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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the US, a website launched last month by Republican Assembly candidate Brandon Davis alleges that his Democratic opponent, Hanadi Nadeem, (a practicing Muslim), supports and admires Taliban sympathizers, a move critics are calling blatantly Islamophobic, meanwhile in the UK, ITV News documents the rise of Islamophobia in Britain and asked British Muslims “what’s it like to be a British Muslim today?”, and in France, the country’s new Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, has declared that he’s not ruling out classifying the Muslim Brotherhood as a “terrorist” organization, while advocating for the establishment of a new criminal offense to fight “political Islam” in the country. Our recommended read of the day is by Rahima Mahmut for The Independent on British Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s upcoming state visit to China and if Lammy will or won’t raise the issue of Uyghur genocide during his visit. This and more below:
International
In Beijing, will David Lammy dare to mention the Uyghur genocide? | Recommended Read
Ahead of foreign secretary David Lammy’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai, it is clear that the new Labour government intends to deepen trade and investment with China. It is also a worrying sign that it will court the world’s second-largest economy rather than fulfil the commitments it has made to the Uyghur people. The actions of any government in its first few months are a strong indicator of the trajectory it will take. So far, I have been disappointed about Labour’s lack of action in support of the Uyghur community, despite its words and promises in opposition. Labour policy once stated that the Chinese government was committing genocide against the Uyghur people. Asked on March 2023 about the party’s position, Lammy noted that if Labour formed the next government, he would “act multilaterally with our partners” to seek recognition of China’s actions as genocide through international courts. In 2021, the House of Commons voted unanimously that China was “committing crimes against humanity and genocide” against the Uyghur people and other ethnic groups. Labour politicians at the time – many now in cabinet – voted for this motion, helping it to pass despite a lack of support from the Conservative government. Yet Lammy’s state visit has been billed as an opportunity to “reset ties” with China. Certainly, it comes as the new government carries out an “audit” of the UK-China relationship. Some argue that it will also provide the foreign secretary with an opportunity to call out the Uyghur genocide, demand that the host nation ends modern slavery, and tackle nefarious technology companies such as Hikvision and BGI Group. I have little hope this will be the case. Lammy’s foreign policy mantra – to “co-operate, compete and challenge” – is not only vague, it also represents a softening of his language from opposition. read the complete article
France
France's interior minister says he 'does not rule out' banning the Muslim Brotherhood
The new French interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, has declared that he is not ruling out classifying the Muslim Brotherhood as a "terrorist" group and banning it, while advocating for the establishment of a new criminal offence to fight political Islam in the country. In an interview published on Wednesday by media outlet Valeurs Actuelles, Retailleau said that France was "facing neighbourhoods corrupted by drugs and political Islamism". Asked if he could follow the lead of Austria, the first European country to take the step in 2021 to ban the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, Retailleau said that he was "not ruling anything out". The Muslim Brotherhood is the world's largest Sunni Muslim organisation, founded in 1928 by Egyptian Islamic scholar Hassan al-Banna. Despite its transnational charter, its main branch remains in Egypt, where it was banned after the 2013 coup. In France, the group has been accused by some political figures of using its alleged powerful networks to infiltrate and "Islamise" the country. "We must be particularly wary of this Islamist infiltration that is spreading within associations, sports clubs, schools and even local authorities," Retailleau said. "This insidious Islamism wants and can destabilise our society. The 2026 municipal elections are fast approaching: will we accept the creation of communitarian lists? Let's not wake up at the last minute," he added. read the complete article
United States
CAIR-OK Publishes 2024 Voter Guide to Mobilize Muslim Voters Amid Gaza Genocide and Rising Islamophobia
