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SearchToday in Islamophobia: Despite a decrease in hate crime from 2018 to 2019, SAALT notes that communities of color, LGBTQ folks, and people with disabilities continue to be targets of hate by white supremacist groups in America. Microsoft founder Bill Gates publicly criticizes the “free speech” social media platform, Parler, due to widespread anti-semitism, and in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Muslims continue to face eviction from their homes. Our recommended read of the day is from BBC News Europe on French President Emmanuel Macron’s new “charter of republican values” and its impact on French Muslims. This and more below:
France
France's Macron issues 'republican values' ultimatum to Muslim leaders
French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Muslim leaders to accept a "charter of republican values" as part of a broad clampdown on radical Islam. On Wednesday he gave the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) a 15-day ultimatum to accept the charter. The CFCM has agreed to create a National Council of Imams, which will reportedly issue imams with official accreditation which could be withdrawn. read the complete article
An Elite School Offered These Muslim Students a New Life. Why Are They Still Trapped?
Yosra is a 17-year-old who should have the world at her fingertips. Driven and academically gifted, this year she achieved her lifelong dream of graduating high school with the highest honors and being admitted to one of France’s most prestigious universities. But even after reaching her goal, she feels alienated. read the complete article
United States
An Open Response to David Horowitz’s Threat To Sue Me and the Colorado Times Recorder
As a progressive political reporter in Colorado, I’ve written several stories in recent years about right-wing pundit David Horowitz, describing him in different contexts as anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, extremist, “hate leader,” and racist, and citing either his own words or the Southern Poverty Law Center’s research as support. read the complete article
Hate crimes targeting South Asians fueled by white supremacists: SAALT
With a total of 7,314 reported hate crime incidents, FBI’s 2019 Hate Crime Statistics Report shows a slight decrease from 2018, a leading community advocacy organization noted. “Yet we know that communities of color, LGBTQ folks, and people with disabilities continue to be targets of hate violence by white supremacist individuals and institutions,” the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said. read the complete article
END THE MUSLIM BAN ON DAY ONE, URGE MORE THAN 100 FAITH LEADERS
In a letter published on Thursday, a group of prominent faith leaders ask President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team to protect religious freedom. Signees include two former Obama administration officials: Melissa Rogers, who served during the Obama administration’s second term as director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Rabbi David Saperstein, who served as ambassador-at- large for the U.S. Department of State's Office of International Religious Freedom from 2015 to 2017. read the complete article
Bill Gates Dismisses Parler App, Says It's 'Great' for People Who Want Holocaust Denial
Bill Gates criticized the "free speech" social media platform Parler this week by saying it will be a "great" place for Holocaust deniers. The billionaire Microsoft co-founder said Tuesday that content uploaded to the up-and-coming platform includes "crazy stuff" and suggested that it would attract social media users who are too extreme for mainstream sites like Facebook or Twitter. Increasingly popular with right wing politicians, commentators and personalities, Parler is an Twitter-like app that claims not to censor the views of its users. read the complete article
International
Banning circumcision is an unnecessary bar to Jewish belonging in Europe
In a decade that has witnessed lethal attacks on Jews across Europe, thousands of incidents of physical and verbal harassment, and a torrent of anti-Semitic invective on social media, it is not surprising that many European Jews are questioning whether they have a future where they live. read the complete article
If Biden wants to crack down on forced labor in Xinjiang, he’s going to need help
The US has taken steps to address the situation under current president Donald Trump, sanctioning Chinese firms and drafting the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which would block certain goods made in Xinjiang from entering the country. The bill passed in the House in September but would still need passage in the Senate and Biden’s signature before it becomes law. read the complete article
European Muslims are already European
I’ve spent the better part of 20 years researching Muslim European communities. What I’ve found offers great ground for optimism — but also much cause for concern in terms of how they’ve often been engaged with. First, the optimism. If the supposition is that there are no efforts at indigenization within Europe’s Muslim community, I have good news. Efforts exist, and they’ve been created from the ground up. read the complete article
Elite Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians amid a culture of 'blood lust,' report alleges
Australian elite forces allegedly killed 39 Afghans civilians and prisoners unlawfully in an environment where "blood lust" and "competition killings" were reportedly a norm, according to a long-awaited official report. Speaking Thursday, chief of the Australian Defense Force Gen. Angus Campbell said there had been a "warrior culture" among some members of Australia's special forces serving in Afghanistan. read the complete article
Indian-administered Kashmir
Why are Kashmiri Muslim nomads being evicted?
Last month, Mohammad Ashraf received a notice from the local forest department office saying he and his six elder brothers are living on forest land illegally. The notice, Ashraf said, told them they had 10 days to respond, failing which their eviction process will begin. read the complete article
Austria
Xinjiang and Kristallnacht in Austria: Freedom of Religion Under Threat
Austrian commemoration of the Nazi atrocities appears empty and superficial not only given the lack of historical reckoning, but also considering the rise of anti-Muslim discourse and legislation in recent years. Nothing reveals the resurrection of racism better than the repetition of an antisemitic slogan from the father of political antisemitism and inspiration of Adolf Hitler, Karl Lueger, who famously said, “Vienna shall not become Jerusalem.” Nearly one hundred years later in 2005 the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) declared, “Vienna shall not become Istanbul.” The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has since coopted the FPÖ’s platform and introduced anti-Muslim legislation, including the Hijab-ban in schools and the 2015 discriminatory “Islam Act” governing Muslim religious organizations. read the complete article