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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In Germany, the AfD party has launched a legal challenge against Germany’s domestic intelligence agency for designating the far-right party an “extremist” organisation, meanwhile in the United States, an Illinois landlord who killed a 6-year-old Muslim boy and severely injured the boy’s mother in a brutal hate-crime attack days after the war in Gaza began has been sentenced Friday to 53 years in prison, and in Australia, Victoria Police are investigating after several groups dressed in all black were seen on overpasses along Melbourne’s Monash Freeway holding racist and Islamophobic banners. Our recommended read of the day is by Hania Chalal for Middle East Eye on how the violent killing of Aboubakar Cisse during prayer inside a mosque highlights the normalization of Islamophobia across Europe. This and more below:
France
For Muslims in France, there is no safe place | Recommended Read
Late last month, the news broke: Aboubakar Cisse, a young Black Muslim man of Malian descent, had been killed inside a mosque in southern France. Initially described in the media as a personal dispute, that narrative quickly fell apart as a local prosecutor announced the case was being investigated as “an act with Islamophobic connotations”. The emotional wreckage this has caused is immense. Since the footage surfaced, each detail has deepened the Muslim community’s collective grief, and ignited a seething anger. Like many others, I’ve found myself asking the same question over and over: could we have prevented this? I wish I could say I was shocked. But as a visibly Muslim French woman who leads a pan-European network of Muslim youth and student groups, I know we’ve seen the warning signs for years. These signs have been deliberately ignored. Cisse was young, Black and Muslim. He quietly served his community, like so many people who sustain the spaces where others find peace. And yet he also embodies everything that political hate merchants have spent years dehumanising. Even with stark video evidence, many are still refusing to label this incident as a hate crime at the convergence of Islamophobia and anti-Black racism. It was not a personal quarrel, but the inevitable outcome of decades of normalised bigotry. This isn’t about one deranged individual. It’s about an entire ecosystem of hate, one that is propped up by state policies cloaked in neutrality, media narratives that cast Muslims as threats, and daily indignities faced by Muslim students, workers and families. Cisse’s brutal killing is not an anomaly, but rather the logical endpoint of a political project that turns fears into votes and citizens into targets. When a veiled Muslim woman in France has an 80 percent lower chance of landing a job interview; when Muslim schools face disproportionate scrutiny; and when a man can be murdered in his own mosque, nowhere is truly safe for Muslims in France. We have raised the alarm for years. We’ve asked for dialogue, protection and dignity. But our calls have been been met with locked doors and institutional exclusion. This is no longer political inaction. It is complicity. read the complete article
In France, the Collective Denial of Islamophobia Is Deadly
A stabbing at a southern French mosque last Friday sparked terror and protest among France’s Muslims. Yet many top politicians refuse to speak of “Islamophobia,” instead leaning into far-right narratives of the Islamic danger to France. All told, France’s interior ministry reported some 173 anti-Muslim acts in 2024, a figure that represents a 29 percent decline relative to the 2023 tally. Critics claim that incidents are woefully underreported, however. Between January and March 2025, cases of anti-Muslim violence surged by 72 percent compared to the same period the previous year. For most of the last three decades, the place of Islam and of Muslims in French society has come to occupy a place in national politics not unlike the so-called “Jewish question” of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Limitations on Islamic attire in public schools may have conformed with modern France’s secular traditions, yet such moves have swelled over the years into a broad campaign to limit public expression of Muslim identity and faith. The fear of creeping “Islamization” has been behind legislation like 2021’s so-called “separatism” law, designed to increase state overview of civil society organizations. Watchdogs like the Collective Against Islamophobia in France have been closed by state authorities. This week, an administrative court rejected the government’s attempt to withdraw accreditation for the largest private Muslim high school in the country. France’s stilted debate on Islam has paralyzed the attempt to make sense of the motives behind Cissé’s murder. Some government figures, like Prime Minister François Bayrou have conceded the “Islamophobic” nature of his killing. Yet others have pushed back, preferring qualifiers such as “anti-Muslim hate” on the spurious grounds that the notion of “Islamophobia” is a cover to prevent broader criticism of Islam as a religion. read the complete article