The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) announces the release of its 2024 Voter Guide, a critical online resource that helps Muslim voters and their allies as they prepare to vote in the upcoming November general election. “Now more than ever, we are emphasizing the importance for our Oklahoma Muslim community to get out and voice their vote,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani. “We recognize that this is one of the most crucial elections we may ever see in our lifetime, and we want to make sure that every voice is heard.” “This election is critical for the future of our cities, our state, and our global Muslim community,” said CAIR-OK Deputy Director Veronica Laizure. “We are urging every Oklahoma Muslim who is qualified to vote to take part in this essential step in the civic engagement process.” The voter guide features publicly available information about candidates for crucial offices at the federal, state, and local level, focusing on areas of high Muslim population in OKC and Tulsa. Candidates were also sent a questionnaire about some of the most pressing issues for Oklahoma Muslims, and those responses that have been provided are shared in the guide. read the complete article
Website linking Assembly candidate to Taliban supporters called Islamophobic
A website launched last month by Republican Assembly candidate Brandon Davis alleges his Democratic opponent, Hanadi Nadeem, a practicing Muslim, supports and admires Taliban sympathizers — a message critics have decried as Islamophobic and xenophobic. Featuring mugshot-esque imagery, the website points to Nadeem’s past comments on social media praising a former prime minister of Pakistan and the activities of Pakistani-American professional groups she’s worked with. It’s topped by the headline “Extreme Hanadi Nadeem” and a cutout of Nadeem wearing a hijab — something she doesn’t always wear. Davis' campaign placed signs with similar messaging in Las Vegas’ religiously diverse Summerlin-area Assembly District 34, calling Nadeem a “far left extremist” and “bad for Nevada.” The signs point back to the website. “This type of rhetoric, what he is doing, is really putting my life and my family and particularly the Muslim community in danger,” Nadeem said in an interview with The Nevada Independent. “This is showing intolerance … He’s just grabbing stories from one side to another side and just trying to make the connection, but there’s no connection.” read the complete article
Federal officials sound alarm on anti-Muslim, anti-Arab hate crimes
Federal security agencies are sounding the alarm about alleged hate crimes targeting Muslim Americans and communities perceived to be Muslim, according to a new report obtained by ABC News. The new joint intelligence bulletin (JIB) – published a week after the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel that precipitated the ongoing Israel-Hamas war – notes that “these communities are more likely to be attacked during periods of heightened sociopolitical tensions and increased anti-immigrant sentiment,” and are “more likely when perceived as retribution after acts of international terrorism in the United States and abroad.” The report from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center, comes nearly a year to the day after the Oct. 14, 2023 murder of Wadea Al-Fayoume. The 6-year-old Palestinian boy was fatally stabbed in Plainfield Township, Illinois, in an alleged hate crime linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. His 71-year-old landlord, Joseph Czuba, has been criminally charged for allegedly stabbing Wadea 26 times, and his mother a dozen times. Czuba has pleaded not guilty. Czuba allegedly yelled “you Muslims must die!” during the attack, according to the JIB. read the complete article
Lawyer for news orgs presses Guantanamo judge to make public a plea deal for 9/11 accused
A lawyer for news organizations urged the U.S. military commission at Guantanamo Bay to unseal the plea deal struck with accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others, saying the public has a constitutional right and compelling need to follow one of the “most-disputed, debated, argued-about prosecutions that have happened in this country." The plea agreement was reached in August by the three accused, their U.S. government prosecutors and the Guantanamo commission's top official, but it was abruptly revoked by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin days after it became public. It has become one of the most fiercely debated chapters in more than a decade of military hearings related to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and triggered long-running U.S. military invasions abroad. The plea agreement would have spared Mohammed and two co-defendants the risk of the death penalty, in exchange for their guilty pleas in the al-Qaida attacks. read the complete article
United Kingdom
After October 7th: The impact on British Muslims and rise of Islamophobia - What You Need to Know
Since the start of the Israel/Gaza war, Islamophobia has risen right across our country, with hundreds of incidents reported every month. Although the war is thousands of miles away, anti-Muslim hate crimes are happening close to home, right on our streets, leaving many British Muslims fearful for their safety. So, what’s it like to be a British Muslim today? And how do they feel about their future in Britain? read the complete article