Search
SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, more than three dozen Labour and independent MPs have written to the housing secretary calling on the government to adopt a definition of Islamophobia, after recent figures revealed hate crimes against Muslims were up by nearly a fifth, meanwhile in the United States, the Center for the Study of Organized Hate has put out a new report analyzing the stark rise in Islamophobia and xenophobia present on the social media platform X targeting New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and the California chapter of CAIR along with the Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB) have together released a report documenting faith-based bullying and discrimination targeting Muslim students in California schools. Our recommended read of the day is by Rozina Ali for The New Yorker on how the anti-Muslim attacks targeting NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani reflect the decades-long normalization of anti-Muslim racism in U.S. politics. This and more below:
United States
What Zohran Mamdani’s Bid for Mayor Reveals About Being Muslim in America | Recommended
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he acknowledged that Obama “is not a Muslim. He’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian.” Nevertheless, Powell went on, what if Obama were Muslim? “Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?” Seventeen years later, that question has become central to New York City’s mayoral race, in which Zohran Mamdani, a thirty-four-year-old democratic socialist and a Muslim, has held a solid lead since winning the Democratic primary this past summer. There have been plenty of legitimate attacks on Mamdani’s candidacy, citing his inexperience and interrogating how he will deliver on his promises to make the city more affordable. In recent weeks, though, many critiques have been tinged with specifically anti-Muslim undertones. Some of the accusations lobbed at Mamdani in recent weeks mirror previous Islamophobic episodes in New York’s history. When the Park51 mosque proposal, which would have created the city’s biggest public Islamic cultural center, was passed, in 2010, the plan drew swift opposition from conservative activists who nicknamed it the “Ground Zero mosque,” because of the site’s proximity to the World Trade Center. One oft-repeated charge was the insinuation that nefarious foreign actors were funding the project to quietly take over American culture, as part of a so-called “stealth jihad.” The Mamdani campaign includes dozens of Muslim staff members who have experienced discrimination and who knew early on that they were likely to confront anti-Muslim attacks as the campaign progressed. “There isn’t a moment where we didn’t notice the Islamophobia,” Zara Rahim, a senior adviser on Mamdani’s campaign, told me. “But we have extensive message disciplining. We will talk about affordability until your ears bleed. Epithets such as “extremist” and “jihadist” are used to describe Mamdani so casually and with such regularity that they’re hardly notable anymore. When Eric Adams, the sitting mayor, endorsed Cuomo, he warned that “Islamic extremism” might overcome the city if Cuomo loses. No one pressed him on whether he was saying that Mamdani was an Islamic extremist, or challenged him on the basis of the suggestion. There’s been little, if any, political cost to peddling such rhetoric throughout the years. In 2016, Hillary Clinton spoke of Muslim Americans being on the “front lines to identify and prevent” terrorism, while Trump declared, “I think Islam hates us.” Many Americans don’t recognize Islamophobia as racism at all, believing that it’s just a “sensible position,” as the conservative media personality Megyn Kelly insisted last week. read the complete article
Zohran Mamdani winning would test how far New York City has come on inclusion
Zohran Mamdani is poised to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor — a breakthrough that’s also become one of the most polarizing moments in city politics in years. His candidacy is historic in a city that’s home to nearly 900,000 Muslims. To many of them, Mamdani’s rise represents long-overdue visibility and a chance to prove that Muslim New Yorkers belong at the center of civic life. To his critics, it has become a flashpoint — a test of how religion, race and ideology collide in an era of rising polarization. Across the country, bias against Muslims is rising again, and Mamdani’s campaign is unfolding amid a renewed global backlash against immigrants and Muslim communities. In New York, where the trauma of Sept. 11 still lingers, his candidacy has become a mirror for the city’s contradictions — celebrated as a sign of progress and weaponized as a source of fear. That a young Muslim man — born in Uganda, of Indian heritage and bearing an uncommon name — could be on the cusp of getting elected against the current political backdrop is viewed by many as a sign of hope. For many others, Mamdani is an existential cause for concern. Ahead of the primary, Mamdani laughed off Islamophobic criticism in a cheeky social media video: No, the bandanas from his campaign weren’t hijabs — after all, they featured drawings of hot dogs. But with Election Day looming, his tone has grown more earnest when it comes to his faith. After Cuomo suggested Mamdani would cheer another 9/11, the Queens state lawmaker convened a press conference outside a South Bronx mosque where he lamented anti-Muslim attacks and pledged not to hide his identity. A video of the speech has been viewed 25 million times. read the complete article
Muslim Voters Feel Pride and Fear, for Both Mamdani and Themselves
