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Islamophobia

On Contact: Islamophobia, Race And Global Politics

Islamophobia is not defined solely as anti-Muslim sentiment. It is not limited to hate speech and hate crimes, racial stereotypes, or discrimination against Muslim men and women. Islamophobia, in its most pernicious and deadly form, is embodied in the wars waged by the United States in the Muslim world, as well as the laws and internal security structures that turn Muslims in the United States into “the other.” These laws include the criminalization of migrants, allowing Americans to justify the violent and illegal treatment of the undocumented, and the wholesale surveillance of Muslim communities. It includes the crippling sanctions imposed by the United States on countries such as Iraq and Iran. It includes the numerous military bases and occupation forces in Muslim countries.

‘No Social Backlash To Anyone That Holds Islamophobic Views’

Paris, France - In March, a French woman wearing the hijab applied for a job at a lingerie shop, Etam, in the southern city of Montpellier. The woman, Oumaima, claimed her application was rejected because the manager told her veiled women would not be accepted.  In a video posted on Twitter that has been viewed more than 240,000 times, Oumaima said she was a victim of racism and called for a boycott of the brand as she explained "how difficult it is to live, study, and work with a hijab in France". Etam reacted quickly, issuing a statement on the same day saying the incident "does not reflect its values".

The Christchurch Shooting And The Normalization Of Anti-Muslim Terrorism

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND — What is without question the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history took place on Friday when shooters, 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant among them, opened fire at two Christchurch mosques. Four, including Tarrant, have been arrested for the heinous act, which claimed at least 49 innocent lives. Tarrant was responsible for killing more than 40 victims, among them several children, in a rampage he live-streamed on Facebook, sending chills throughout the Muslim community, particularly Muslims living in Western countries.

Filipino Muslim Rights Activist Denied Entry To US

A Filipino Muslim activist has been denied entry into the United States and is believed to be held at San Francisco International Airport, a human rights group in the Philippines reported. The Sandugo-Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination, a group based in Mindanao, said Jerome Aladdin Succor Aba has been in the airport's holding facility since his arrival on April 17. It was believed that Aba, chairman of the group Suara Bangsamoro, was detained by American immigration officials over "visa problems." The activist was supposed to speak before religious and U.S. government officials, including members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Aba was also scheduled to speak on the human rights situation in the Philippines at the National Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice in Washington D.C. on April 20-23.

The Campaign To Exterminate Muslims

The Israeli army’s wanton slaughter of unarmed Palestinians trapped behind the security barriers in Gaza evokes little outrage and condemnation within the United States because we have been indoctrinated into dehumanizing Muslims. Islam is condemned as barbaric and equated with terrorism. The resistance struggle against foreign occupation, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or Gaza, sees Muslims demonized as the enemy. Muslims are branded as irrational and inclined to violence and terrorism by their religious beliefs. We attack them not for what they do but because we see them as being different from us. We must eradicate them to save ourselves. And thus we perpetuate the very hatred and counterviolence, or terrorism, that we fear.

Dulles And BWI Overwhelmed With Protests Against ‘Muslim Ban’

By John Zangas and Anne Meador for DC Media Group - Spontaneous demonstrations popped up at airports across the country after President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning nationals from Muslim-majority countries. Immigration advocacy groups slammed the move as xenophobic and Islamophobic. The sweeping order applies to nationals of seven countries, including, Lybia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen, whether they have green cards, visas or hold dual citizenship with the U.S. Issued late on Friday afternoon, the executive order caught many travelers by surprise, stranding them at international airports and making those arriving in the U.S. subject to detention and deportation.

Mayors And Activists Revolt Against Trump’s “Muslim Ban” Executive Order

By John Knefel for Truthout - Ever since November 8, 2016, when Donald Trump was elected, Thania Hussain has gone to nearly every protest organized in New York City. Wednesday night in Washington Square Park was no different. Hussain, an undergraduate student at Fordham University, was one of thousands of people who came to take part in a protest organized by Muslim groups in response to President Donald Trump's proposed de facto ban on Muslims entering the United States. "Every time I come out [to protests] I see the same sentiments," Hussain told me in an interview following the event. "Everyone wants social justice and equality for all. People don't care if you have a headscarf. It's wonderful."

