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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, City Councillors in Peterborough have agreed that Islamophobia has no place in the municipality by adopting a special statement on the issue which will now be promoted across the city, elsewhere in the country, British anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a.k.a Tommy Robinson, won a bid to trim his 18-month sentence for contempt of court yesterday, meaning he will be released from jail within a week, and lastly in United States, Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy is calling anti-Muslim graffiti found at two separate locations “unacceptable” noting that police-reported hate crimes rose by 32% in the province in 2023 alone. Our recommended read of the day is by Wilfredo Amr Ruiz and Samir Kakli for Miami Herald, who note that while Florida is facing an alarming rise in Islamophobia, “there has been no public statement from Miami Beach or state leaders reassuring Palestinian or Arab residents of their safety.” This and more below:
United States
Islamophobia is surging in Florida — and it must be addressed | Recommended Read
Florida is facing an alarming rise in Islamophobia — one that is reaching unprecedented levels nationwide, according to the findings of the 2025 CAIR Civil Rights Report: Unconstitutional Crackdowns. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, which has a strong presence in Florida, reports it received 8,658 civil rights complaints in 2024 — the highest number ever recorded since it began reporting in 1996. That marks a 7.4% increase from the previous year. Here in Florida, the numbers are even more troubling. Civil rights complaints have risen by 22%, nearly three times the national rate. Even more disturbing: for the first time in CAIR-Florida’s 24-year history, the leading cause of complaints is viewpoint discrimination. Many of these complaints, which spiked following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombing of Gaza, reflect a dangerous trend: individuals who criticize Israeli government policies, express solidarity with Palestinians or condemn alleged war crimes in Gaza are being accused of antisemitism or even terrorism. These accusations are not only defamatory — they’re dangerous. read the complete article
‘A growing wave of hate-motivated acts’: Durham police investigating anti-Muslim graffiti in Whitby
Durham Police are investigating after anti-Muslim graffiti was found at two locations in Whitby on Tuesday. Durham Regional Police said investigations into the incidents are ongoing and that the force’s hate crime unit has been notified. “The language involved is offensive and has a significant impact on our Muslim community,” police said in a tweet on May 20, detailing the incident. Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy called the incident “unacceptable” and noted that police-reported hate crimes rose by 32 per cent in 2023 alone, according to Statistics Canada, the third increase in the last four years. “These numbers reflect a growing wave of hate-motivated acts in communities of all sizes, targeting people because of their religion, race, identity or beliefs,” she said. “This graffiti is part of a troubling trend that we are seeing across the country.” The hate graffiti was found in at least two locations, including a bridge and the signage of a private organization, although officials say there have been reports of more locations that are still being confirmed. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Councillors support Islamophobia statement
Councillors have agreed that Islamophobia has no place in Peterborough by adopting a special statement on the issue which will now be promoted across the city. At a meeting of the authority’s annual council at Sand Martin House yesterday, members unanimously agreed to support a statement which has been drawn up following work with partners over the past three years. The statement outlines that the council stands ‘firmly against Islamophobia in all its forms and manifestations’. It also states that Islamophobia has ‘no place in Peterborough and fundamentally erodes British values of respect, tolerance and liberty’. You can read the full version here. The council will now promote the Islamophobia statement throughout Peterborough, encouraging partner organisations and businesses to also adopt the statement and commit to tackling the prejudice and disadvantage that Muslims can face. It will also be promoted to all city schools, colleges and universities, as well as public sector stakeholders such as the Police, Fire and Rescue Service and Health providers. read the complete article
Jailed UK anti-Islam activist 'Tommy Robinson' to be released next week
British anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon on Tuesday won a bid to trim his 18-month sentence for contempt of court, meaning he will be released from jail within a week. Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, was jailed in October after he admitted breaching an injunction banning him from repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, who had successfully sued him for libel. Britain's solicitor general took legal action against Yaxley-Lennon over comments in online interviews and a documentary titled 'Silenced', which was viewed millions of times and was played in London's Trafalgar Square in July. Yaxley-Lennon, who counts U.S. billionaire Elon Musk among his supporters, was accused by some media and politicians of inflaming tensions which led to days of rioting across Britain in late July and August last year after the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport. His social media account said in January that Musk was paying some of his legal fees, though Musk has not confirmed this. read the complete article
France
France’s Aboubakar Cissé murder case: Islamophobia and the failings of a political class
How else to describe the murder of Aboubakar Cissé, slain with 57 stab wounds, than as the unleashing of a hatred rarely seen in France? On 25 April, Cissé, a 22-year-old Malian, was cleaning the mosque in La Grand-Combe (South of France) when he was attacked. The alleged suspect, Olivier H., filmed himself insulting his victim's religion immediately after the act. “I did it, […] your shitty Allah”, he said repeatedly. The tragedy takes place against a backdrop of rising Islamophobia and racism in France. The murder and violence of the alleged assailant have plunged France's Muslim community into deep consternation. “What happened shatters my convictions”, says one person interviewed by Inès Belgacem for Streetpress. “If a Muslim can't feel safe in a prayer room, he can't feel safe anywhere. I'm no longer safe anywhere”. For the Muslims contacted by Belgacem, Aboubakar Cissé's death reflects the deeply unhealthy climate in France today: an increase in violence against Muslims, a spreading right-wing extremism in society, a growing recourse to Islamophobic rhetoric – notably by members of the government – quickly relayed by the media. read the complete article
Report calls Muslim Brotherhood 'threat to national cohesion' in France
A report set to be presented to President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday claims that the Muslim Brotherhood poses a "threat to national cohesion" in France and calls for action to curb the spread of "political Islam." "The reality of this threat, even if it is long-term and does not involve violent action, poses a risk of damage to the fabric of society and republican institutions... and, more broadly, to national cohesion," said the report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Tuesday. The report, prepared by two senior civil servants, is to be examined by the Defence Council on Wednesday. France and Germany have the biggest Muslim populations among European Union countries. The report pointed to the spread of the movement "from the bottom up" and at the municipal level, adding that the phenomenon constituted "a threat in the short to medium term." France's tough-talking Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed concern on Tuesday about "a low-level Islamism" whose "ultimate goal is to turn the entire French society to Sharia law." But the report authors said that "no recent document demonstrates the desire of Muslims in France to establish an Islamic state in France or to enforce Sharia law there." read the complete article
India
Why is an Indian Muslim academic under attack for anti-war comments?
More than 1,200 academics, activists and civil society members in India have come out in support of a Muslim professor arrested over a social media post about the recent military confrontation with Pakistan. They have signed an open letter demanding an end to the malicious campaign aimed at maligning the professor’s image and spreading misinformation. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a Cambridge-educated professor of political science at Ashoka University in the Indian state of Haryana, was arrested on Sunday on charges related to inciting secession and insulting religious beliefs following a complaint by a local leader of the ruling BJP party’s youth wing. Calling the arrest of the political science professor “preposterous”, the open letter highlights the “targeted harassment and attempted censorship” of the academic for speaking against the “blind bloodlust for war”. There have been calls for boycotting Muslim-owned businesses in Hindu-majority but constitutionally secular India. Many supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi view the Indian Muslim population as unpatriotic and sympathetic towards Pakistan because of their religious identity. “(Mahmudabad) has done nothing except carry out his duties as a teacher, a citizen and a person who believes in harmony and peace,” says the open letter. read the complete article