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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the US, Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump praised his Muslim supporters at one of his final campaign rallies before Election Day, saying they could “deliver him the battleground state of Michigan”, meanwhile, a political action committee (PAC) linked to Elon Musk is accused of targeting Jewish and Arab American voters in swing states with dramatically different messages about Kamala Harris’s position on Gaza, and in the UK, a Jewish academic who grew up in Israel was arrested by London’s Metropolitan police following a speech he gave at a pro-Palestine demonstration in the British capital. Our recommended read of the day is by Ali Harb for Al Jazeera on how many Muslim-American voters across the county are choosing to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, as voters stress the need to break away from Democrats and Republicans. This and more below:
United States
Trump or Harris? Gaza war drives many Arab and Muslim voters to Jill Stein | Recommended Read
On a sunny but frigid afternoon, dozens of protesters stood on a street corner in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn and chanted against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as well as her Republican rival Donald Trump. “Trump and Harris, you can’t hide, no votes for genocide,” a keffiyeh-clad young woman chanted on a bullhorn. The small but spirited crowd echoed her words. If not Trump or Harris for the next United States president, then who? The Abandon Harris campaign that organised the protest has endorsed Green Party candidate Jill Stein, demonstrating the growing disconnect that many Arabs and Muslims feel with both major parties over their support for Israel. Stein has been gaining popularity in Arab and Muslim communities amid Israel’s brutal war on Gaza and Lebanon, public opinion polls show. While the Green Party candidate is extremely unlikely to win the presidency, her supporters view voting for her as a principled choice that can set a foundation for greater viability for third-party candidates in the future. Hassan Abdel Salam, a co-founder of the Abandon Harris campaign, said more and more voters are adopting the group’s position of ditching the two major candidates and backing Stein. “She best exemplifies our position against genocide,” Abdel Salam said of the Green Party candidate, who has been vocal in supporting Palestinian rights. For the Abandon Harris campaign, backing Stein is not only about principles; it is part of a broader strategy. “Our goal is to punish the vice president because of the genocide, to then take the blame for her defeat to send a signal to the political landscape that you should never have ignored us,” Abdel Salam told Al Jazeera. read the complete article
OPINION - Who should Arabs and Muslims vote for in America?
In light of the four decades I had spent in the United States and with my involvement and experience with the American political system, many friends across the US have asked me which candidate the Arab and Muslim communities should vote for in the upcoming elections. Historically, candidates of the two major parties usually compete over who could best serve the interests of Israel or serve other similar interests that are consistent with the policies and hegemonic posture of the American empire. Regardless of whether such positions are often harmful to the long-term interests of the US, particularly against the interests of Arabs, Muslims, or the Global South in general, the conventional wisdom has been to vote for the “lesser of two evils” rather than for a genuine candidate who might actually care about higher human values, moral principles, or real concerns of people and society, even if he or she had no chance of winning the election. However, this year's elections are very different. After four dark years of former US President Donald Trump's administration and more than a year of a devastating genocide that continues with the complete support, direct participation, and full protection of the US administration led by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, it should be clear that the Arab and Muslim American voter cannot with a clear conscience vote for either of these two candidates. Such a position would be based on principled grounds and moral clarity. After studying the two candidates' positions on issues of concern to the Arab and Islamic worlds, I found that the difference between them is not significant or strategic. read the complete article
US sees unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes
"These actors are being inspired by the hate of their leaders." Students shot, a boy stabbed and hijabi women assaulted. In the past few months, hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs have reached unprecedented levels in the US. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) tells TRT World that these attacks are being inspired across the country by "elected leaders speaking badly of Muslims, badly of Palestinians". read the complete article
From Slavery to Freedom: The Untold Story of America's First Muslims
Even before the United States was founded, tens of thousands of Muslims were already present, captured in West Africa and brought to colonial America in chains. Host Asma Khalid (NPR’s White House correspondent and ABC News contributor) tells the surprising story of one of these people, a Muslim man named Mamadou Yarrow, who, after 45 years of enslavement, negotiated his way to freedom, bought a house in Georgetown, and had his portrait painted by the famous Revolutionary War artist Charles Willson Peale. Through Yarrow’s story, Asma reveals the little-known story of America’s first Muslims, whose labor helped build the economic foundations of the early United States. read the complete article
Harris campaign tells Muslim interviewer he can't ask about Gaza, she talks up bacon instead: 'Taken aback'
