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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Police arrest Muslim protester in India on charges of sedition, as U.S President Donald Trump plots to expand the widely litigated Muslim Ban. Three years after the Quebec mosque shooting, Reyhana Patel writes about the families of the victims left behind. Our recommended read today is by Simran Jeet Singh titled “Expanded travel ban gives world’s democracies more cover for anti-Muslim measures.” This, and more, below:
International
Expanded travel ban gives world's democracies more cover for anti-Muslim measures | Recommended Read
The idea that the ban is unconstitutional has been argued since Trump issued his first unsuccessful executive order to block Muslims soon after his inauguration. Indeed, a new challenge to the 2018 Supreme Court ruling has begun Tuesday (Jan. 28) in a federal court in Richmond. What's less often noted is how Trump's Muslim ban is part of an alarming trend of ostensibly democratic nation-states targeting Muslims. read the complete article
United States
Opinion | As Trump plans to expand his 'Muslim ban,' we must continue to fight it
The human costs of the ban are immense and grow each day that passes. Among other things, the ban tears couples in half and children from their parents. The State Department’s most recent public data — covering the period from Dec. 2017 through Sep. 2019 — show that the ban continues to keep at least 1,313 minor children continents away from their American parents, 3,382 parents away from their American sons and daughters, and 3,464 spouses or fiancés from their U.S. citizen partners. read the complete article
Bernie Sanders vows to reverse ‘every single thing’ Trump has done to immigrants, including 'racist and disgusting Muslim ban'
If elected president, Bernie Sanders said he would “reverse every single thing” Donald Trump’s administration has done to US immigration policy, including what the 2020 hopeful described as a "racist" travel ban on Muslim-majority countries. The Vermont senator made the comments in a tweet on Monday night after it was reported that the US Supreme Court would allow the Trump administration to go forward with a new “wealth test”. read the complete article
India
Police in India arrest Muslim protester on sedition charges
Indian police on Tuesday arrested a university student who has been involved in organizing protests against a contentious citizenship law after he made comments that the ruling Hindu nationalist party said were seditious. Sharjeel Imam shot to national prominence when he helped to organize a mass sit-in in New Delhi, one of many rallies staged over more than a month against a new citizenship law that the protesters say discriminates against Muslims. read the complete article
Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Varma penalised for comments
Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Varma, have been penalised for their comments against thousands of largely Muslim women who have been staging a demonstration in Shaheen Bagh - a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood in the capital, Delhi. Elections will be held there on 8 February, read the complete article
China
“This could be a massive disaster”: What happens if the coronavirus hits China’s internment camps?
As the Wuhan coronavirus spreads across China, infections have been confirmed in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, where an estimated 1 million Muslims are held in camps for forced indoctrination. For now, there’s no evidence that the virus has hit any of the camps. But experts warn that if it does, it could drastically compound the suffering there, potentially leading to thousands of deaths. Former inmates — most of whom are Uighurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority — have reported that the camps are overcrowded and unsanitary. If the virus gains a toehold there, it could spread from person to person all too easily. read the complete article
Canada
Three years after the Quebec mosque shooting, don’t forget the families of the victims left behind
It has been three years since the Jan. 29 Quebec City mosque shooting. As Canadians come together to commemorate the anniversary of this tragic event, this week they will also see the appeal hearing of Alexander Bissonette, the perpetrator of the attack. One of the women who lost her husband in the attack hosted us. When we entered the home of our gracious host, we were welcomed with open arms and the aroma of a scrumptious meal in the air. As the other five women trickled in, the strength of their bond with each other was immediately obvious. read the complete article
Opinion | Too little has changed since Quebec mosque massacre shattered lives
The attack against the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec continues to symbolize the very worst manifestations of racism, social marginalization, and toxic online culture. Three years on, little has changed to assure us that no other community will ever again be targeted based on religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. In Quebec, divisive rhetoric and law are being used to justify the second-class treatment of religious communities. Bill 21 is the contentious legislation that prevents some people from holding certain government jobs because of their religious clothing. Now, a group called Mouvement laïque québécois (MLQ), granted intervener status in one of the legal challenges to the bill, is calling for its expansion to cover all public servants, not only teachers, police officers and crown prosecutors. The Quebec government is also nonsensically moving to abolish its Ethics and Religious Culture course in primary and secondary schools. read the complete article
Italy
Italy's Salvini and discussions of Islamophobia
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Ha-Yom, former Italian Secretary of State and Northern League secretary Matteo Salvini issued some extremely revealing statements about his plans for the future. He promised to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to ban the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement if he becomes prime minister; he also attributed the root of anti-Semitism in Italy to Muslims. read the complete article