The danger of a double standard for Islam
The current interior minister, Retailleau, who is competing with Laurent Wauquiez for the presidency of the right-wing Les Républicains party, appeared in Nantes on April 24, just hours after the stabbing of a high school student. He then – imprudently – blamed the "brutalization" of "a society that (...) wanted to deconstruct authority," before the perpetrator was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward. Such a pretense to explain a tragedy before it has even been investigated and such haste to politically exploit it is unworthy of a French minister, especially one responsible for public order. It is an understatement to say that Retailleau's haste to visit Nantes contrasts with his absence from the mosque in La Grand-Combe, the scene of a murder with a proven anti-Muslim element, despite him being responsible for religious affairs. While President Emmanuel Macron quickly condemned "racism and hatred on account of religion," and Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced "Islamophobic ignominy," the interior minister initially only described the murder as "appalling" and only visited the area's prefecture three days later. On Friday, May 2, he announced that he would meet with Cissé's family on Monday. The Interior Ministry has noted an increase in anti-Muslim acts in recent months and the concern among Muslims is evident. Like all residents of this country, they are entitled to protection, attention, and, when necessary, compassion from the authorities. It is tragic that millions of French Muslims are taken hostage and used in political frays – whether these confuse Islam with Islamism or deny the dangers associated with the latter. read the complete article
United States
Fear and intimidation at Newark airport
I am no stranger to political repression and censorship. I have lived in Germany for five years now, and as a Palestinian journalist involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy, I have experienced repeated harassment at the hands of the German authorities. My husband, a German citizen, and I, an American citizen, have grown accustomed to being held for hours at a time, subjected to invasive interrogations about our travels, and having our belongings thoroughly searched without clear justification. But we were shocked to find out that these tactics, designed to intimidate and deter, have now been taken up by the United States to target Palestinians amid the ongoing genocide. The harassment we endured on March 24 upon arriving in the US shattered that illusion. Our Palestinian identity, our political work, our family ties – all of it makes us permanent targets, not just in Germany, but now in the US, too. Upon arrival at Newark airport in New Jersey, my husband and I were separated and individually interrogated, each of us still holding a sleeping child. The men questioning us did not identify themselves; I believe they were DHS agents, not border police. They first asked me about the purpose of my trip and my travel to Gaza. They wanted to know who I had met in Gaza, why I had met them, and whether anyone I encountered was affiliated with Hamas. At one point, an officer deliberately became ambiguous and instead of referencing Hamas, asked if “anyone from [my] family was a part of the government in Gaza”. “Did anyone in your family experience violence during this war?” “Yes,” I responded. “Fifty were killed.” “Were any of them Hamas supporters?” was the response I received. As if political affiliation could justify the incineration of a family. As if children, elders, mothers, reduced to numbers, must first be interrogated for their loyalties before their deaths can be acknowledged. When they finally returned our electronics, they issued a chilling warning to my husband: “You have been here seven times without an issue. Stay away from political activity, and everything will be fine.” read the complete article
Man sentenced to 53 years in prison in attack on Palestinian American boy, mother
An Illinois landlord who killed a 6-year-old Muslim boy and severely injured the boy's mother in a brutal hate-crime attack days after the war in Gaza began was sentenced Friday to 53 years in prison. Joseph Czuba, 73, was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak sentenced Czuba to 30 years in the boy's death and another 20 years consecutively for the attack on Shaheen. The judge also sentenced him to three years imprisonment for hate crimes. The length of the sentence makes it all but certain he will die behind bars. "No sentence can restore what was taken, but today's outcome delivers a necessary measure of justice," said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago. "Wadee was an innocent child. He was targeted because of who he was—Muslim, Palestinian, and loved." read the complete article
International
Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim dialogue and helped break down stereotypes