Kamala Harris' interview with a Muslim social media influencer never saw the light of day after the vice president refused to answer questions about Gaza but oddly gushed about bacon - a food religiously forbidden for Muslims. Kareem Rahma, host of the popular "Subway Takes" which boasts almost a million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, made the decision to scrap the interview with Harris, which was filmed over the summer, he told the New York Times. Prior to the interview, Rahma was hoping to press Harris on policy, specifically the Biden administration's support for Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which he opposes, per the Times. But, despite asking on three calls with her team and the Democratic National Committee, he was "rejected." Instead, the campaign agreed that Harris would offer a "hot take" against people taking off their shoes on airplanes. The show's premise revolves around guests, some of them notable, defending an unpopular opinion or perspective. "[Rahma] ultimately agreed to the terms, reasoning that he could choose not to publish the video if it made him uneasy," the New York Times story said. But when Rahma sat down with Harris for the interview, she shared a different hot take, declaring that "bacon is a spice." Rahma and other observant Muslims do not eat pork in adherence with their faith. read the complete article
I’m a Muslim immigrant and a psychiatrist living in Michigan – I haven’t decided how to vote yet
Experts will tell you that immigration makes our country stronger economically, culturally and in fields like science and medicine. Since I’m a doctor, I’m well aware that 26% of licensed U.S. physicians and surgeons are immigrants. But it is also true that immigrants like me face stresses that harm our psychical and mental health. I teach cultural psychiatry to medical students and residents, specifically how to provide culturally appropriate care to Muslim patients. After more than 20 years in Michigan, I’m deeply rooted in the Muslim and immigrant community, and I’ve seen firsthand how anxious and uncertain my community is about the 2024 presidential election. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called immigrants “bloodthirsty criminals” and the “most violent people on Earth.” He claims that immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country.” Research shows, and I’ve seen personally, how this kind of talk can cause anxiety and depression in immigrants both undocumented and legal. History has taught us that a politician’s hateful words can lead to violence. This rise in Islamophobia and fear of an uncertain future is taking a toll. American Muslims are twice as likely to attempt suicide compared with people from other faiths. Michigan’s Muslims are feeling devalued and disenfranchised. A key Arab American political action committee based in Michigan refused to endorse either candidate this cycle. Although the PAC typically backs Democrats, this year it said “neither candidate represents our hopes and dreams as Arab Americans.” In late September, a national group of three dozen Muslim American scholars and imams signed an open letter calling on Muslims not to vote for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. “We want to be absolutely clear,” the letter reads, “don’t stay home and skip voting. This year, make a statement by voting third party for the presidential ticket.” read the complete article
Trump praises Muslim supporters, says they could win him Michigan
“They want peace. They really do. They don't want to be in wars. They're very smart.” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump praised his Muslim supporters at one of his final campaign rallies before Election Day, saying they could deliver him the battleground state of Michigan. read the complete article
Black Muslims in Philadelphia are crucial for Kamala Harris. Has she won them over?
If Kamala Harris can’t win by a wide margin in Philadelphia, one of America’s largest and predominantly Democratic cities, she has little hope of becoming the country’s next president. Last week, large posters appeared on lamp-posts across the city featuring photos of Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. Smiling in the foreground is Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker. Nestled between the wealthier hubs of New York and Washington DC, Philadelphia is home to a predominantly working-class population and leans so heavily Democratic that it makes its otherwise conservative home state of Pennsylvania a so-called “swing state”. It also means that the Philly metro area is one the country’s most consequential when it comes to national electoral politics for Democrats. And the stakes here are uniquely high for a candidate like Harris — there is a firm expectation within the Democratic party that a Black candidate can guarantee robust support from Black voters. But nothing is certain in this election cycle, and that’s especially true for Black Muslims in Philadelphia. While few are able to look past the racist overtones of Donald Trump’s Maga movement, many Black Muslims here also oppose the Biden administration’s support for Israel as the war in Gaza wears on. Harris cannot afford to alienate Black Muslims in the region. According to the city’s own director of Muslim engagement, Philadelphia — whose tourist board calls it the “Mecca of the West” — is home to 250,000 followers of Islam. In 2016, after years of advocacy by religious and community groups, it became one of the few cities in America where Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha are official holidays for public schools, and can be taken off by city workers without penalty. In some parts of the US, Muslim political groups have voiced support for Trump, stemming in part from anger over the Biden administration’s handling of Gaza. That sentiment can be found here too. But at the same time, Trump’s pledge to renew the so-called “Muslim ban” — the 2017 executive order that imposed a travel ban on people from seven majority-Muslim countries — looms large. read the complete article
Musk-linked Pac accused of targeting Jewish and Arab Americans in swing states
