Today in Islamophobia

Today in Islamophobia: In Israel, Palestinian political parties have condemned their disqualification from the upcoming Knesset elections, saying the decision unfairly excludes Arab-Palestinian representation, meanwhile in Italy, the government has adopted a decree banning burqas and niqabs in schools while also capping the number of students with limited Italian-language skills in classrooms at 30 percent, and lastly, in the United States, Muslim Texans describe growing disillusionment with anti-Islam rhetoric from Republican leaders and policies they say have increasingly targeted the state’s Muslim community. Our recommended read of the day is by Mahatir Pasha for ITV News on new data showing that attacks on Muslim sites across the UK are becoming more frequent and severe, with monitoring groups reporting that a mosque is attacked approximately every five days. This and more below:

United Kingdom

'I feel like a moving target': Attacks on Muslim sites getting worse, data shows | Recommended Read

The words were still wet when staff at the British Muslim Heritage Centre found them. 'Muslim Scum', daubed across the wall of the near 200-year-old listed Manchester building, next to a Star of David. "You can still see remnants of the pink paint," says Irfan Ashraf, the centre's chief executive, pointing to the spot. The building has hosted the now King and prime minister. Exclusive data shared with ITV News suggests what happened to the Heritage Centre is no longer an isolated incident - it is part of a pattern that is not just growing, but hardening. Monitoring groups say a mosque in the UK is now attacked every five days. And according to new analysis from the British Muslim Trust (BMT) - the government-appointed body that records anti-Muslim hate crimes and incidents - the recorded attacks on mosques are growing in their severity. read the complete article

United States

The "War on Terror" Playbook: How Islamophobia Supports White Christian Nationalism's Assault on Reproductive Freedom

This September marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and the beginning of an era defined by an Islamophobia-fueled expansion of U.S. militarism. With each year comes more reflection and analysis on the legacy of endless wars of aggression in Muslim-majority nations across Asia and Africa–and the staggering human toll they have exacted. An estimated 940,000 people were killed directly by post-9/11 war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan between 2001 and 2023. Furthermore, an estimated 3.6 to 3.8 million more people have died indirectly in these war zones, bringing the total death toll to at least 4.5 million and counting. As part of the U.S. "War on Terror," our bookshelves, radios, televisions, and social media feeds have told sensationalized stories of meek Muslim women coerced into marriage and modesty or frail Muslim girls beaten for daring to learn how to read: both alleged to be criminals in their homelands due to being assigned the so-called weaker sex. The "War on Terror" is made possible by the remaking of Arab and Muslim men as a faceless, amorphous enemy discernible only as "terror" in the eyes of not just the U.S. but of people everywhere. These wars have not only reshaped modern American identity around Islamophobia and an insatiable lust for violence—they have also refined an easily replicable political playbook, one presently central to dismantling reproductive freedom in the United States. read the complete article

Muslims in Texas are disillusioned as GOP ramps up anti-Islam rhetoric

Mohamed Hussein, a self-identified conservative and practicing Muslim, went to the Texas Republican convention this year seeking common ground. Instead, during a panel discussion about Judeo-Christian values, he was told to convert to Christianity — or leave the country. The encounter left Hussein disillusioned with the current Texas Republican Party, he said during a panel discussion at the Texas Tribune Festival Thursday, and wondering, though he identifies as a conservative, whether he still has a place in the party. “I can’t recognize conservatism when I see the Texas Republican Party or this language,” Hussein said. “How do you demonize a religion and be a conservative? It doesn’t make sense to me.” Hussein’s remarks came during a panel discussion on what it means to be Muslim in Texas today, moderated by the Tribune’s newsletter writer Yasmeen Khalifa. Anti-Muslim rhetoric has surged during the past two years as Texas Republicans have increasingly made a litany of moves to target the state’s Muslim population. read the complete article

International

Petropopulism: FairSquare publishes new report on UAE links to Reform UK and the far-right

