Search
SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the Israeli occupied West Bank, illegal Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Deir Istiya, spraying graffiti on the walls and causing extensive damage to the structure, meanwhile in the Netherlands, a mosque in Flevoland was also targeted by anti-Muslim actors who left a bag of shredded Qur’ans on the doorstep with Islamophobic flyers saying “No mosque in our streets”, and in the United States, a coalition of Jewish groups has condemned the pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for creating the so-called Mamdani Monitor, calling it a “blatantly Islamophobic” and racist targeting of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Our recommended read of the day is by Imran Mulla and Peter Oborne for Middle East Eye, on how a “sinister effort” is underway in British politics to paint independent Muslim MPs as sectarian and illegitimate. This and more below:
United Kingdom
Exposed: The dirty campaign to paint Muslim MPs as anti-British | Recommended Read
From time to time in politics a word or phrase suddenly becomes fashionable. One famous example concerns the term “weapons of mass destruction”, which became ubiquitous in early 2003. We need to pay attention when a novel word or phrase enters the national conversation. To ask who put it there, and why, and whether the term means what it claims. In this article we examine one such term that has recently emerged in the British political lexicon: the word “sectarian”. It is not a new word - but it has been directed towards a new target. It’s being used to stigmatise British Muslim politicians. Synonyms for sectarian include "bigot", "separatist", "extremist", "narrow-minded", "fanatic" and "intolerant". Over the last 18 months, as deployed by prominent journalists and politicians, it has become central to a new and hostile discourse about Islam in Britain. It has been turned into a weapon to categorise political opponents who are Muslim as separatist, illegitimate - and dangerous. Not as normal participants in British public life, but a frightening and alien presence. The principal targets are the four Muslim independents who entered parliament at the last election. But who is responsible for introducing this new usage? read the complete article
United States
One rule for Muslims: How Britain’s Islamophobia debate exposes a double standard
In 2018, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims, a cross-party forum of MPs and peers that advises Parliament on issues affecting Muslims in the UK, consulted widely and produced a working definition of Islamophobia. This definition recognised Islamophobia as a form of racism in how it is expressed, with Muslims treated as a homogenous group with particular negative traits and associations. In essence, Islamophobia means judging, dehumanising, or discriminating against Muslims based on appearance, dress, or faith identity. Since the APPG definition was drafted, more than 800 academics, community groups, parliamentarians, and local authorities have endorsed it. Every major political party adopted it, except the then-governing Conservative Party, which rejected the APPG definition and later dismissed the adviser it had appointed to propose an alternative. It is therefore deeply disappointing that, upon winning the 2024 General Election, Labour U-turned on its own prior commitment to the APPG definition. This stark reality makes it self-evident that there is an urgent need for a clear and explicit definition to be adopted by the government and wider British society. Contrast this with the Government’s swift adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism in 2016, which has since been criticised for its conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism. If the UK could adopt the IHRA definition in months, why is defining Islamophobia still unresolved after almost a decade? read the complete article
Jewish groups condemn ADL's Mamdani Monitor as 'blatant Islamophobia'
A coalition of Jewish groups has condemned the pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for creating the so-called Mamdani Monitor, calling it a "blatantly Islamophobic" and racist targeting of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The coalition released a letter on Tuesday criticising the move, saying that the project “undermines the shared fight against antisemitism and Islamophobia in New York City”. "NYC Jewish communities repudiate the ADL's blatant Islamophobia: You won't divide us from our neighbors. We congratulate mayor-elect Zohran K. Mamdani on his election and applaud his vision for 'a New York City that is free from hate violence'," the letter continues. Shortly after Mamdani's election victory, the ADL announced its intention to track and monitor New York City's first Muslim mayor’s policies and personnel appointments, which they say might impact the safety and security of the Jewish community. The ADL also said it was setting up a citywide tip line for people to report antisemitic incidents in New York City. According to the group, the tipline would serve as a “hyper-focused resource for New Yorkers to report antisemitic incidents in the city, including on the streets, in schools, in their workplace”. read the complete article
Muslim Americans see record election wins across US
Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City has positioned him to become the first Muslim American to lead the nation’s financial capital, marking a milestone in a wave of election successes that saw Muslims secure top city offices across the United States. But the 34-year-old was far from the only Muslim to win local office in last week's off-year election cycle. A total of six Muslims, including Mamdani, either secured or will secure the highest office in their cities, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). They include Abdullah Hammoud, who was re-elected chief executive of Dearborn, Michigan, in many ways the beating heart of the Arab American community that sits just outside of Detroit, and Mo Baydoun, who secured a full term in neighboring Dearborn Heights after serving as acting mayor following the resignation of Mayor Bill Bazzi, who is now President Donald Trump's ambassador to Tunisia. Hammoud, meanwhile, secured a second term with over 70% of the vote after campaigning on a progressive platform not unlike Mamdani's, including a focus on inclusivity and improvement of city services. read the complete article
Immigrant Affairs Assistant Commissioner Posted Anti-Muslim Mamdani Meme
On the eve of Zohran Mamdani’s election, an assistant commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs joined a wave of commenters smearing the young Muslim candidate as a terror sympathizer. “Never forget,” read a meme Erick Salgado posted on his personal Facebook page, the words superimposed over a photo of the Twin Towers exploding on Sept. 11, 2001. To the right of that, the words, “We forgot” were superimposed over Mamdani’s face. Below that, Salgado, who is paid $120,000 a year to be a liaison to immigrant communities, wrote: “This man must not win with Christian votes,” according to a screenshot of the post shared with THE CITY. A source familiar with the situation said MOIA Commissioner Manuel Castro flagged the post for City Hall shortly after the election and recommended that Salgado be fired. He remains employed. Asked about the remarks, Liz Garcia, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said they “have been made aware of the situation and are actively investigating the matter.” read the complete article
Mamdani’s Popularity and Right’s Embrace of Fuentes Signal a New Era on Israel — How Will US Jewish Establishment Respond?
