman wearing hijab
The City of Montreal has officially taken down a welcome sign that stirred controversy last fall because it depicted a woman wearing an Islamic headscarf. The sign in the lobby of the newly renovated city hall, which showed a woman wearing a hijab, drew criticism online, prompting Mayor Valérie Plante to commit to taking it down in the name of secularism. "I think we can talk about diversity — the great cultural wealth of Montreal — while favouring secularism," Plante said at the time. In the image, which is in the style of a pencil sketch, the woman is standing between two men — one who seems younger and is wearing a baseball cap and overcoat, and an older man with his hands crossed in front of him. "Welcome to Montreal city hall!" is written in French above them. The image also drew complaints from Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who said it was an example of religion creeping into the public sphere. read the complete article
International
US religious freedom panel urges sanctions against India's external spy agency
Minorities in India face deteriorating treatment, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said on Tuesday, and it recommended targeted sanctions against India's external spy agency over alleged involvement in assassination plots against Sikh separatists. The panel's annual report also said communist-ruled Vietnam stepped up efforts to regulate and control religious affairs. It recommended Vietnam - a country like India with which Washington has sought to build close ties given shared concerns about China - also be designated a "country of particular concern." Since 2023, India's alleged targeting of Sikh separatists in the U.S. and Canada has emerged as a wrinkle in U.S.-India ties, with Washington charging an ex-Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, in a foiled U.S. plot. India labels Sikh separatists as security threats and has denied involvement. "In 2024, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as attacks and discrimination against religious minorities continued to rise," the U.S. commission said in a report released on Tuesday. It said Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "propagated hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities" during last year's election campaign. Modi in April last year referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" who have "more children." U.S. State Department reports on human rights and religious freedom have noted minority abuses in recent years. read the complete article