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SearchToday in Islamophobia: The Proud Boys, a designated hate group known for espousinganti-Muslim rhetoric and links to white supremacy, were present at the Million MAGA march held in D.C. In the UK, the Labour leadership promises to take steps to tackle Islamophobia following a report released by the Labour Muslim Network that found more than one in four – 29% – Muslim member have directly experienced Islamophobia in the party. Nike and Coca-Cola are among the major companies and business groups lobbying Congress to weaken a bill that would ban imported goods made with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, and a Muslim rights organization in New Zealand calls out New Zealand’s security agencies as “institutionally racist and Islamophobic”. Our recommended read of the day is by Rana Ayyub for The Washington Post on how the hateful and anti-Muslim “love jihad” conspiracy in India is becoming increasingly mainstream. This and more below:
India
The hateful love ‘jihad’ conspiracy in India is going mainstream
In the year preceding the national elections in India in 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi rose to power, India witnessed a brutal episode of communal carnage in the state of Uttar Pradesh. More than 60 people were killed, women were gang-raped, and more than 50,000 people were displaced, a majority of them Muslims. The violence was triggered by false rumors of a “love jihad” — what Hindu nationalists say is an alleged plot by Muslim youths to woo and convert Hindu girls — and of Muslims consuming beef. These events, rather than hurting Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, were followed by his massive electoral victory. read the complete article
BBC's A Suitable Boy rankles 'love jihad' conspiracy theorists in India
When the BBC’s adaptation of Vikram’s Seth’s novel A Suitable Boy recently landed on Indian Netflix it did not take long for the fanfare to turn to controversy. The series, it was claimed by politicians from the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), had “hurt religious sentiments” of Hindus by depicting the lead character, a Hindu girl called Lata, passionately kissing a Muslim boy against the backdrop of a temple. read the complete article
What is behind India’s ‘love jihad’ legislation?
“Love jihad” is a term used by the political and religious right to describe an alleged phenomenon where Muslim men lure Hindu women, by hook or by crook, into marrying them and converting to Islam. Right-wing propagandists claim that this is an organised racket rooted in a widespread conspiracy. However, successive probes have failed to find any evidence that such a conspiracy exists and the central government has admitted that the term has no credible definition. read the complete article
United States
Column: Looking for right-wingers banned from Twitter? Check out Parler. Or better yet, don’t
Parler is fast becoming the online equivalent of a Trump rally, minus the COVID-19. It has become a home to the digitally homeless — those who have been kicked off Twitter for violating its rules against hate speech. The site, whose user base exploded after President Trump lost to Joe Biden, says it now has more than 10 million accounts. That’s peanuts compared with social media giants Twitter and Facebook, of course, but significant, particularly since right-wing heavyweights are promoting it as a censorship-free alternative to the others. read the complete article
How right-wing extremism moved into mainstream America
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a legal advocacy organization that aims to fight extremism, designates the Proud Boys as a hate group with anti-Muslim rhetoric, misogynistic views, a violent dogma and some links to white supremacy. But the group appeared to be among friends at the MAGA march, a pro-Donald Trump gathering held to support the president’s claims about election fraud. read the complete article
America, You Have an Islamophobia Problem
I am a Muslim American. Throughout my life, people have said that my faith makes them uncomfortable, told me to go back to my country and openly called me a terrorist. Growing up in Fairfax, Virginia, which is 70% white and predominantly Christian, I’ve become accustomed to being a minority in all spaces, with respect to both my religious and racial identities. I was only one of a handful of Muslim students in my high school graduating class, and the discrimination and alienation I faced forced me to constantly hide my identity from others. As I slowly abandoned my religious community, the Islamophobia I experienced and witnessed made me lose sight of what makes being a Muslim in the U.S. so special. read the complete article
United Kingdom
The tough reality of Islamobhobia in Cambridge
This November is Islamophobia awareness month which aims to tackle the prejudices that UK Muslims often endure. Some people lucky enough not to experience this abuse may think that Islamophobia is becoming a thing of the past. However, in March 2020, the Home Office reported that 50 per cent of religious hate crimes reported to the police between 2019 and 2020 were targeted against Muslims in England and Wales. That’s 3089 reported offences. read the complete article
Secretive licensing system allows UK weapons to reach ‘repressive regimes’
