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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Muslim activists protest Quebec law banning employees from donning religious symbols in the public sector. The Rohingya demand state recognition prior to their return to Myanmar. In an op-ed for The New Arab, Tasnim Nazeer argues Sri Lanka’s ignorance of Islamophobia endangers its already vulnerable Muslim community. Our recommended read of the day by Sumit Gangly and Jai Shankar Prasad on BJP and India’s road to disaster. This, and more, below:
India
India Faces a Looming Disaster | Recommended Read
The very underpinning of the BJP’s ideology—that of India becoming a Hindu nation, bolstered by supposedly business-friendly policies—could become the reason for increased social discord, crony capitalism, and ultimately slowing growth. At the core of Modi’s winning rhetoric lies an old promise of India’s greatness, presented anew. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the umbrella organization of which the BJP is a part, has since its inception in 1925 articulated a vision that promotes a homogenous Hindu nation—as opposed to the idea of a country based on universalistic, liberal, and democratic values. read the complete article
Canada
Tired of being seen as 'bad guys,' Riz Test creators seek 'human portrayals' of Muslims on screen
As a kid growing up in the 1980s, Shaf Choudry loved Hollywood blockbusters. Back to the Future and Raiders of the Lost Ark were favourites. But as an adult, he started to see things differently. He noticed a recurring theme when it came to Muslim characters on screen: they were portrayed as terrorists or "bad guys." "As a child, if you see that enough on screen you're going to internalize that," said Choudry, who is Muslim. read the complete article
Muslim activists continue to push against Quebec secularism law
“We will not tolerate politicians interfering in the religious practices of individuals,” said Mussab Ali, a New Jersey-based education policy maker. “We are standing up for all religious communities in our stance against Bill 21. We urge the Quebec government to repeal this bill.” read the complete article
China
'I won't stop': The Australian Uighur fighting for his family
28-year-old Sadam Abdusalam has never met his son in person because Lutfy was born in China's far western province of Xinjiang, where at least one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are being held in what China says are vocational schools necessary to prevent "extremism" and critics say are detention centres. read the complete article
Child Separation & Prison Camps: China’s Campaign Against Uyghur Muslims Is “Cultural Genocide”
Chinese authorities have been accused of systematically separating Muslim children from their families in the far western region of Xinjiang. According to a new report commissioned by the BBC, China is rushing to build boarding schools where children, mostly from the Uyghur community, are deliberately removed from their families, as well as their language and culture. This comes as an estimated 1 million adults from the Uyghur community are being imprisoned in camps that China claims are “vocational training centers” designed to combat extremism. read the complete article
My Uyghur family is quietly living in fear. This is how we become lost
I came to Canada from China in 2011 as an international student and graduated with a master’s degree in statistics from Simon Fraser University. Since then I’ve been working as a biostatistician, earning a decent life and living out my dream of helping people. read the complete article
United States
This week in racism and xenophobia: Three viral videos; three non-apologies
There was the South Carolina sheriff who shared a rant about Muslims and immigrants on Facebook, with the exhortation of the enlightened everywhere: “We speak ENGLISH.” The North Carolinian who walked up to a table of black diners and called them the n-word in the middle of a restaurant. The school board member in New Jersey whose post some likened to a death threat toward Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), after having posted several Islamophobic things in the spring. read the complete article
Many U.S. Prisons Deny Muslim Inmates Halal Food and Proper Prayer
A new report on Muslim prisoners from civil rights organization Muslim Advocates has revealed alarming truths about Muslim experiences in U.S. prisons. Among other things, the report found that Muslims are significantly overrepresented in American prisons. Despite making up only 1 percent of the U.S. population, Muslims make up about 9 percent of the U.S. prison population. In some states, including Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, that number is higher than 20 percent. read the complete article
Profiling Doesn’t Bother Conservatives Unless It Targets White People