Watching Zohran Mamdani run for mayor of New York City has been an eye-opening experience for Sabah Munawar. As a Muslim who grew up in the shadow of Sept. 11, Ms. Munawar said she was amazed that Mr. Mamdani seemed to be on the verge of becoming New York City’s mayor, and having done so while fully embracing his faith on the campaign trail. But as Islamophobic sentiment about Mr. Mamdani has grown in reach and frequency, she has realized there is a dark side to his success. Mr. Mamdani, who maintains a double-digit lead in most polls, is seeking to become the first Muslim mayor of New York City — an obvious point of pride for the many Muslims nestled in pockets throughout the city that stretch from Little Yemen in the Bronx to Little Bangladesh in Brooklyn. But in dozens of interviews this week, Muslim voters said their excitement has been tempered by an uptick in what they view as Islamophobic attacks against Mr. Mamdani, now one of the most high-profile Muslims in the country. They cheer Mr. Mamdani’s ascendancy, and see new possibilities for themselves and their children. But they also worry for his safety, and wonder how the presence of a Muslim mayor might affect life for the hundreds of thousands of others in the city who share his faith. read the complete article
Treatment of Mamdani shows Islamophobia is still socially acceptable
There is a hatred in America that still dares to speak its name — loudly, publicly, and without fear of consequence. It doesn’t hide behind euphemisms or coded language. It mocks, it smears and it flourishes in the open. That hatred is Islamophobia. Today, it remains one of the last socially and publicly acceptable forms of bigotry. Muslims are a community that leading political figures can still slander on air, that journalists can frame as suspect by default, and that candidates can use as props in their culture-war campaigns without major consequences or jeopardizing their careers. The reality is that when Muslims seek public office, their patriotism is questioned. When they speak out against genocide and war crimes, they’re labeled anti-Semites and extremists. When they rise in polls, they’re smeared as infiltrators. Imagine, for a moment, if Cuomo had said the same thing about a Jewish, Black, or gay elected official, suggesting they would “cheer” during a tragedy. The backlash would be instantaneous, the apologies swift, the condemnations bipartisan. But when the target is Muslim, silence reigns. Why? Because Islamophobia has been institutionalized. It has been reinforced through more than two decades of “War on Terror” narratives, sensationalist headlines, and the political calculus that fear wins votes and helps control the masses. Even when Muslims are praised, it’s often through the “good Muslim, bad Muslim” lens, where only those who mute their faith or condemn their fellow Muslims on demand are deemed acceptable. read the complete article
New CAIR-CA, CPHB Report Shows Muslim Students Are Bullied at Twice the National Average
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), along with the Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB), today released its 2025 Bullying Report documenting faith-based bullying and discrimination of Muslim students in California Schools. To better understand how Islamophobia manifests itself in our education system, CAIR-CA and CPHB have conducted biennial statewide bullying surveys for 12 years. These surveys have shown that 40–55% of Muslim students ages 11–18 consistently report being bullied. This year’s bullying survey reached 1,802 students from 48 counties in California, providing one of the most comprehensive snapshots of Muslim students’ experiences to date. The report reveals that half of Muslim students experience bullying at school from their peers due to their religious identity. Alarmingly, 67% of these students did not report their experiences to school staff because they felt undervalued, afraid, or faced unclear school reporting processes. Additionally, 43% of students surveyed reported missing school due to bullying, greatly exceeding the national average for absenteeism. read the complete article
Zohran Mamdani shrugs off Islamophobic attacks with ad showing him addressing NYC voters in Arabic days before mayor election
Just days before New York City’s mayoral election, frontrunner Zohran Mamdani released a new campaign ad of him appealing to voters – entirely in Arabic. The Democratic candidate, who is Muslim and recently delivered a speech condemning Islamophobia, appears in the ad in a bodega with a Palestinian flag displayed behind the counter. “I know what you’re thinking – I might look like your brother-in-law from Damascus, but my Arabic needs some work,” Mamdani says in the video. “Still, I would love to ask for your support on November 4th.” A longtime pro-Palestinian activist and staunch critic of Israel, 34-year-old Mamdani, who won the primary in stunning fashion, has faced criticism for his outspoken positions on Israel and Gaza, which have become a flashpoint in the race. Those attacks have amped up in the weeks leading up to the race, drawing allegations from some Democrats that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is leaning into Islamophobia in the final stretch of the campaign. read the complete article
Islamophobia and the New York City Mayoral Election
This report provides an update of our previous analysis of the New York City mayoral primary, since Mamdani won the Democratic party nomination on June 24, 2025, up to October 31. New data collected from this time period aligns with our previous findings of the key themes dominating social media discourse. Namely, an overarching emphasis on Islamophobia, constructing Mamdani as a terrorist, jihadist, or radical Muslim, as well as positioning Muslim Americans as an overall target out-group; equating Mamdani’s Muslim faith and Islam as inherently incompatible with American political and civic values through the use of dog whistles and conspiratorial narratives; questioning Mamdani’s status as a naturalized U.S. citizen with calls for his denaturalization and deportation; and fomenting nativist sentiment that portrays Mamdani as unpatriotic and an enemy to the nation. Our analysis of the mayoral primary election found that much of the discourse focused on Mamdani’s political ideology–labeled as a communist infiltration–which often intersected with Islamophobic narratives to demonize Mamdani as a suspected “infiltrator” cast as both Muslim and socialist. These narratives persisted throughout the general election, however, we focus on the overt Islamophobia that permeated and substantially increased from June 24 to October 31. Anti-Muslim sentiment became a salient issue throughout the general election, which culminated into a press conference on October 24 with Mamdani addressing rampant Islamophobia directed towards him and Muslim New Yorkers. This raises profound implications concerning the ability of Muslim Americans to fully participate in civic and political life, in which open hostility and suspicion undermine democratic values of equality and dignity. read the complete article
