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SearchToday in Islamophobia: CAIR-NY calls on the NYPD to launch a hate crime investigation following a brutal attack on a Muslim couple, while European governments seek to push back against accusations of stigmatizing Muslims, and Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi inches towards an election victory on Monday, while facing criticism for overseeing policies which barred millions of Rohingya Muslims from exercising their right to vote. Our recommended read of the day is by Sean R. Roberts in Foreign Policy on the recent move by the United States to no longer recognize the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a “terrorist organization,” noting that it was the ‘war on terror’ discourse that allowed the designation to happen in the first place. This and more below:
China
Why Did the United States Take China’s Word on Supposed Uighur Terrorists?
On Oct. 20, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quietly entered into the Federal Register that the United States no longer recognized the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a “terrorist organization.” China, which portrays ETIM as part of the supposed Uighur terrorist threat that justifies its brutal crackdown in Xinjiang, immediately complained bitterly. read the complete article
United States
Savage attack on Muslim family in Rego Park sparks call for hate crime probe
New York City’s largest Muslim rights organization has called on the NYPD to launch a hate crime investigation after a Rego Park man says he was savagely beaten by assailants who first harassed his hijab-wearing wife Nov. 6. The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said two attackers — a man and a woman — confronted Khaled Aly, his wife Neamat Taha and their two children when they arrived at their home at about 11 p.m. read the complete article
NYPD can no longer force Muslim women to remove hijabs in mug shots, settlement says
The New York Police Department will no longer require people who are arrested to remove religious headwear during mug shots as part of a settlement in a federal lawsuit. A group of Muslim women sued New York City after they said they were forced to remove their hijabs after arrests and be photographed with their head and hair uncovered. read the complete article
How Arabs and Muslims helped Biden win Michigan and the White House
In Dearborn, a city with a population of 94,000 and a large concentration of Arabs and Muslims, President-elect Joe Biden beat Trump by more than 17,000 votes - 30,718 to 13,239. About half of the electorate in the city is white - voters who lean more Republican than their Arab neighbors, suggesting that Arab-American support for Biden in Dearborn was far more than the 69 percent tally from across the city. read the complete article
International
In 2018, Government Restrictions on Religion Reach Highest Level Globally in More Than a Decade
In 2018, the global median level of government restrictions on religion – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that impinge on religious beliefs and practices – continued to climb, reaching an all-time high since Pew Research Center began tracking these trends in 2007. read the complete article
EU Seeks to Reassure Muslims as It Takes on Islamist Extremism
European governments sought to push back against accusations of stigmatizing Muslims, while still offering reassurances they’ll take decisive action against Islamic extremism after a series of deadly attacks by jihadists in Austria and France. The latest version of a draft ministerial statement seen by Bloomberg that once referenced ‘Islamist’ threats nine times now mentions the word once and that’s only to reassure that EU’s “fight against terrorism is not directed against Islam, but against fanatical and violent extremism.” read the complete article
Report: The Pandemic Is Not Good For Freedom And Democracy. But There Are Exceptions
The notion that democracy is being "impinged upon in this pandemic is not surprising. The idea that people's freedoms are being curtailed is absolutely true and objectively verifiable and is happening," says Margaret Kruk, professor of health systems at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved with the report. read the complete article
France
Macron's crusade against Islam is political extremism at its worst
The Satanic Verses would likely have gone unnoticed had it not been for drivers of a geo-strategic nature. To many French thinkers and observers at the time, the frantic race to translate the book into French betrayed a geopolitical design to involve France in the conflict between Iran and the UK. They believed the rallying cry for freedom of expression was merely an intelligent move on the geopolitical chessboard. read the complete article
Myanmar
Aung San Suu Kyi set for another win, as millions denied right to vote
As Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi inches towards an election victory on Monday, she faces criticism for overseeing policies which barred millions of people from different ethnic minorities from exercising their right to vote. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) is set to sweep the election for a second term, according to reports. But a win for Suu Kyi, who was conferred the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle against the military dictatorship, will do little to boost her image now tainted by her refusal to acknowledge the suffering of Rohingya Muslims. read the complete article