Today in Islamophobia

Today in Islamophobia: Only surviving Muslim American slave autobiography goes online at the Library of Congress. In China, the cultural genocide of Uighurs continues even as over 1,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh from India amidst fears of a government crackdown. Elsewhere, U.S Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is targeted by a Florida official, and a man offers $500 for a list of representatives who voted for the removal of Shahid Shafi from office. This, and more, below:

United States

Only Known Surviving Muslim American Slave Autobiography Goes Online at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress has acquired and made available online the Omar Ibn Said Collection, which includes the only known surviving slave narrative written in Arabic in the United States. In 1831, Omar Ibn Said, a wealthy and highly educated man who was captured in West Africa and brought to the United States as a slave, wrote a 15-page autobiography describing his experiences. The manuscript is of particular importance not only because it tells the personal story of a slave written by himself, but also because it documents an aspect of the early history of Islam and Muslims in the United States. read the complete article

Is There Really A 1952 Act That Bans Muslims From Holding Public Office In The US?

As the first two Muslim women in Congress begin their tenures, someone recently posted on Facebook that a 1952 U.S. immigration law bans Muslims from holding public office. Is that a fact? Gardner Selby of the PolitiFact Texas fact-checks. read the complete article

$500 offered for ‘Tarrant 49ers’ list of Republicans who voted to remove Muslim man

A Rio Grande Valley man is offering a “$500 cash bounty” to anyone who can provide him the names of 49 officials who voted for removing Shahid Shafi, a Muslim representative, from office. George Rice said he wants to be able to make sure that party members gathered at state conventions know who voted which way in Tarrant County. “I think it’s pretty reasonable to say we deserve to know who these individuals are,” said Rice, a 36-year-old who belongs to the Hidalgo County Young Republicans. “I don’t think the Republican Party has any room for bigots.” read the complete article

Opinion | How The Wall Street Journal Got Roped into a Prank on a Right-Wing Wannabe Media Star

In a lengthy story on social-media platforms and right-wing groups last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Twitter's decision to boot Loomer was actually due to pressure from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In the Journal's words, CAIR executive director Zahra Billoo led a campaign of complaints and "behind-the-scenes discussions" with Twitter after Loomer claimed that newly elected representative Ilhan Omar wanted to implement sharia law in the U.S. read the complete article

India

Over 1,000 Rohingya flee India for Bangladesh fearing crackdown

At least 1,300 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh from India since the start of the year, an official said on Wednesday, as fears of deportation to Myanmar spark an exodus. New Delhi has faced sharp criticism for turning Rohingya people over to Myanmar in the past months, despite the members of the persecuted minority facing threats to their safety there, with the United Nations and rights groups accusing India of disregarding international law. India, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, arrested 230 Rohingya in 2018 - the highest number in years - as Hindu nationalists called for the displaced Rohingya to be deported en masse. "For the past year, the government of India has been making life difficult for the Rohingya refugees in India", Ravi Nair, of the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC), told Al Jazeera. read the complete article

China

Cultural Genocide in Xinjiang: How China Targets Uyghur Artists, Academics, and Writers | Recommended Read

While China depicts its camps as benign “vocational training centers,” testimonies reveal a brutal regime of political indoctrination and self-criticism sessions, over-crowded conditions, inadequate food, and physical torture. Outside the camps, people are also required to attend political meetings and Chinese language classes. Passports have been confiscated, contacts abroad are highly restricted, and special permission is required to leave one’s home town. Religious restrictions are so stringent that the government has effectively outlawed Islam. Our recommended read of the day argues why this amounts to cultural genocide. read the complete article

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