A new report from FairSquare highlights the extensive links between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK’s Reform party and the far-right, and calls for the UAE to be added to the “Enhanced Tier” of the UK’s Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. “Petropulism” details how Reform’s senior leadership, many of whom have strong and increasing ties to the UAE, have enthusiastically advanced the Gulf state’s interests in the UK. It explains how and why the UAE has been supportive of far-right organisations in multiple countries around the world and describes the ruinous impact of these interventions. It outlines multiple instances where the UAE has behaved more like an adversary than an ally of the UK, and conduct includingincluded the torture of UK nationals and serious violations of UK sovereignty. The report calls on UK parliamentarians to take immediate steps to counter the risk that the UAE poses to democracy in the UK. There is no evidence to suggest the UAE is funding Reform, but a large body of evidence would suggest that Reform UK is already an asset that the UAE has used to advance its agenda in a multitude of ways, including via GB News, which itself has strong UAE links. read the complete article

Israel’s policies threaten ‘very existence’ of Palestinians, Abbas tells UN

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has ⁠warned the United Nations General Assembly that Israel’s policies go beyond undermining a two-state solution and now threaten the “very life and existence” of Palestinians. Abbas’s prerecorded remarks from his office in Ramallah were broadcast before the assembly on Thursday after the United States denied visas to a Palestinian delegation to attend the gathering for the second year in a row. Abbas said Palestinians were living through one of the “most dangerous periods” of their history, citing “killing, destruction, starvation, attempts at displacement, as well as a genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”. He said Israeli forces were erasing Palestinian lives in Gaza. “Neighbourhoods, cities, refugee camps, institutions, schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, and churches have been destroyed. Every foundation of life, and the future of entire generations, has been targeted.” read the complete article

South Africa

Norwood synagogue condemns alleged racist, Islamophobic roadside confrontation

A Johannesburg motorist has alleged that he was subjected to racial and religious slurs during a confrontation in Norwood. Chabad of Norwood has condemned the alleged remarks and called for unity. Abdur Rahamaan, 35, a content creator originally from Estcourt and now living in Johannesburg, alleged that the driver of a white Porsche Cayenne GTS followed closely behind him, repeatedly hooting and flashing his lights. The situation reportedly escalated into a verbal exchange between the two motorists. Rahamaan alleges that during the confrontation, the elderly driver repeatedly used a racial slur and made a reference to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The footage, which has since circulated on social media, has drawn attention to concerns about racism, religious intolerance and tensions between communities. read the complete article

Israel

'Hypocrisy': Israel's Palestinian parties hit back over election ban

The Joint List of Israel's Palestinian parties has condemned its ban from the upcoming Knesset elections in October, telling The New Arab that the decisions are "based on racism" and reflect the "hypocrisy of those who claim to support democracy". The Joint List, made up of Hadash, Ta'al and Balad, is one of two major Arab-Israeli political blocs representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, the other being the United Arab List (Ra'am), which was also barred from the election. Both lists were barred by Israel's Central Elections Committee (CEC) on Wednesday, which also disqualified Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh and Hadash MK Ofer Cassif from running. The decisions are set to be challenged at the Supreme Court next week. A spokesperson for the Joint List told The New Arab that it understood the bans "to be political decisions based on racism against Arab Palestinian citizens and anyone who opposes the Israeli occupation", adding that the list was the only alternative political force in Israel that opposed Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and respected international law. read the complete article

Italy

Italy bans burqas, niqabs in schools under new decree

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government adopted a decree Thursday banning burqas and niqabs in schools while imposing limits on the number of students with poor Italian-language skills allowed in each classroom. It introduces "A 30% cap on the number of students in a class who do not have an adequate command of Italian, more tools for learning our language, and a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools," Meloni wrote on social media. If a child seriously struggles to integrate at school, social services will be called and the parents will be obliged to attend free Italian lessons. Failure to comply will be punished with a fine of up to 1,000 euros ($1,140). Italy is a frontline country for migration and integration is a hot campaign issue ahead of next year's general election. read the complete article

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