The clearest takeaway from the conservative backlash to a deceptively edited Ilhan Omar interview with Al Jazeera is that those angered by it are not actually angry about bigotry, as they claim to be. Responding in 2018 to Mehdi Hassan’s questions about Islamophobia — and its proponents’ view that “legitimate fear” of Islam’s relationship to terrorism is behind it — the then-Minnesota state representative turned the “logic” of racial profiling on its head. read the complete article
Keeping Up the Fight Against the Muslim Ban
Throughout his campaign and presidency, President Trump has tapped into racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, easily preying on people’s emotions and exploiting their fears to serve his own political interests. It’s a foundational part of his political appeal. read the complete article
CAIR warns Georgia mosques to be vigilant after visits by anti-Muslim groups
On one Friday in late June, Arafat Afaneh greeted the two older white men warmly and invited them into the Islamic Center of Savannah, where he works as the facility manager. One man said he was Muslim. The other man, he said, was his cousin, who wanted to learn more about Islam. read the complete article
We want member with anti-Muslim posts out but can’t force him, school board says
The Board of Education member who posted inflammatory messages about two Muslim congresswomen on social media has been taken off the safety committee and should resign, says the board’s president. But the board member under fire maintains that he will not be “bullied” into stepping down. read the complete article
Video | Anti-Muslim, anti-LGBT DA says critics are infringing on his rights
A Middle Tennessee district attorney, facing criticism for expressing doubt about whether Muslims and LGBT individuals are entitled to legal protections, says his critics are trying to infringe upon his religious rights. read the complete article
Inn worker fined in conflict with couple perceived as Muslim
The agreement resolves allegations that Priscilla Protasowicki (prah-tah-SWIK'-ee) used force to remove the couple based on her belief they shouldn't be there because of their religion and perceived national origin. read the complete article
International
The world knows what is happening to the Uighurs. Why has it been so slow to act?
It is almost a year since the United Nations reported that an estimated one million people, mostly Uighurs, were being held in detention centres across Xinjiang and urged China to release them. Even before then, there were regular reports that Uighurs were subject to extraordinary surveillance, required to give blood, DNA and biometric face scans, forced to hand over their passports, denied permission to leave Xinjiang and detained in huge numbers. read the complete article
Sri Lanka
Op-ed | Ignoring Islamophobia in Sri Lanka is harming an already vulnerable community
As a British Muslim woman born to Sri Lankan parents, visiting Sri Lanka has been a regular event in our lives and one I would always would look forward to. This time, though, things were different. The Easter attacks which claimed the lives of 253 people and left 500 injured had left us all shaken, and determined to stand together in the fight against terrorism. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Boris Johnson’s social media chief called far-right Tommy Robinson associate a ‘hero’
One of Boris Johnson’s newly appointed advisers is facing criticism after it emerged she described an ally of the far-right activist Tommy Robinsonas a “hero”. Chloe Westley – No 10’s new digital adviser – praised Anne Marie Waters, who has previously claimed Islam is “evil” and called for “many mosques” to be closed down. Ms Waters, a former Ukip leadership contender, was also the deputy leader of Pegida UK – a far-right, anti-Islam organisation she helped launch with Robinson. read the complete article
Tory Islamophobia: Johnson faces calls to honour pledge on inquiry
Boris Johnson is facing calls to honour his commitment to an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party, after a senior minister refused to say that one would go ahead under his premiership. Asked on Sky News when Johnson would be launching an inquiry, Rishi Sunak, the new financial secretary to the Treasury, said the prime minister was “committed very firmly to rooting it out in the party wherever it is”. read the complete article
Myanmar
Rohingya tell Myanmar they refuse to return without recognition
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh refuse to return to Myanmar unless they are recognised as an ethnic group in their home country, leaders told visiting Myanmar officials on Sunday as fresh repatriation talks started. This is the second time Myanmar officials have visited the camps in Cox’s Bazar in an effort to convince Rohingya refugees to kick-start the repatriation process. read the complete article