Two events happened in the past two weeks which seem, on the surface, to have little to do with one another. Yet they may come to be seen as a similar turning point in American Jewish life. First, Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist, was elected mayor of New York City—the nation’s largest city and the city with the largest Jewish population in the world—by a convincing vote margin, despite (or perhaps because of) his long history of activism for Palestine and self-described opposition to Zionism. And second, the Heritage Foundation, the influential right-wing think tank that has directly staffed much of the Trump administration, is embroiled in controversy over its defense of influential pundit Tucker Carlson who hosted a friendly chat with Holocaust denier and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Nick Fuentes is considerably further to the Right and more openly antisemitic than anyone Carlson has interviewed in the past, but the decision to host him didn’t come out of the blue. Along with other figures on the MAGA Right like Candace Owens and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Carlson has been growing increasingly critical of the state of Israel over the past year marking a moment when support for Israel on the American Right can no longer be assumed. It’s not a stretch to say that the American Right is in a civil war over the state of Israel right now. Whereas for decades support for Israel on the Right was simply assumed, now it’s cracking up. And the numbers bear this out. Despite what much of the self-appointed leadership of the American Jewish community would have you believe, Mamdani has actually been very careful to distinguish his critiques of the state of Israel from the American Jewish community, to the point where even the extremely anti-Mamdani Times of Israel has been forced to concede that “his condemnations are solely aimed at Israel and Zionism—not at Jews or Judaism.” read the complete article
Palestine
Israeli settlers set fire to mosque, spray anti-Muslim graffiti in West Bank
Illegal Israeli settlers on Thursday set fire to a mosque in the village of Deir Istiya in the northern West Bank, Palestinian media reported. The fire caused damage inside the building and Hebrew graffiti was sprayed on the walls. Some of the graffiti reads, “We’re not afraid of Avi Blot,” who heads the Israeli forces' central command, and “Muhammad is a pig.” read the complete article
Canada
Opinion: Time to see Muslim women for who we are
In a time when conversations about diversity, inclusion and women’s rights are often framed through narrow lenses, it’s vital to remind Quebecers of the full and vibrant identity of Muslim women in our province. Muslim Quebecers are educators, professionals, artists and community builders. They are women who have spent decades giving back — not for recognition, but out of love for their community and faith in humanity. Yet too often, they are seen only through the fabric of their hijab. Muslim women who have chosen to make this province their home have enriched the social, cultural and civic life of Quebec through service and leadership. For more than 40 years, I have witnessed — and been blessed to be part of — the remarkable journey of Muslim women determined to make a difference. I have seen how women of all backgrounds, veiled and unveiled, unite around the shared values of compassion, justice and equality. Muslim women must be recognized for their accomplishments, not judged by their appearance. Whether a woman wears a hijab or not, she remains a full participant in Quebec’s cultural and economic life. Her clothing does not define her; her actions do. read the complete article
Netherlands
Bag of destroyed Korans and dead bird left at door of mosque
A mosque in Flevoland has been targeted by racists who left a bag of shredded Korans on the doorstep. The bag was found on Sunday morning outside the Yunus Esme Mosque, one of two in Emmeloord. Flyers were attached to some of the books with slogans such as “stop Islamisation”, “No Jihad in the Netherlands” and “No mosque in our street.” Omroep Flevoland said the incident was one of several in recent weeks at the mosque, which is next door to a police station on Harmen Visserplein. On Friday a dead bird was placed on the doormat shortly before weekly prayers began. The imam has received threatening phone calls from people vowing to destroy the building while people were worshipping inside. “We’re going to crush you,” the anonymous callers reportedly said. The chair of the mosque, named only as Aslan, said social activities such as children’s groups and youth clubs, had been suspended while police investigate the incidents. read the complete article