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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In India, a controversial new law which targets waqf properties – religious charitable land trusts of spiritual and cultural significance to Muslims – has taken effect across the nation with Indian Muslims saying the law is religious discrimination, meanwhile in Canada, Toronto police say they are looking for two suspects after anti-Muslim slurs were etched on a vehicle in the city last month, and in France, Rokhaya Diallo writes for The Guardian on how the killing of a young Muslim worshiper in La Grand-Combe’s mosque has sent shockwaves across the country with French Muslims and allies alike calling for drastic changes to be made. Our recommended read of the day is by Maroosha Muzaffar for The Independent on how a new report by The Centre for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) has found that Elon Musk’s X platform has become a “high-velocity distribution channel” for hate speech and conspiracy theories, particularly targeting British-Pakistani men and other South Asian and immigrant communities. This and more below:
United Kingdom
Musk’s X ‘amplified Islamophobia, hate speech and disinformation’ in grooming gangs debate, damning report says | Recommended Read
Elon Musk and his platform X played a central role in amplifying Islamophobic narratives around grooming gangs in the UK, a damning new report has said. The Centre for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) said X had become a “high-velocity distribution channel” for hate speech and conspiracy theories, particularly targeting British-Pakistani men and other South Asian and immigrant communities. The CSOH report “Racialised Grooming Gangs: Elon Musk, X, and Amplification of Islamophobia in the UK” looks at the tech billionaire’s influence in the debate around grooming gangs earlier this year. In January, Musk repeatedly posted or reposted about child grooming in the UK, accusing the Labour government of not doing enough to tackle it and calling for safeguarding minister Jess Phillips “to go to prison”. Based on an analysis of 1,365 posts with over 1.5 billion engagements, the report found that Musk’s personal interventions – alongside far-right channels – played a pivotal role in “weaponising” the grooming gang discourse to scapegoat Muslims in the country, particularly British Pakistani men. “The discourse surrounding the ‘grooming gangs’ – amplified at unprecedented scale by Elon Musk’s interventions on X – illustrates a dangerous convergence between far-right ideologies and the failure of digital platforms to enforce even basic content moderation policies,” the report said. “This report finds that X became a central hub for the spread of these narratives. In particular, we identified coordinated global activity involving individuals and organisations linked to promoting Islamophobic content. The ‘grooming gangs’ discourse must also be understood as part of the global far-right’s broader search for political legitimacy in a post-2024 UK.” read the complete article
Councillors to make final decision on Islamophobia statement
All 60 Peterborough city councillors will decide whether to approve and adopt an Islamophobia statement as part of its anti-racism policies. Council officers were asked to draft the statement following a motion at full council in June 2022. The council's constitution and ethics committee approved the statement when it met on Monday, April 14. It has recommended that full council also approves and adopts the statement at its meeting on Monday, May 19. Officers worked with members of Peterborough's Joint Mosque Committee and other local partners to write the statement which sets out some of the ways that Muslims are impacted by Islamophobia. If approved, Peterborough City Council will promote the Islamophobia statement throughout Peterborough. The authority will also encourage partner organisations and businesses to adopt the statement and commit to "tackling the prejudice and disadvantage that Muslims can face". read the complete article
France
A worshipper is murdered in a French mosque. How can this be ‘just another crime’?
Friday is a holy day for practising Muslims – a time to observe the faith more deeply and, where possible, attend prayers at the mosque. That’s exactly what Aboubakar Cissé did early on Friday 25 April. As Cissé bowed in prostration, he was stabbed with a knife 57 times. The assailant then posted a video on Snapchat of his victim writhing in agony in a pool of blood. In the video, a man can be heard saying “I did it” and insulting Allah. Yet in France, this death – and apparent targeting of a Muslim worshipper – has not been unequivocally understood as a hate crime. Ongoing controversy around the case is a dismaying reminder of how institutionally Islamophobic France is. For more than a fortnight, there have been public protests at the inadequacy of the investigation, the biggest of which so far took place in Paris on Sunday. But, with some notable exceptions, in political and media circles more time has been devoted to debating whether a horrific killing in a place of worship deserves to be called “Islamophobic” than the terrifying implications of such violence for Europe’s biggest Muslim population. Right from the outset we can see double standards: following a misleading steer from the public prosecutor’s office, much of the French media including national news networks wrongly framed the atrocity as a dispute between worshippers, repeating this fake narrative over and over. According to Mediapart, no member of the government nor any representative of the state took part in a silent march in La Grand-Combe. When Retailleau eventually showed up in the town on 27 April, a lack of urgency criticised even within his own party, he limited his presence to closed-door talks at the sub-prefecture and announced security protection for mosques. He neither went to the mosque nor met the victim’s family. Asked in a TV interview about the delay, Retailleau blamed his caution on uncertainty about the motivation for the crime, despite the video and the anti-Muslim sentiment the suspect had allegedly posted online. Throughout, Retailleau referred to the victim simply as “the individual”, never using his name, and later blamed the murder on our “multicultural society”. read the complete article