Pope Francis’ pontificate marked a distinct shift in the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Muslim world. While his predecessors fostered dialogue and tolerance, Francis sought more active engagement with Muslims, particularly in the Middle East. In my 2025 book “Beyond Dialogue – Building Bonds Between Christians and Muslims,” I stress the importance of moving beyond mere tolerance to collaboration as a way to engage with religious diversity − something that Francis demonstrated in his interfaith dialogue efforts with Muslim countries. Francis’ visit to the UAE also culminated in some crucial interfaith initiatives. In Abu Dhabi, Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University, Ahmed El-Tayeb, cosigned the document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. The document stresses the need to work together to promote a “culture of reciprocal respect.” While the Emirati president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, did not directly sign the document, he supported the interfaith initiatives that followed Francis’ trip. The closest historical comparison to the Document on Human Fraternity is the Nostra Aetate, a declaration from the Second Vatican Council of 1965, when major reforms were initiated in the Catholic Church. Nostra Aetate marked a turning point in the Catholic Church’s relations with Islam and all non-Christian traditions. After a history of conflict, limited positive engagement and mutual suspicion, it emphasized harmony, dialogue and respect with Islam. read the complete article
Kashmir attack hero pleads for unity as Muslims targeted across India: ‘We saw humans, not religion’
In the moment when shots rang out and tourists were being gunned down in Pahalgam, Kashmir, Rayees Ahmad ran uphill – not away from the gunfire but towards it. Ahmad, 35, head of the local association of pony handlers, was at his office when news of the terror attack at the Baisaran meadow, a picturesque remote clearing, crackled through on a poorly connected phone call. It was around 2.35pm. “There has been an attack here and the tourists are being fired upon.” That was all he could hear before the line went out. Among those killed that day was 28-year-old Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a pony guide who was shot while reportedly trying to snatch a gun from one of the attackers. “We cleaned wounds, gave water, carried people down. There was no time to think about our lives,” he recalls. “We just kept going.” The attack has spawned a flood of Islamophobic rhetoric across India, from family and neighbourhood Whatsapp groups to major TV channels. Ahmad rejects any sectarian reading of the tragedy. “I did not see anyone’s religion that day. I saw humans. We were all human beings trying to save other human beings.” And his message to the country is clear: “We will go backwards as a country if we keep fighting within ourselves.” read the complete article
“A pilgrim of peace in search of fraternity”: What Pope Francis meant to Muslims
There are some individuals who continue to serve humanity, not only through their lives, but also through their deaths. The late Pope Francis is one such person. He remained among the people until his final breath. Here, however, I would like to focus specifically on the pope’s dedication to Muslim-Christian dialogue. Over the course of his pontificate, he visited Muslim-majority nations throughout the world — from Bosnia to Bangladesh, from Turkey to Indonesia, from Iraq to Kazakhstan, from Albania to Palestine and Egypt. He signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, during his visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. This historic document underscores the importance of interfaith dialogue in fostering peace, fraternity and respect for diversity. It calls for cooperation toward a just world and strongly denounces violence and discrimination, urging all individuals and communities to unite for the greater good. Another historic visit by Pope Francis to the Islamic world was his trip to Iraq in 2021. In addition to meeting Sunni leaders, he also met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf. Each of the pope’s visits possessed special significance for building bridges with the Muslim community. Common themes include inter-religious harmony, unwavering hope and optimism, social justice, reaching remote areas and the need for peace-builders rather than weapons. But not only did Pope Francis visit Muslim countries, he also received many Muslim leaders and heads of state at the Vatican. Through his life, he demonstrated what Christianity — and, ultimately, all religions — are truly about: compassion, respect, collaboration, hope and humility. read the complete article
United Kingdom
‘It’s been traumatic’: the inside story of Tell Mama’s break with Labour government