Most UK arms are being sold via a secretive and opaque licensing regime that allows for the mass transfer of deadly weapons to “sensitive locations”, according to new analysis. Researchers found tens of billions of pounds worth of missiles, bombs and machine guns had been sold under open licences, a mechanism that makes the tracking of arms sales more difficult. read the complete article
London Met first UK university to adopt working definition of Islamophobia
The decision is viewed as a step towards ensuring that higher education will better accommodate British Muslim students. London Metropolitan University yesterday became the first UK university to adopt the working definition of Islamophobia as developed by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims. The APPG recommended the adoption of the following definition: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness”. read the complete article
Labour leadership vows to tackle Islamophobia after meeting with LMN
Labour leader Keir Starmer, deputy leader Angela Rayner and general secretary David Evans have issued a statement promising to take steps to tackle Islamophobia after meeting with the Labour Muslim Network today. The party was urged to tackle Islamophobia within its own ranks when a new report was put together and released two weeks ago by the Labour Muslim Network to mark Islamophobia Awareness Month in November. read the complete article
UK-based couple threaten legal action over Muslim Pro data sharing
A London-based Muslim couple who used one of the world’s most popular Islamic prayer apps, Muslim Pro, have threatened legal action against the company after it was found that the app's user data had ended up with third parties, including defence contractors and the US military. Najah al-Mujahed and Baraa Shiban sent a legal letter threatening action over the misuse of their location data on Monday after hearing of the apparent abuse of privacy. read the complete article
The problem with Boris trying to 'save Christmas'
It is hard to describe the feelings of many Muslims across the north west that evening. Lots had already travelled to stay with relatives, arranged the food and made plans to see their families. The way the news broke at the last minute seemed incredibly insensitive and cruel. It dismissed one of the most important days of the Muslim calendar across the world and what it meant to families across the country. To rub salt in the wound, pubs, restaurants and other public places were allowed to stay open. We could still meet our families in a pub, just not in each other's garden. read the complete article
Germany
German far-right holds congress with COVID ‘hotspot potential’
Hundreds of AfD delegates will gather Saturday for a congress that authorities have warned could become a coronavirus hotspot, as the German far-right party increasingly aligns itself with activists protesting coronavirus restrictions. Six hundred members of the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant party are due to meet at an unused nuclear plant in western Germany’s Kalkar city to draw up their first concept on pensions. read the complete article
Indian-administered Kashmir
Kashmiris vote in local elections, first since autonomy revoked
The first phase of local civic elections has opened in Indian-administered Kashmir amid tight security, the first polls in the disputed region since New Delhi revoked its special status last year. Nearly six million voters across the disputed region’s 20 districts are eligible to elect 280 members of District Development Councils in a staggered eight-phase process that started on Saturday and ends on December 19. read the complete article
New Zealand
'Institutionally racist': New Zealand's security agencies were Islamophobic and ignored right-wing threat, says Muslim group
New Zealand's security agencies were "institutionally racist and Islamophobic" and ignored the rising threat of right-wing extremism because it was instead focused on Muslim terrorism, a Kiwi Islamic organisation says. The Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) today publicly released its submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15 terror attacks. It investigated how the New Zealand Intelligence Community [NZIC] didn't foresee the threat of right-wing extremism despite rising attacks overseas and the Muslim community here feeling increasingly unsafe. read the complete article
International
The silence of a coward: Why I no longer play the 'good Muslim’
In a book on the value and refusal of condemnation, my story will ultimately revolve around the angst of being ill-seen or, worse, not being seen at all. It is, then, ultimately a story of cowardice and I write this for those who, like me, are cowards. We must remember that it is only through fear that one learns to be brave. read the complete article
Nike and Coca-Cola Lobby Against Xinjiang Forced Labor Bill
Nike and Coca-Cola are among the major companies and business groups lobbying Congress to weaken a bill that would ban imported goods made with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, according to congressional staff members and other people familiar with the matter, as well as lobbying records that show vast spending on the legislation. read the complete article
Tory party's praise of Macron's ugly politics is shocking
The French president is in danger of turning into a Tory hero. The reason? His response to the recent atrocities in France. Macron's government unveiled a plan to close down the Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) - the largest organisation in France that monitors anti-Muslim hate crimes. read the complete article