Obama Dismantles Framework Targeting Muslims And Iranians

By Staff of NIAC Action - Washington, DC – NIAC Action applauds the Obama Administration’s decision to officially terminate the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), the post-9/11 program that tracked and discriminated against immigrants from predominately Muslim nations, including Iran. “This is a major victory for communities who fear they will be targeted in the Trump era,” said NIAC Action Executive Director Jamal Abdi. “Dismantling the NSEERS framework ensures that Donald Trump will not inherit a nascent program to track and register immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.”

Muslims Waste No Time Building Opposition To Trump’s Proposed Registry

By Sarah Aziza for Waging Nonviolence - With just over a month to go before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Muslim activists are working to block the president-elect’s long-standing pledge to crack down on their community. Trump has proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States, voiced his support for the surveillance of mosques and has indicated he will create a nationwide registry of Muslim individuals. On Monday, 200 Muslims and allies in Washington, D.C. marched from the Department of Justice to the White House, bearing signs reading “No Muslim Registry, Not Now, Not Ever” and “End the War on Islam,”...

Civil Rights Groups To Obama: Dismantle ‘Muslim Registry’ Now

By Anne Meador for DC Media Group - About 150 people marched to the White House today to ask President Obama to rescind a program dormant since 2011. The program, which registered foreigners from mostly Muslim countries, was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and used to deport thousands of people. The protesters are concerned about the potential for President-elect Trump to use the program, called the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), to register and deport Muslims. The demonstration, organized by MoveOn.org, Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM), the ACLU and many others, comes soon before President-elect Doanld Trump takes office.

Judge Calls For Additional Safeguards In NYPD Surveillance Rules

BY Staff of ACLU - NEW YORK - In a legal challenge to the New York City Police Department’s surveillance of American Muslims, a federal judge issued a ruling calling for alterations to a landmark lawsuit settlement as a condition of approving the settlement. The alterations proposed by the judge would further strengthen the settlement’s ability to protect New York Muslims and others from discriminatory and unjustified surveillance.

France Burkini: Highest Court Suspends Ban

By Staff of BBC News - The ban in Villeneuve-Loubet "seriously and clearly illegally breached fundamental freedoms", it found. The ruling could set a precedent for up to 30 other towns that imposed bans on their beaches, chiefly on the Riviera. At least three mayors have already said they will keep the bans in their towns. The court will make a final decision later on the bans' legality.

French Threaten Lawsuits For Images Of Police Harassing Muslim Women

By Staff of teleSUR - Responding to the international outrage over photos of French armed police forcing Muslim women to remove their clothes on a Mediterranean beach, one French official threatened Wednesday to sue whoever dares to share such photos on social media. “Photos showing police officers from the city of Nice, doing their job, are spreading on social media since this morning and have sparked defamatory language and threats against these officers,” said Nice’s right-wing Vice Mayor Christian Estrosi.

Queens Imam And His Assistant Shot To Death By Gunman In Attack

By Dale Eisinger et al for NY Daily News - A lone gunman executed a revered Queens imam and his friend as the pair walked home from Saturday prayers, blasting each in the back of the head without a word, officials said. Mosque leader Maulama Akonjee and friend Thara Uddin were dressed in Muslim garb when the killer “approached from behind and shot” from point-blank range, said NYPD Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the Queens South Detective Bureau.

Islamophobia Industry Spent $206M Building Hatred In US

By Kit O'Connell for Mint Press News - AUSTIN, Texas — Islamophobia is more profitable than ever in America, but a new report from a leading Muslim civil rights organization offers a new strategy to take the national conversation back from the proprietors of hate. Thirty-three key organizations promoting anti-Muslim sentiment had access to a combined budget of $205,838,077 between 2008 and 2013, according to “Confronting Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the U.S. 2013-2015,”
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