Search
SearchToday in Islamophobia: In India, under the rule of PM Modi’s BJP, the rate of violence against religious minorities has reached an alarming height, with no consequences for the vigilante groups responsible for the violence, meanwhile two prominent Muslim groups criticized North American leaders and media for ignoring attacks and anti-Arab violence by Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans during a Europa League match, and lastly in Europe, far-right and ultranationalist forces are celebrating President Donald Trump’s win and no hope to capitalize on his success. Our recommended read of the day is by Alex Seitz-Wald for NBC News on how Arab and Muslim voters showed a notable shift away from the Democratic Party in this year’s election, sparking warnings from community leaders that this change could become long-term. This and more below:
United States
Muslim voters once abandoned the GOP. Now they may leave the Democrats. | Recommended Read
Arab and Muslim voters moved away from the Democratic Party this year in ways that led some community leaders to warn of a lasting shift from a voting bloc that has been reliably Democratic for two decades since it abandoned the GOP. While no single group proved to be the difference maker in Tuesday’s election that President-elect Donald Trump won by a comfortable margin, the outcome shows another group of voters of color trending toward Trump despite his rhetoric about them. “We may see a mass exodus of multigenerational Democrats from the party,” said Layla Elabed, the co-chair of the national Uncommitted movement, which sprang up during the Democratic primaries to protest President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. “If the Democratic Party does not move in a way that is more aligned with their base, there’s going to be real long-term repercussions.” Muslim Democratic operatives swapped stories of parents or aunts and uncles voting Republican or third party for the first time in their lives and now worry they may not get them back. Muslim voters backed Republican George W. Bush in 2000, but fled the GOP in response to the Bush administration’s post-9/11 military interventions abroad and anti-terror policies at home, which they felt unfairly targeted people of Islamic faith. In the two decades since then, Muslim Americans have broken roughly 2-to-1 for Democrats, while groups representing the community institutionally aligned themselves with Democrats, much like other groups representing voters of color. read the complete article
'They blew it’: Democrats lost 22,000 votes in Michigan’s heavily Arab American cities
Kamala Harris received at least 22,000 fewer votes than Joe Biden did four years ago in Michigan’s most heavily Arab American and Muslim cities, a Guardian analysis of raw vote data in the critical swing state finds. The numbers also show Trump made small gains – about 9,000 votes – across those areas, suggesting Harris’s loss there is more attributable to Arab Americans either not voting or casting ballots for third-party candidates. Support for Democrats also fell in seven precincts around the country with significant Arab American or Muslim populations, according to data compiled by the Arab American Institute. It found a combined drop in the seven precincts, from about 4,900 votes in 2020 to just 3,400 this election. Another analysis, based on nationwide exit polling by the Council on American Islamic Relations, found 53% of Muslim Americans voted for Jill Stein. The same poll showed 21% of Muslims cast a ballot for Trump and 20.3% for Harris. The drop in Democratic support in Hamtramck, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights – three Michigan cities with the nation’s largest Arab American and Muslim populations per capita – represent nearly 27% of the 81,000-vote difference between Harris and Donald Trump’s tallies in the state. read the complete article
International
Why Europe's far right is so happy Trump won
Few have expressed glee at Donald Trump’s election win like Europe’s far right. In President-elect Trump, these ascendant insurgents across the pond see a key ally, someone who shares their mix of authoritarianism, populism and extreme hostility to immigration. “We have big plans for the future!” posted Hungary’s Prime Minister Vikor Orbán, an influential Trump friend and ally, calling it “a much needed victory for the World!” Asked what these “plans” were, András László, a lawmaker in Orbán’s Fidesz party, told NBC News on Thursday that his leader had left it “deliberately vague.” It would broadly involve a “continuation” of their first-term partnership, he said, “to help persecuted Christians around the world, and to promote policies and solutions to stop illegal immigration.” Trump’s lionization of dictators and promises to go after his political enemies have seen him called a “fascist” by two former aides and some experts. But Orbán, László and fellow party members aren’t the only ones rejoicing at the election of Trump, whom they see as a fellow traveler because of his hard-line stance on immigration and rejection of what they see as internationalist left liberal dogma. read the complete article
US, Canadian Muslim groups lament lack of acknowledgment by leaders, media of anti-Arab violence in Amsterdam
Two prominent Muslim groups criticized North American leaders and media Friday for ignoring attacks and anti-Arab violence by Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans during a Europa League match. "It has been deeply distressing and disturbing to witness the violence that took place in Amsterdam around the Europa League match last night," The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) wrote on X, denouncing all forms of intimidation. NCCM said Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans assaulted Arabs, burned flags, chanted "genocidal" slogan and dragged Arab taxi drivers out of their vehicles, leading to injuries and damage. The Muslim group urged Canadian leaders to address the incidents directly. "If Canadian leaders choose to weigh in on this issue, they must condemn the well-documented attacks on Arabs in Amsterdam." The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell also criticized the violent incidents, calling the attackers a "massive crowd of openly racist Israeli soccer hooligans" who sparked violence by "marching through the city chanting 'Death to Arabs,' attacking visibly Muslim and Arab residents, and vandalizing houses and businesses with Palestinian flags." He compared the attacks to potential violence in the US. "As a Black man from Georgia, I know that it would be widely condemned if a group of white supremacists marched through downtown Atlanta chanting ‘death to n—ers,’ attacking Black-owned businesses, and beating up Black residents," he said. "The violent brawls and attacks that occurred in Amsterdam are unacceptable. So is the false claim that Dutch Muslim and Arab residents of Amsterdam suddenly and randomly attacked Jewish people in a modern-day pogrom.” read the complete article
