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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Governor Inslee calls Trump a ‘white nationalist’, as an op-ed by Charles Stile finds removed NJ school board member’s racism was fueled by the President’s rhetoric. Our recommended read of the day is by Bridge Senior Research Fellow Kristin Garrity Sekerci titled “Religious Freedom For Whom?”. This, and more, below:
United States
Religious Freedom for Whom? Islamophobia at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom | Recommended Read
Earlier this month, the State Department hosted its second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. Under the leadership of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, the Ministerial made sweeping calls for the protection of religious freedoms worldwide. Behind these lofty ideals, however, lurked a troubling reality: the conveners of the Ministerial have a long history of denigrating Islam and infringing on the civil rights of Muslims. read the complete article
Op-ed | I’m Muslim and Live in Baltimore. Fear Made Me Become a U.S. Citizen.
Sixteen years before, I had left Canada to attend M.I.T. for what I thought would be a brief and unparalleled opportunity to advance my education. I unexpectedly fell in love with a sharp and gentlemanly Virginian. My brief stay turned into a full life with him and our two children, and a fulfilling career as a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University. I had never considered applying for United States citizenship; my plan was to do what many Canadians living in America did: renew my green card decade after decade while maintaining my Canadian nationality. read the complete article
Jay Inslee Calls Trump A White Nationalist At Democratic Debate
The governor’s nameless jab came as part of his response on what he plans to do about immigration reform, a question that CNN moderators asked all 10 candidates on the stage in Detroit. “I think we’re missing two central statements we need to make. No. 1: We can no longer allow a white nationalist to be in the White House,” Inslee said to applause. “And No. 2, we have to make America what it’s always been. A place of refuge.” read the complete article
NJ officials are copying Trump's racism. They're finding out fast it won't work here
Daniel P. Leonard, the decorated paratrooper-turned-school board member, lamented on Monday the "learning curve" of life outside the military, where politically incorrect jesting is an accepted part of the culture. "I just retired after 23 years, and the things I could say day to day in the military to the gamut of races and nationalities — you can’t say that anymore,'' he said in an interview. read the complete article
Western NC gun store, with a history of incendiary billboards, mocks AOC, Omar, Tlaib
Along U.S. 64 in Murphy, a billboard advertising a gun store mocks "the 4 Horsemen" — freshmen U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley. The "Cherokee Guns" tag at the bottom (it's a mile ahead on the right) almost seems like an afterthought. read the complete article
More fallout from Sussex County GOP’s anti-Islamic Twitter scandal
You’ve probably read about Sussex County GOP Chairman Jerry Scanlan’s tweets through the party’s official account. The one that really sticks out to me was a retweet of a meme that called Islam a “cult” and said “America must eradicate Islam from every town, city, county and state in our homeland!” read the complete article
Federal judge overturns 2006 terrorism conviction for California man
Hamid Hayat was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2007 but on Tuesday, Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. of the U.S. district court in Sacramento threw out the conviction, citing inadequate legal representation. Hayat and his father were both charged in 2005 for allegedly belonging to a Lodi, Calif.-based al Qaeda cell. read the complete article
United Kingdom
Islamophobia fuelled by anonymity on social media, report says
A paper published by the Commission for Countering Extremism says an “increase in Islamophobic language” online is associated strongly with posts by “users with fewer than three identifiable details” on their profile. It says the posting of such inflammatory material is made worse by the “echo chamber” nature of social media in which like-minded individuals feed off each other’s prejudices. read the complete article
New Zealand
Man who delivered anti-Muslim tirade sentenced to 10 months supervision
Daniel Nicholas Tuapawa pleaded guilty to behaving in an insulting manner likely to cause violence when he unleashed his verbal assault less than a month after the 15 March mosque shootings. In April, the 33-year-old asked to meet those he accused of being terrorists, so he could apologise. Outside court today he said he still planned to do this. read the complete article
China
Arabic, Muslim symbols ordered taken down in China's capital
Employees at 11 restaurants and shops in Beijing selling halal products said officials told them to remove images associated with Islam, such as the crescent moon and the word "halal" written in Arabic, from their signs. Government workers from various offices told one manager of a Beijing noodle shop to cover up the "halal" in Arabic on his shop's sign and then watched him do it. read the complete article
International
The Second European Commission's Meeting on Combatting Anti-Muslim Racism
From 24 – 25 June 2019, a workshop on synergies and good practices on tackling anti-Muslim racism and discrimination that was co-hosted by the European Commission and the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Social Security of Spain took place in Madrid. This is the second of its kind following a meeting on 3 December 2018, where the European Commission hosted a high level conference on tackling intolerance and discrimination against Muslims in the EU. read the complete article