A political action committee (Pac) linked to Elon Musk is accused of targeting Jewish and Arab American voters in swing states with dramatically different messages about Kamala Harris’s position on Gaza, a strategy by Trump allies aimed at peeling off Democratic support for the vice-president. Texts, mailers, social media ads and billboards targeting heavily Arab American areas in metro Detroit paint Harris as a staunch ally of Israel who will continue supplying arms to the country. Meanwhile, residents in metro Detroit or areas of Pennsylvania with higher Jewish populations have been receiving messaging that underscores her alleged support for the Palestinian cause. Those aimed at Arab American populations claim Harris will “ALWAYS stand with Israel” and “stand up against Hamas and radical terrorists in Gaza”. Another notes that she has a Jewish husband, and describes the pair as “America’s pro-Israel power couple”. Meanwhile, texts and mailers sent to heavily Jewish areas claim “two faced Kamala stands with Palestine”, picturing her in front of a Palestinian flag. A Pennsylvania ad asked: “Why did Kamala Harris support denying Israel the weapons needed to defeat the Hamas terrorists who massacred thousands? And why did Harris show sympathy for college protesters who are rabidly antisemitic?” read the complete article
ACLU Asks Supreme Court to Hear Guantánamo Attorney’s Lawsuit Challenging CIA’s Excessive Secrecy
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of the District of Columbia are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Connell v. CIA, a case that could place important limits on the government's ability to hide behind "neither confirm nor deny" responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests when public evidence makes clear that requested records exist. The case stems from a 2017 FOIA request by James G. Connell III, an attorney for one of the men detained at the Guantánamo Bay military prison who was subjected to the CIA torture program and sent, along with other “high-value detainees,” to the Camp VII facility at the prison. Mr. Connell filed a FOIA request with the CIA seeking information about the agency’s “operational control” over that detention facility. Despite extensive public evidence of the CIA's role there — including a Senate Intelligence Committee report, military commission testimony, and declassified government documents — the CIA produced some records but issued a so-called “Glomar response,” refusing to confirm or deny whether any other responsive records exist. “The CIA’s claim to secrecy in this case is as extreme as it is absurd, given the extensive public record about the CIA’s connection to Camp VII,” said Brett Max Kaufman, senior staff attorney with ACLU’s Center for Democracy. read the complete article
United Kingdom
UK police arrest Israeli academic Haim Bresheeth after pro-Palestine speech
A Jewish academic who grew up in Israel was arrested by London's Metropolitan police following a speech he gave at a pro-Palestine demonstration in the British capital, during which he said that Israel "cannot win against Hamas". Haim Bresheeth, a child of Holocaust survivors and the founder of the Jewish Network for Palestine, was arrested during a demonstration outside the residence of Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely in north London. He faces charges of supporting a proscribed organisation, according to a statement given to media outlet Skwawkbox by a police spokesperson. In a video recording of Bresheeth’s arrest, a police officer informs him that he is being arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for “making a hate speech”. “Israel has not achieved any of its declared aims, either in Gaza in Lebanon in, in Iran or anywhere else,” Bresheeth said in his speech. “What has it achieved? Murder, mayhem, genocide, racism, destruction, this is what they’re good at,” Bresheeth said. “But they cannot fight the resistance, they have lost every single time. “They cannot win against Hamas, they cannot win against Hezbollah, they cannot win against the Houthis. They cannot win against the united resistance to the genocide they have started.” read the complete article
Islamophobia, Israel, Gaza and ‘culture wars’: Hyphen’s guide to Kemi Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch won the Conservative leadership election on Saturday, defeating her opponent, Robert Jenrick, and becoming the first Black woman to lead a major British political party. Here is Hyphen’s guide to the new leader of Britain’s official opposition party — and what she thinks about discrimination, the term “Islamophobia”, Israel’s war on Gaza and more. During her parliamentary career, Kemi Badenoch has criticised the use of the term “Islamophobia” which she believes impedes on the right of the British people to criticise religion. She has advised Muslims to instead use the term “anti-Muslim hatred” to describe targeted abuse they face due to their religion. Instances of discrimination faced by British Muslims, however, largely failed to capture her attention as equalities minister, and she has seldom identified specific examples of “anti-Muslim hatred” taking place in the UK. While Badenoch held the equalities brief, the government refused to condemn former Tory MP Lee Anderson, who claimed that “Islamists” had “got control” over London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim. Although in a speech during Islamophobia Awareness Month Badenoch said that “hatred of Muslims is a vile social ill”, she has been accused of Islamophobia herself — most recently by Jeremy Corbyn and the four Muslim MPs who had joined parliament as independents. Badenoch said the MPs were “elected on the back of sectarian Islamist politics” and “alien ideas that have no place here”. One of the MPs, Birmingham Perry Barr MP Ayoub Khan, responded in a piece for Hyphen by saying that Badenoch’s comments were “deeply offensive” and could encourage violence and threats. In April, while holding the post of faiths minister, Badenoch praised a court’s decision to uphold the ban on prayer rituals introduced by Michaela community school in Brent, which Muslims students said prevented them from performing salah during lunch breaks. read the complete article