Israeli football hooligans bring culture of genocide to Amsterdam
The genocide unfolding before our eyes in Gaza stands out for its level of meticulous documentation and the speed of information flow. Billions of people around the world receive live, uncensored coverage of what is happening in the besieged enclave, from the perspectives of both victim and aggressor. As we witness the massive scale of destruction and killing, it is essential to note the development of a "culture of genocide" within Israeli society. One of its most recent manifestations took place on Thursday, when Israeli hooligans, supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club, provoked clashes with Dutch youth in Amsterdam. They chanted anti-Arab slogans, tore down Palestinian flags, and ignored a minute of silence for the Spanish flood victims. It apparently never occurred to these Israeli hooligans that racist chanting and acts of vandalism against private property in a foreign country was unacceptable behaviour, which could provoke the anger of local residents. The hooligans' mindset aligns with the genocidal culture that has permeated Israeli society since 7 October 2023, allowing Israelis to imagine themselves as being above the law and morality - not only in Israel, but the world over. The violent chants of Maccabi fans should be understood within the context of a society that continues to justify Israel's genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Jamilla Hekmoun Q&A: Labelling Muslims as ‘hard to reach’ is a cop-out
As a research fellow at Cambridge University’s Woolf Institute — which studies interfaith relations between Jews, Muslims and Christians — Hekmoun led a two-year project exploring mental health care for Muslim communities. The Faith in Mental Health study, released this year, raised issues around stigmatisation and barriers to access, such as lack of religious literacy and culturally sensitive approaches by official healthcare providers. The report also highlighted positive work led by Muslim organisations, encouraging collaboration between them and mainstream mental health services. You completed a PhD in Muslim men’s mental health. Why did you focus on that area? I found there was a research gap in Muslim men’s mental health. There has been a lot of work done on Muslim women, especially regarding Islamophobia and how that might impact mental health. I think Muslim men, and men in general, are seen as more challenging to study, and so I wanted to fill in that gap and see where I could make a difference. read the complete article
UK: How Trump's return offers a way back to power for the far right
There is one British winner from the US presidential election results: leader of the Reform party Nigel Farage; and one loser: Prime Minister Keir Starmer. And perhaps one joker: former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. American politics, history proves, drives events in Britain. Think Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior and John Major, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Now Donald Trump, probably the most right-wing US president in the country’s history, stands poised to enter the White House again. Authoritarians and fascists are celebrating his victory: Narendra Modi in India, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Vladimir Putin in Russia, and Geert Wilders in Holland, who said: "Congratulations America! Never stop. Always keep fighting!" Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban described Trump re-election as "a much-needed victory for the world", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: "Good job, Mr President." A fascist who, like his historic predecessors, parasites on religion and steals the authority of God. Bear in mind that tolerance of street violence - as Trump plainly did over the Capitol Hill riots and in repeated statements before and since - is a core indicator of fascism. It is also a repudiation of everything that Conservatism stands for. Bear in mind that like his fascist predecessors, Trump has turned not only on socialists and liberals, but also on conservatives who welcomed him and thought he was one of them. He is also a fascist in his contempt for minorities. Trump's victory is in particular a frightening moment for British Muslims. Bear in mind finally that Trump is a misogynist, bigot and convicted felon, found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. This criminal record has not deterred two British former prime ministers from supporting him. Worship of power for its own sake is another mark of fascism. For Johnson, Truss, Rees-Mogg and others, Trump offers a kind of political salvation. read the complete article
Germany
Germany passes controversial antisemitism resolution
A large cross-party majority of lawmakers in the Bundestag has approved a highly controversial resolution to combat antisemitism in Germany — despite vehement opposition to parts of the resolution from legal experts, civil society groups and prominent Jewish intellectuals. The cross-party resolution is the result of months-long, closed-door negotiations between the ruling center-left coalition government and the center-right opposition. First proposed in the wake of Hamas's terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and in response to the subsequent rise in incidents reported as antisemitic in Germany, the controversy over the resolution largely has largely centered on the intent to make public grants for culture and science projects dependent on adherence to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of antisemitism. Ahead of the vote, Amnesty International Germany said that while it welcomes the aim of introducing measures to combat antisemitism and racism and to protect Jewish life, in its view the resolution "not only fails to achieve this goal, but also raises fears of serious violations of fundamental human rights and legal uncertainty." read the complete article
Why is Germany supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza?