For 13 years, Tell Mama has been the government-funded not-for-profit tasked with recording anti-Muslim hate crime and helping victims get justice. For its pains, staff faced death threats from the far right, a risk so serious it necessitated an office change at the height of the hate. There have been critics too within Britain’s Muslim community, who, according to the Tell Mama leadership, were intolerant of the organisation’s tolerance. “Throughout the 13 years, people have been kind of making up what Tell Mama does,” said Iman Atta, who has been the organisation’s director since 2016. “They claim that we’re Zionists because we work with Jewish communities, or we’re promoting pedophilia because we work with LGBT groups,” she added. Most recently, questions have been raised about how the organisation spent public money, collated its data, and whether it had become too close to the previous Conservative government, which signed off on its funding. This latest challenge has been existential. It means that, at a time of soaring bigotry, there is now no government-funded group carrying out anti-Muslim hate monitoring in the UK and this is expected to be the case into the summer. Atta said Tell Mama would continue to do its work and look for funds from elsewhere but it fully expects to pare back its services. Lord Khan put out a statement giving Tell Mama a clean bill of health and praising its work and a six-month grant extension was offered. Atta signed the agreement to allow Tell Mama to be paid for the service over the last year. But she said the alleged “smearing” of her organisation felt relentless. It felt like she was going through a personal “trauma”, Atta added. read the complete article
Germany
AfD sues over ‘extremist’ classification; Germany rejects US criticism
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has launched a legal challenge against Germany’s domestic intelligence agency for designating the far-right party an “extremist” organisation. A spokesperson for the administrative court in Cologne confirmed on Monday that the AfD had submitted both a lawsuit and an emergency petition in response to the decision by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). Germany, meanwhile, hit back at President Donald Trump’s administration in the United States over its criticism of the classification, suggesting officials in Washington should study history. The Cologne court will begin reviewing the case once the BfV confirms that it has been notified of the filings. The classification, announced on Friday, gives Germany’s intelligence agency the power to surveil the AfD, the largest opposition party in parliament. These powers include deploying informants and intercepting internal party communications. A 1,100-page report compiled by the agency – that will not be made public – concluded that the AfD is a racist and anti-Muslim organisation. The move came at a pivotal moment in German politics as the mainstream grapples with the continued rise of the far right. read the complete article
Australia
Police investigating 'disgusting' display of 'no black', 'no Muslim' votes banners
Victoria Police is investigating after several groups dressed in all black were seen on overpasses along Melbourne's Monash Freeway holding racist and Islamophobic banners. Police said they had been alerted to offensive slogans being displayed at several locations along the freeway just after 9.30am on Saturday — the day of the federal election. A witness provided SBS News photos of several of the banners which read: "No black votes should count; No Muslim votes should count; and Only Aussie votes should count. The witness, who asked to remain anonymous, described the scenes as "disgusting". "Imagine having a little Asian child [or] a Muslim child in the back of a seat just driving with your family on a Saturday morning, and then you just see this racism," the witness, who is an Australian Muslim, told SBS News. "It's just disturbing." The witness said she saw about 30 people spread across three overpasses. read the complete article
India
Muslim-owned businesses attacked in Indian resort town after schoolgirl allegedly raped
Sectarian tensions are running high in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand after the arrest of a man for allegedly raping a schoolgirl prompted Hindus to attack Muslim-owned businesses. A group of Hindu men went on a rampage in the popular tourist town of Nainital on Thursday, vandalising shops and eateries owned by Muslims during a protest against the alleged rape. A woman had filed a police complaint on Wednesday accusing a 75-year-old Muslim man of raping her 12-year-old daughter. The man was promptly arrested, senior police officer PN Meena said. A mob gathered near the police station after news of the man’s arrest spread and, after learning his identity, marched to his place of work near the market, local media reported. They were soon attacking shops and eateries in the Mallital area owned by Muslims. Social media videos showed members of the rampaging mob dragging out shop owners and brutally thrashing them, while others vandalised their establishments and vehicles. The agitation continued past midnight, and reportedly saw stones thrown at a mosque. read the complete article