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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In Canada, CBC Sports’s Senior Contributor Shireen Ahmed’s column about France’s ban on women wearing hijabs while playing sports won second place for column writing Tuesday at the AIPS Sports Media Awards in Morocco, meanwhile as India’s government is blaming Pakistan for supporting cross-border terrorism, anti-Muslim hate has surged, often fueled by ultranationalist social media accounts, which label Indian Muslims as “infiltrators” or “traitors”, and lastly, the Indian Parliament, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP and its allies, has passed a controversial bill last month that allows the government to determine how Muslim land endowments are governed. Our recommended read of the day is by Terry Gross for NPR’s Fresh Air on Ramy Youssef’s new show #1 Happy Family USA and how much of the show’s inspiration comes from Youssef’s own life growing up during and after the 9/11 attacks. This and more below:
United States
Sept. 11 turns life upside down for a 'Happy Family' in Ramy Youssef's animated show | Recommended Read
Actor Ramy Youssef was in fifth grade and living in New Jersey when the Twin Towers fell in the Sept. 11 attacks. He remembers feeling sad in the wake of the tragedy — and also acutely aware of his family's Egyptian ethnicity and their Muslim faith amid an atmosphere of Islamophobia. "It's incredibly confusing. It's incredibly disorienting," Youssef says. "And I think within my family, we were always proud of who we were and where we come from, and at the same time, you kind of don't want to rock the boat." Youssef explores the subject in his new animated Amazon Prime series, #1 Happy Family USA. Set just before and after Sept. 11, the show focuses on the Husseins, an Egyptian American family living in New Jersey. The parents and grandparents are immigrants; and the children were born in the U.S. Each member of the family must navigate rampant Islamophobia after the terrorist attacks. Rumi, voiced by Youssef, is in fifth grade, and wears a hat to hide his curly hair. His father goes out on the lawn and sings a song about how they're "#1 Happy Family USA." read the complete article
International
Oman's grand mufti urges India to 'remember kindness of past Muslim rulers'
The grand mufti of Oman has urged the Indian government to remember the "kindness and benevolence" of India's previous Muslim rulers and congratulated Pakistanis on achieving "victory over their aggressors". On Saturday, after four days of shelling and unprecedented aerial incursions on both sides, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire. On Monday Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalili, the grand mufti of Oman, issued a statement congratulating Pakistan "on their victory over their aggressors", referring to India. He said in Arabic that "we hope they [Pakistan] will stand with all steadfastness and strength with their oppressed Muslim brothers, especially in the blessed land of Al-Aqsa". The mufti added: "We call upon the Government of India to abandon its hostility towards Muslims and to remember how its Muslim rulers in the past treated its people - regardless of their religion - with kindness and benevolence." read the complete article
India-Pakistan conflict risks deepening religious tensions
With India's government blaming Pakistan for supporting cross-border terrorism, anti-Muslim hate has surged, often fueled by ultranationalist social media accounts, which label Indian Muslims as "infiltrators" or "traitors." The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, released a statement urging the government to drive out "Pakistani citizens and their sleeper cells." VHP leader Surendra Jain also said it was "clearly visible by this incident that the terrorist definitely has a Mazahab (religion)," Indian media reported. The VHP did not respond to DW's request for comment. Online hatred has spilled into real life, too. The "Karachi Bakery" in the southern city of Hyderabad was vandalized by angry protesters demanding the bakery change its name as Karachi is the name of a city in Pakistan. Local media reported that police charged several people over the incident, including members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The irony is that the bakery is owned by Hindus, whose ancestors migrated from Karachi to India during the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 following the end of British colonial rule. In the first 10 days after the Pahalgam attack, at least 64 anti-Muslim hate speech events were recorded in nine states and the region of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the India Hate Lab, an NGO. read the complete article
Canada
CBC Sports' Shireen Ahmed awarded 2nd place in international sports column writing
CBC Sports's Senior Contributor Shireen Ahmed's column about France's ban on women wearing hijabs while playing sports won second place for column writing Tuesday at the AIPS Sports Media Awards in Morocco. "How can France claim to champion women when it is stripping them away from sport in a move that is blatantly opposed to the IOC's own human rights framework?" Ahmed wrote in her piece, French hijab ban in sports called a 'shameful moment' as it prepares to host Olympics. It was published July 18, 2024, just days before the Paris Olympics opened. "Shireen is a thought leader and her work with CBC Sports reflects that every day," said Ryan Johnston, executive producer of CBC Sports's digital department. "We're proud to see her recognized with this award and be able to accept it among her friends, family and colleagues." Ahmed's column was one of more than 2,000 submissions from journalists in 136 countries in a variety of categories the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) recognized at their annual gala. read the complete article
India
In India, Controversial Law Threatens Muslim Property
The Indian Parliament—led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies—passed a controversial bill last month that allows the government to determine how Muslim land endowments are governed. Though India’s president ratified it into law a day later, it is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court. The law could affect thousands of religious or charitable properties across the country, known as waqfs, including mosques, seminaries, and shrines donated by Indian Muslims over centuries. The properties were previously governed by the 1995 Waqf Act. read the complete article