No state has been as assiduous in attacking the Palestine solidarity movement and supporting Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza as Germany. Today, it is impossible to hold a pro-Palestine demonstration in Berlin or elsewhere in Germany without facing attacks from the police, intimidation from the state and accusations of anti-Semitism from the press. In April, the Palestine Assembly, a high-profile pro-Palestine conference in Berlin was broken up by hundreds of police officers. British Palestinian rector of Glasgow University, Ghassan Abu Sitta, was stopped from entering Germany to attend the conference and deported back to the UK. He was later banned from entering the entire Schengen area. Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis was also banned from entering Germany and prevented from even participating in the Congress via a video link. German authorities said they targeted Abu Sitta, Varoufakis and others at the conference because they deemed their speeches “anti-Semitic”. There is no truth to this claim. Germany is not silencing pro-Palestinian voices to protect the rights of Jews and combat anti-Semitism. This is apparent not only in the content of the speech it censures, but also in the way Germany treats anti-Zionist Jews who speak in support of Palestinian rights. read the complete article
India
Modi’s Double Standard on Violence Against Religious Minorities
During the reign of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the rate of violence against religious minorities has reached an alarming height, with no consequences for the vigilante groups responsible for the violence and no empathy or even acknowledgment from the side of the Indian government. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in an October 2024 country update about India, detailed how the Indian state has facilitated the seizure of property belonging to the Muslim community. The report gives the example of Maharashtra, where during the Mira Road violence police did not take any action as mobs vandalized dozens of Muslim-owned shops. Post-violence, several reports discussed how the police placed the blame on and arrested Muslim youth, despite receiving complaints about the actions of a Hindu mob. The municipal authorities also demolished Muslim-owned properties that they deemed to be illegal. This is a standard template that has been followed by the state following instances of religious violence. When violence broke out during the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh, this template was put into action, and it has become a standard state practice. What we can infer from these incidents is that the Indian government provides impunity to Hindu mobs in such matters. The violence further allows the state to place the blame on the Muslim residents of the affected area and question the legality of their properties and proceed with demolition of said properties without following proper procedure or due process of law. read the complete article
Austria
Four Years After Austria's Largest Anti-Muslim Police Raids The Government Continues To Target Survivors
On November 9, 2020, Austrian authorities executed the largest peacetime police raids since WWII. At dawn, over 70 Muslim households were raided by nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers. Despite no arrests being made, the police confiscated money, personal assets, and even children's devices. Survivors of Operation Luxor endured significant emotional, financial, and physical damage, with accounts revealing a terrifying atmosphere of state intimidation, even targeting children, which has been detailed, in our Report: “Operation Luxor: Unravelling the Myths behind Austria's Largest Ever Peacetime Raids.” Operation Luxor was part of a broader political agenda driven by the Austrian government, particularly by the ÖVP, which used the concept of “Political Islam” as a pretext to criminalise everyday religious and political practices of Muslims. Framed as a response to security threats, this operation targeted Muslims engaged in activism, religious practices, and even those affiliated with Islamic organisations. It marked the beginning of a campaign to silence Muslim voices and criminalise muslim thought. read the complete article