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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United States, a Long Island town says its resistance to the expansion of a local mosque is based on traffic and public safety, but mosque leaders believe it’s due to anti-Muslim prejudice, meanwhile in the UK, police are investigating after a mosque in Surrey was targeted by vandals with walls around the Epsom Islamic Centre spray-painted with offensive language, and in Austria, Muslim lawyers and educators in are preparation to launch a legal challenge to legislation that will ban the wearing of headscarves in schools by girls under the age of 14. Our recommended read of the day is by Nadia Osman for The New Arab on how a recent charity run held by the East London Mosque Trust has come under fire across the media sector for being “misogynistic”, though many analysts are saying such labels are “anti-Muslim”, noting that single-sex events are lawful and common among various faith groups. This and more below:
United Kingdom
How 'sexist' was the East London Mosque's male-only charity run, which was condemned by UK officials? | Recommended Read
Critics have hit out at media coverage which has labelled an East London Mosque Trust male-only charity run as "misogynistic," adding that single-sex events are lawful, common among various faith groups, and that the issue has been blown out of proportion. Right-wing news outlet GB News said that it was a "bogus inclusive family event," with presenter Martin Daubney stating "Muslim organisers of this have a problem with women going for a jog," asking why Muslims are "afraid, ashamed or clamping down on the participation of women in sports?" "This is British law, not Sharia law," he added, echoing many similar comments on social media. London-based media commentator, Fahima Mahomed, told The New Arab that she feels much of the narrative around the issue has been sensationalist rather than curious, with many headlines jumping straight to moral outrage rather than trying to understand why organisers structured the event in such a way. "This whole situation says less about Muslims and more about how Britain still struggles to handle cultural difference with nuance," she said. Commenting on the issue, London-based genocide researcher Arnesa Abuljusmic-Kustura, wrote on X: “The worst part about all of this is that any criticism I do about the Muslim community in the UK is then immediately utilised by the rabidly hateful alt-right/fascists/racists etc. Which is exactly why so many women in this community stay quiet and never complain about any of it”. read the complete article
Police inquiry after mosque targeted with graffiti
Police are investigating after a mosque in Surrey was targeted by vandals. The walls around the Epsom Islamic Centre were spray-painted with offensive language in the early hours of Tuesday, according to the mosque. Surrey Police said it launched its inquiry after it received a report of "racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage" at the site. The mosque said this was the second time in recent months that its Hook Road premises had been targeted, and that it was "saddened" by the vandalism. The centre said that members has also experienced an "increase in Islamophobic and racially-motivated abuse in recent months", with the last incident on 29 August. read the complete article
Storytelling through scarves: textile workshop celebrates women’s resistance
Four Moroccan women dressed in traditional clothing stare directly at the camera, holding scarves that cover the lower half of their faces. Their mouths may be hidden, but their expressions exude a quiet sense of dignity and defiance. “Scarves have become these very visible markers of identity, whether that is religious, cultural identity, or political affiliation,” explains British-Palestinian curator Dania Arafeh, who runs the fashion platform 3EIB. The original photograph was captured by Irving Penn during his visits to remote Berber villages in the south of Morocco between 1970 and 1971. Decades later, British-Yemeni fashion designer Kazna Asker superimposed the photograph onto Arabic script for her Think of Freedom series, asking the viewer to “listen to the woman”. It embodies the heart of 3EIB’s and Asker’s upcoming textile workshop, Embroidering Female Folklores and Cultures of Resistance, taking place on 18 October at the Whitechapel Gallery in east London. Part of artist Joy Gregory’s Fierce and Fearless textile installation, the upcycling project invites participants to customise their scarves with vinyl cuttings of important historical Muslim women, from Queen Sheba to Fatima Al-Fihriya. There will also be fabric from Asker’s sold-out collections, freehand doodles drawn by Arafeh’s grandfather, and stencils of Palestinian symbols of resistance. read the complete article
United States
Mosque expansion plans divide Long Island community
A Long Island town says its resistance to the expansion of a local mosque is based on traffic and public safety, but mosque leaders believe it's much more than that and have concerns over Islamophobia. Mosque board member Mujahid Ahmed showed CBS News New York the cramped quarters inside – school must stop at prayer time because there's not enough space, there's only one bathroom, tarps must be put down on the carpet at lunchtime, and the same room then doubles as an activity room. Mosque members were thrilled in August when a judge approved mosque expansion plans. Their happiness was short-lived, however, as neighbors asked the town to reassess code and zoning, saying streets surrounding the mosque were already inundated with cars. Ahmed, however, feels this is a case of parking and congestion versus race and religion. "This is a busy intersection, yes, but that has nothing to do with the mosque," Ahmed said. "All we want, just let us build ... a nice building in the town, and let us pray." read the complete article
CAIR-Arizona Invites Rep. Joseph Chaplik to Meet Local Muslim Leaders After He Amplifies Anti-Muslim Hate
The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today invited state Rep. Joseph Chaplik to meet with Arizona Muslim community leaders after he helped amplify anti-Muslim hate on social media. His reposts of anti-Muslim propaganda on X (formerly Twitter) included one calling for the banning of American Muslims from public office, support for unconstitutional bans on “Sharia law” and a statement that, “Keeping Islam out of America is one of the most important issues for me.” “We invite Rep. Chaplik to meet and engage with his Muslim constituents to better understand the people he was elected to serve. We offer to coordinate a meeting with Arizona Muslim community leaders so that he may learn why spreading misinformation about Islam and Muslims harms Americans of all faiths and backgrounds.” read the complete article
Austria
Austrian Muslim groups plan legal challenge if latest hijab ban becomes law
Muslim lawyers and educators in Austria are preparing to launch a legal challenge to legislation that will ban the wearing of headscarves in schools. The new law, which seeks to prohibit the wearing of headcoverings by schoolgirls under 14, was proposed by minister for Europe, families and integration Claudia Plakolm of the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) in September and is currently under expert review. It will be presented to the Austrian parliament at the end of October and if passed, will come into effect at the start of the 2026 school summer term. The bill was drawn up during coalition talks between the ÖVP, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the liberal Neos, when they formed a government in February. It has the backing of all three parties despite being opposed by 93% of Austrian Muslim women. Carla Baghajati, head of the schools authority at the Islamic Faith Community of Austria (IGGÖ), argues that rather than protecting Muslim girls, the proposed ban is causing them distress and runs contrary to the core values of freedom of choice and individual responsibility taught in the Austrian education system. “They don’t understand why this is happening,” she said of the children she represents. “Some headteachers are also concerned and feel they are being told to do something that completely goes against their ethics.” read the complete article