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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Major Trump backer Rebekah Mercer orchestrates Parler’s second act. Biden overturns Trump ban on many green card applicants. Facebook permanently bans Myanmar’s military, citing threat of new violence after Feb. 1 coup. Our recommended read today is by Anila Noor and Maria Khoshy on Switzerland’s contentious “burka ban.” This, and more, below:
Switzerland
‘We don’t want the government restricting our freedom of dress’ | Recommended Read
That Switzerland would consider joining other European countries in banning forms of dress is particularly ironic given its strong commitment to neutrality and the freedom of religion. It is also ironic given that only a few dozen women in a country of almost nine million people wear the burka. It is hurtful to us that people claim that the initiative protects women’s rights without bothering to ask the women most directly affected by the ban – Muslim migrants to Switzerland, visitors and tourists from certain Middle East countries, and Muslim feminists and advocates for gender equality. read the complete article
United States
Major Trump backer Rebekah Mercer orchestrates Parler’s second act
Rebekah Mercer, the 47-year-old daughter of major Republican donor Robert Mercer, is a founding investor of Parler. She increasingly pulls the strings at the company, according to people familiar with the company who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private business matters. She holds the majority stake in Parler and controlled two of three board seats as of early February — a board to which she recently appointed allies. read the complete article
Biden overturns Trump ban on many green card applicants
The order by former President Donald Trump, known as Presidential Proclamation 100014, cited a need to protect US jobs amid high unemployment rates caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement on Wednesday, the White House announced that Biden overturned the measure through an executive order, saying Trump’s ban separated families and “does not advance the interests of the United States”. “To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here,” the statement reads. read the complete article
United Kingdom
British law professor under fire over ‘Islamophobic’ statements
Law students have claimed Greer “frequently expressed views in class that can be deemed Islamophobic, bigoted and divisive”, said the statement, which was signed by several other student societies. Although Greer’s accusers have gone public, he has been barred by the university from making any comment on the allegations because they are subject to an ongoing investigation and he is bound by a duty of confidentiality. read the complete article
International
Beijing 2022: Boris Johnson rejects boycott call over Uighur 'genocide'
At Prime Minister's Questions, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said genocide was "happening in front of our eyes". Mr Johnson said the UK was "leading international action in the UN to hold China to account". But he rejected Sir Ed's call for Team GB to stay away from the Beijing games, saying the UK did not "normally" support sporting boycotts. The British Olympic Association (BOA) said it "fully supported" the prime minister's position. "We do not believe that boycotting the Olympic Winter Games is the right solution and feel that the athletes who have trained all their lives for this moment should be able to go and compete and represent their country," a BOA spokesperson said. read the complete article
Myanmar
Myanmar Coup Protesters Regret Silence Over Rohingya Genocide
After the coup, however, a shift in thinking has started to take place, with apologies on social media and in protest signs on the streets. That is being matched by Rohingya refugees showing support for demonstrations despite not receiving it in their time of need. Some even joined the rallies in Yangon, risking arrest or persecution in a society that denies them basic citizenship rights. They now have a mutual foe, Myanmar coup mastermind Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of overseeing the campaign against the minority. read the complete article
Facebook bans Myanmar’s military, citing threat of new violence after Feb. 1 coup
Facebook banned accounts of the military of Myanmar and its related media entities on Wednesday night, citing its “history of exceptionally severe human rights abuses” and potential to use social media to pursue new rounds of violence following a coup earlier this month. The move, which also affects Facebook subsidiary Instagram, extends a string of actions in recent years to sharply limit the ability of the nation’s military, called the Tatmadaw, to use the platforms in any way, including through paid advertising. read the complete article
India
Why the 2020 violence in Delhi was a pogrom
On February 23, 2020, violence erupted in the area and lasted several days, resulting in the death of 53 people, the majority of them Muslims, and the injury of 250. Approximately 2,000 were displaced. The government and the media were quick to brand the violence as “riots” and the term remains widely used to refer to the events of February 2020. But a much more accurate word to describe what happened is “pogrom”. read the complete article
Does Kapil Mishra's Impunity Indicate That BJP Plans to Keep Delhi in the Grip of Communal Fear?
Two clear patterns have emerged in the days leading up to the first anniversary of the national capital’s worst anti-Muslim pogrom in decades. While one side – mostly North-East Delhi residents who had to bear the brunt of the hate campaign and a large section of civil society – mourns the deaths and unprecedented scale of property loss, the other side – Hindutva activists and leaders – has taken this opportunity to amplify its multi-layered anti-minority campaign. read the complete article
‘Fertility rate higher among Muslims, they want to turn India into Islamic state’: BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur
Hari Bhushan Thakur said Bihar had witnessed a decline in fertility rate but among Hindus and not Muslims. The BJP MLA from Bisfi also demanded a law to restrict population growth. "Law should be brought to control the population in the country. The resources in the country are very limited but some people want to increase the population and capture and turn India into an Islamic country," BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur said. BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur added, "Muslim community is indulging into this. It is important to control the population in order to make India into a developed country from a developing country." read the complete article
Canada
Another Black Muslim woman threatened at Edmonton transit station
Another Black woman wearing a hijab was confronted and threatened at an Edmonton transit station on Feb. 17. This is the fifth time Edmonton police have been called to investigate similar attacks against Black women wearing hijabs in three months. In a statement, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said it “is deeply concerned about an attack that took place in Edmonton at the Century Park Transit Station on Feb. 17, 2021, against a Black Muslim woman wearing a hijab.” read the complete article