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SearchToday in Islamophobia: In the United Kingdom, Sadiq Khan has accused the US president of being “racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic” after President Trump used a speech at the UN to call the London mayor “terrible” and claim the city was being steered toward “sharia law”, meanwhile in Israel, Israeli leaders facing isolation over the Gaza war are increasingly pointing the finger at Muslim populations in the West to explain a string of diplomatic defeats, and lastly, in the Netherlands, the Amsterdam city council has voted to bar sports teams from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank along with fans accused of supporting “racist and extremist views”. Our recommended read of the day is by Pastor Michael Woolf for Sojourners, who writes that “what we choose to teach about Islam will shape not only the safety of our Muslim neighbors but also our own integrity as followers of Jesus.” This and more below.
International
Trump’s UN speech exposes the global consequences of Islamophobia | Recommended Read
At the United Nations General Assembly this week, the world gathered for one of the most critical moments in international politics. President Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday for almost an hour. In those moments of global attention, he decided to use his platform to attack London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan. He declared that Europe was “going to hell” and accused Khan of bringing “Sharia law” to London. This was not a slip of the tongue. It was a choice. The most powerful leader in the world chose to invoke one of the oldest Islamophobic myths: that Muslim leadership signals a creeping imposition of Sharia law. Britain has a secular legal system. Sharia councils exist only in a limited advisory form with no standing in law. To suggest otherwise is to perpetuate a false narrative that has long been used to portray Muslims as a threat to national life and to question their legitimacy in public office. In this week’s address, he called him a “terrible, terrible mayor,” but it is not the first time Trump has attacked Khan. What ties these attacks together is not performance in office, but identity. The fixation is clear. Trump has made Khan a target because he is Muslim. For British Muslims, this is not politics as theatre. It is a daily reality. In recent weeks, mosques have been vandalised. Graffiti has appeared on walls reading “Stop Islam, stop the boats.” Communities are tightening security. Families are more conscious of their visibility and their safety. The effect is to cast Muslims as a suspect community, their belonging treated as conditional rather than integral. Figures like Nigel Farage add to this climate. He dominates broadcast media, presenting himself as a mainstream voice, yet his rhetoric consistently frames migration and diversity as problems. By defining who does and does not belong, he creates fertile ground in which more extreme actors operate. This is how the boundaries of public discourse are shifted. And this is not limited to Britain. Across Europe, far-right parties are on the rise. read the complete article
Sir Sadiq Khan: Trump is racist and sexist
Sir Sadiq Khan has said Donald Trump has shown he is "racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic" after the president made comments about him to the United Nations. Speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Trump said London had "a terrible, terrible mayor, and it's been changed, it's been so changed". He added: "Now they want to go to Sharia law." Speaking to BBC London, Sir Sadiq said: "People are wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multi-cultural, progressive and successful city, that means I appear to be living rent-free inside Donald Trump's head." He added: "I think President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic and he is Islamophobic." "When people say things, when people act in a certain way, when people behave in a certain way, you've got to believe them," he said. Responding to the president calling him a "terrible mayor", he said he was "thankful we have record numbers of Americans coming to London". read the complete article
Theater of fear: How Islamophobia shapes Western politics
Of Britain’s recognition of Palestine, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton stated that it was “a transparent attempt to appease Islamists in Europe.” Those "Islamists," if one listened to U.S. President Donald Trump, were trying to "bring Sharia law to London." It appears as though Trump’s perception of Muslims and most notably of London Mayor Sadiq Khan is shaped largely by his engagement with those whose primary concern is the threat of “Islamo-Marxists,” as one commentator, known for his ardent neoconservatism and radical Zionism, recently put it. That commentator is supposed to represent the right wing of U.S. politics, which is probably why he did not prefer the term “Islamo-Nazism” instead, presumably so as not to alienate the “non-Islamic Nazis” in his audience. it is becoming increasingly commonplace among prominent neoconservatives and Zionists to point to a perceived influence of Muslims on European politics. They claim to see this influence in the widespread protests across Europe against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, implying, perhaps inadvertently, that without such an influence, no one in Europe would be bothered by the slaughter of thousands of children. Or maybe this is exactly what they intend to convey, that protesting a genocide is not compatible with their vision of the “Western civilization,” which they insist is under threat, apparently from such humanitarian interventions. Is this what former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett meant when he responded to Britain’s recognition of Palestine by saying, “Palestine today, the United Kingdom tomorrow”? read the complete article
United Kingdom
Muslim Impact Forum: New group launches with high-profile backing
A new organisation aimed at helping British Muslims get into politics launched on Thursday with the high-profile backing of Former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf. The Muslim Impact Forum (MIF) launched at Palestine House in central London and said it aims to "connect Muslim leadership, expertise, and resources across philanthropy, business, academia, and geopolitics". It seeks to "co-develop solutions to global challenges" so that "Muslim leaders can play a central role in shaping global strategies for social change". The organisation's ambition is global in scope, and the MIF held a gathering in Istanbul in April, which was attended by Turkey's first lady, Emine Erdogan. Yousaf gave the keynote address at the MIF's launch, in which the discussion centred around Muslims in Britain. Talented Muslims "must enter politics", Yousaf said. "Politics is the arena in which you can make the biggest difference". He called for the Muslim community to "invest in" Muslim talent. "It's not about a Muslim agenda. It's about pushing good people into positions of power." Yousaf told Middle East Eye he fears for his children and their safety in the future due to the rise of the far right in Britain and across Europe. He warned of the growing popularity of Nigel Farage's anti-immigrant Reform UK, calling its policies "abhorrent", and criticised the Labour government, saying it has "legitimised" anti-migrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric. "We can either bury our head in the sands and hope that it will boil over… or we can do what I think the MIF is trying to do, which is saying we’re not going to be passive." read the complete article
Mosque window smashed with 'metal pole' in East Renfrewshire
A mosque window was smashed on Wednesday evening as children attended classes inside an East Renfrewshire community centre. According to a statement by Masjid Yusuf at Clarkston Community Centre, the “disturbing” incident occurred around 5.30pm. The statement read: “During the children's classes, an unknown individual smashed a mosque window from the outside with a metal pole. “This incident has caused distress to the children, their families and community members. We have reported this matter to Police Scotland and are working with them to investigate this matter further.” Leaders of the masjid said the incident is the latest in a “troubling pattern” of Islamophobic sentiment in East Renfrewshire, noting: “All local mosques and residents should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.” The latest incident comes two weeks after a Muslim schoolgirl was allegedly assaulted while walking home from school in Newton Mearns. read the complete article
Australia
Teachers and students affected by anti-Palestinian racism, report into schools shows
Students have been told Gazans "deserved what they got" and a Sydney teacher was "forced out [of] his job" for wearing a traditional scarf in what researchers say are increasing instances of anti-Palestinian racism in schools across Australia. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) released its first national register report on Friday to examine "the climate of fear, censorship, intimidation and punishment" experienced by students, teachers and members of the school community. The report analysed the testimonies of 84 respondents over a four-month period between March and July 2024, including witness accounts and lived experiences from the Palestinian diaspora and allies. Families reported students were experiencing racial violence that went ignored by educators, including a Year 2 Victorian child told by a Jewish student they "can't wait to help the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) go kill Palestinians", and another Palestinian student "physically attacked" after speaking Arabic. According to the report, a Palestinian teacher was also banned by a principal from wearing her grandmother's keffiyeh after a complaint, a primary school teacher was called a "terrorist" for also wearing the cultural scarf, and a casual staff member said their shifts were cut after donning a pro-Palestinian badge. read the complete article