United Kingdom
MPs urge minister to adopt definition of Islamophobia amid rise in hate crime
More than three dozen Labour and independent MPs have written to the housing secretary calling on the government to adopt a definition of Islamophobia, after recent figures revealed hate crimes against Muslims were up by nearly a fifth. Forty MPs, including Labour MPs Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler, Kim Johnson and independent Andrew Gwynne, were among the signatories on the letter from Afzal Khan who wrote to Steve Reed on Friday asking him to adopt a definition of anti-Muslim hatred as an “important step” in addressing discrimination, prejudice and hatred the community faces. “This comes at a time when unfortunately, Islamophobia continues to increase rapidly, with devastating consequences. In 2025, 45% of religious hate crimes were directed towards Muslims. This is a 19% increase,” the letter says. “This means Islamophobic hate crimes have risen 92% since 2023 and the adoption of a definition by the government becomes more important than ever.” In February, the government launched a working group to define “unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim”. It is understood the working group submitted its report earlier this month to Reed, laying out a nonstatutory definition of Islamophobia. read the complete article
UK priest admits posting Islamophobic messages in neo-Nazi chat
A Catholic priest from Cardiff who posted Islamophobic and racist messages in a neo-Nazi chatroom, including calls to "bomb mosques" and "shoot black people in the head", has been sentenced to a 12-month community order. Father Mark Rowles, 57, of St John Lloyd Catholic Church, admitted three counts of sending menacing or offensive messages on the encrypted app Telegram in May and June 2024. Using the alias "skinheadlad1488" in a chatroom called Aryan Reich Killers, Rowles shared violent and racist messages targeting Muslims and Black people. Prosecutor Rob Simkins said the messages showed "hostility based on religion and race". Rowles was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service, pay £199 in costs, and will be subject to a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order. read the complete article
International
How anti-Palestinian disinformation fuels violence and racism
Anti-Palestinian disinformation and propaganda is used as a weapon "to justify crimes that are being committed," Jalal Abukhater, policy manager at 7amleh, the Arab Center for Social Media Advancement, told DW Fact check. Since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israeli military actions have reportedly killed at least 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the enclave's Health Authority. A UN commission of inquiryand the International Association of Genocide Scholars have found Israel's conduct to be a genocide. According to the Institute for the Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism (IUAPR), the phenomenon is "a form of anti-Arab racism that silences, excludes, erases, stereotypes, defames or dehumanizes Palestinians or their narratives." Experts note that the phenomenon of anti-Palestinian racism has grown throughout history. "This has its roots in colonial and Orientalist discourse," Asmaa El Idrissi, a lawyer and lecturer at Bochum University of Applied Sciences, told DW. "If you look at literature from 100 years ago, you will find exactly the same stereotypes that are now resurfacing against Palestinians: Arabs or Muslims as irrational and backward." One of the most persistent false narratives in recent years is the conflation of all Palestinians with Hamas. In a similar vein, a poll of Israeli citizens conducted by the Accord Center in August 2025 found that 62% of respondents agreed with the statement that "there are no innocent people in Gaza." This narrative of equating all Palestinians with Hamas is misused to justify collective punishment, which violates international law, El Idrissi says. read the complete article
China
300 million tourists just visited China's stunning Xinjiang region. There's a side they didn't see
For years, Xinjiang had bristled under Beijing's rule, sometimes erupting into violence, which kept many domestic Chinese tourists away. Then it became infamous for some of the worst allegations of Chinese authoritarianism, from the detention of more than a million Uyghur Muslims in so-called "re-education camps", to claims of crimes against humanity, by the United Nations. China denies the allegations, but the region is largely cut off to international media and observers, while Uyghurs in exile continue to recount stories of terrified or disappeared relatives. And yet in recent years Xinjiang has emerged as a tourist destination – within China and, increasingly, outside of the country. Beijing has pumped in billions of dollars to develop infrastructure, help produce TV dramas set in its unusual landscapes, and has occasionally welcomed foreign media on carefully orchestrated tours. It has been repackaging the controversial region into a tourist haven, touting not just its beauty but also the very local "ethnic" experiences that rights groups say it is trying to erase. read the complete article