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SearchToday in Islamophobia: As protests rage on in India, UP MP Yogi Adiyanath says Muslim population in India increased after Partition because of “special rights.” Rights group denounces Japan for “disturbing comments” on the Rohingya, even as the ICJ prepares to hand down its ruling on the crisis on January 23. Our recommended read today is by Jasmina El-Gamal titled “Muslim is not an insult.” This, and more, below:
United States
‘Muslim’ Is Not an Insult | Recommended Read
In response to the tweet, the White House press secretary told Fox News that the president was “making it clear that Democrats are … almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill the Americans.” But if the president simply wanted to link Democrats to Iran’s supreme leader, he could have tweeted any number of images that did not include them wearing attire worn by millions of Muslims around the world, none of whom has anything to do with ayatollahs or terrorism. read the complete article
Three years into his presidency, what’s the impact of Trump’s anti-Muslim actions?
Three years into his presidency, how has Trump’s very public statements and the actions of his administration influenced the country and impacted the lives of Muslims? Evelyn Alsultany, a scholar on anti-Muslim racism and associate professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, was recently interviewed by the Organization for Defending Victims of Violence for her opinions regarding Trump’s impact on Muslims and how they’re perceived today. read the complete article
Texas' misguided decision on refugees is state-sponsored Islamophobia
In the wake of President Trump's Muslim ban, Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport had more detainees than any other port of entry. In 2017, State Representative Kyle Biedermann asked pretty much every Muslim leader and organization head in the state, including me, to respond to a "survey" that amounted to a loyalty oath. It’s against this Islamophobic backdrop that we need to examine Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to opt out of the United States refugee resettlement program in response to Executive Order 1388, allowing states to choose whether to participate. So far, 42 other states have said that they will opt in; Abbott is the first chief executive to take a pass. read the complete article
India
Adityanath says Muslim population in India increased since 1947 because of special rights
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath said on Tuesday that the Muslim population in India has increased since Partition because the country gave special rights to the community, unlike in Pakistan, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. He claimed that the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act were a conspiracy by a “crooked” Opposition. “The Muslim population in India has increased manifold since 1947, it has gone up by seven to eight times,” Adityanath claimed while addressing a rally in Bihar’s Gaya city, organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party in support of the citizenship law. “No one has any objection. Their population has increased because they have been given special rights and facilities. All possible steps were taken to ensure their growth. But what happened in Pakistan?” read the complete article
'Women Don’t Give Up.' Why Female Protesters Are at the Forefront of India's Resistance Movement
As the crowd surged, the police retreated from the gates of the protest. Meanwhile, at the site a 65-year-old grandmother, Shabnam, sits attentively listening to a speech. As the speaker begins chanting slogans of freedom and liberty, Shabnam joins in. “I have never been to a protest. I have never spoken at this pitch. I have never wanted to be heard or seen,” she says. But now I say, let’s march on Parliament. Let them see us.” read the complete article
Why India’s Students Are Angry and Its Muslims Are Worried
The Citizenship Amendment Law, which was pushed through parliament by Modi’s party on Dec. 11 and took effect Jan. 10. It bans undocumented Muslim migrants from neighboring countries from seeking citizenship in India while allowing immigrants from other religions to do so, and is the first law since India gained independence to explicitly exclude Muslims. Demonstrations first began in the eastern state of Assam, where there are fears the law would encourage an influx of new migrants. But the anger soon spread, including to the capital New Delhi, over the law’s discriminatory nature and fears it will damage India’s secular ethos. read the complete article
Myanmar
Opinion | Why Myanmar’s genocide denial will come back to haunt it
The ICJ has announced that it will issue a preliminary judgment in the case on Jan. 23. Yet one outcome is already clear: Aung San Suu Kyi’s defiant genocide denial generated an outpouring of approval back home, bolstering support for her as well as for anti-Muslim nationalism. This is chilling not only for the Rohingya and other Muslims inside the country. It is also extremely dangerous for the multiethnic and multi-religious state of Myanmar as a whole. read the complete article
China
'Existential threat': Report warns on China risk to human rights
The United States-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the international community to push back against "the most brutal and pervasive oppression China has seen in decades" as it released its annual report on the situation of human rights across the world. The report featured a prominent section on China, condemning its treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region and detailing alleged rights abuses in Hong Kong. It also warns that China’s growing political influence and efforts to censor people abroad pose an "existential threat to the international human rights system." read the complete article
United Kingdom
Terror police recall guidance listing ‘standard Muslim beliefs’ as signs of extremism
Human rights groups condemned the 12-page document produced by counter terrorism police in south-east England for undermining ‘free expression and discrimination’. Titled ‘Safeguarding young people and adults from ideological extremism’, the document lists a number of groups and examples of ‘extremist or worrying behaviour to look for’. In reference to the banned Islamist terror group Al Muhajiroun the document states: ‘What you might see and hear: ‘Al Muhajiroun promotes the view that Muslims are persecuted in the UK by the government and media. ‘You may hear someone state this view or voice concern for “oppressed Muslims” in other countries’. read the complete article