Thousands demonstrate nationwide against Islamophobia
According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, in the first months of 2025, France registered a 72 percent increase in hostilities towards Muslims compared to 2024. read the complete article
United States
Loomer: Qatari jet gift a ‘stain’ on Trump presidency
Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer, who has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, called him out over the weekend as the White House prepares to receive a $400 million Boeing jet from the Qatari government. “I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him,” Loomer wrote in a post on the social platform X. “But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits.” “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,” Loomer said. “I’m so disappointed.” Loomer, who has faced backlash in the past for spreading anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, blasted the arrangement as a move that would run contrary to the push to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist organization.” “It’s going to be hard for the admin to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and obliterate Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah when Qatar funds the Muslim Brotherhood, harbors HAMAS, and the US just accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar,” Loomer wrote. “The biggest lobby in DC is the Qatar lobby. We are watching an Islamic takeover of our country in real time.” read the complete article
The heart of Springfield's Muslim community | #1 in a four-part series
Springfield, Illinois, is home to a resilient and tightly knit Muslim community—one that’s quietly shaped the capital through interfaith outreach and service. An estimated 4.45 million Muslims live in the U.S., yet 40% of Americans have never spoken to one, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. In 2024 alone, anti-Muslim hate crimes surpassed 8,000 nationwide. The highest since data has been kept. But in Springfield, a different story is unfolding—one of unity, healing, and quiet impact. In a time when hate often dominates headlines, the Muslim community in Springfield offers another narrative—one of hope, resilience, and belonging. Through faith, service, and deep-rooted relationships, they are helping to bridge divides and build a stronger, more united city. read the complete article
Harvard Affiliates Deliver Hundreds of Complaints Alleging Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim Bias to President Garber’s Office
More than 30 Harvard affiliates delivered a box containing 452 discrimination complaints to Massachusetts Hall at a Monday rally, alleging that Harvard has fostered “pervasive bias against Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians.” The group handed the complaints — detailing reports of a “hostile climate” on campus — to a University employee at Massachusetts Hall, which houses the office of President Alan M. Garber ’76. Organizers said the complaints, previously submitted to the University’s Office for Community Conduct, which is responsible for enforcing non-discrimination policies, had mostly been ignored. “At best, we have received no response or a cold form email from Harvard administrators,” Lara Z. Jirmanus ’01, a faculty organizer and Harvard Medical School professor, wrote in a Monday press release. Jirmanus said that the lack of adequate response to the complaints led her and her peers to organize the demonstration. “We have decided to print the complaints and hand deliver them to the office of our president,” she said, adding that the complaints were also sent to the task force on antisemitism established by University President Alan M. Garber ’76 last spring. read the complete article
Canada
Toronto police seeking 2 suspects after vehicle vandalized with anti-Muslim slurs
Toronto police say they are looking for two suspects after anti-Muslim slurs were etched on a vehicle in the city last month. They say a vehicle parked in a driveway was vandalized extensively. Police say the damage consisted of paint and anti-Muslim slurs etched on the vehicle. Two male suspects were captured on the vehicle’s video camera, with one of them wearing a baseball hat, surgical mask and dark clothes, while the other had a moustache, sunglasses and a red or orange jacket. read the complete article
India
India distances itself from right-wing commentator's 'pig' slur against Iranian minister
India's embassy in Tehran has distanced itself from a viral video in which a right-wing Indian commentator hurled a derogatory slur at Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, calling the remarks "inappropriate" and unrelated to the Indian government's position. The video, posted by retired Major Gaurav Arya, known for his hardline views and followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, criticised Araghchi's visit to Islamabad before New Delhi. In the footage, Arya used a slur, drawing a circle around Araghchi's photo and labelling him a "pig", prompting backlash online. Reacting sharply, Iran's embassy in India posted a screenshot of the clip on X, saying: "Respect for guests has a long-standing tradition in Iranian culture... How about you?" India's diplomatic mission in Tehran responded hours later, issuing a statement in Persian clarifying that Arya is a private citizen whose views do not reflect the government's stance, calling the tone of the video "disrespectful". Despite the clarification, Arya escalated his rhetoric, claiming that Iran has been arming Pakistan and supporting it "only because of religion". He further attacked Iranian leadership, calling it a "blot on humanity", language critics say mirrors anti-Muslim sentiment often found in India's right-wing circles. read the complete article