Brooke Anderson

US Muslim organisations see bright future for community’s candidates Though there are no new Muslim faces in public office at the national level from the latest US midterms, organisers from Muslim groups expect that to change in the next decade.

November 12, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Looking at the long-term prospects of political leaders in their community, organisers with Muslim groups see a bright future for Muslim candidates. While this year’s midterms didn’t see the slew of wins for Muslims that the previous two elections did, […]

NGOs call for rejection of IHRA’s anti-Semitism definition in US county A coalition of NGOs are calling for the rejection of a resolution in Montgomery County in Maryland that could make criticism of Israel part of a definition of anti-Semitism, raising wider concerns over free speech.

November 1, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) On a rainy Monday evening at the Montgomery County Council in Maryland, located near Washington, DC, a group of NGOs held a press conference calling on the Council to reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, which would […]

Shia-Sunni communities hold joint press conference after Albuquerque Muslim killings Following days of tension in the US Muslim community following the killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque by a serial killer, a man was arrested on Tuesday in what appears to be murders by a Sunni motivated by anti-Shia hatred.

August 10, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Following the arrest of the main suspect in the killing of Muslim men in Albuquerque — an Afghan Sunni immigrant who allegedly murdered four Shia Muslims — the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a press conference Tuesday evening in […]

US rights groups warn against travel to UAE 'Our fear is that the UAE might be involved in extraordinary rendition,' Nihad [Awad], executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the New Arab.

July 25, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Rights groups in the United States are warning civil society activists against travelling or transiting through the United Arab Emirates after the detention of US civil rights attorney Asim Ghafoor. Ghafoor, a Virginia-based civil rights lawyer who represented murdered Washington […]

US state Maryland gives Muslim students the legal right to wear hijab in sport The Inclusive Attire Act, which took effect earlier this month, gives legal protection to student athletes of all faiths who choose to dress modestly or wear their religious coverings while participating in sports.

July 8, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) The US state of Maryland has passed a law that will protect the rights of hijab-wearing female athletes and others with faith-related head coverings to play sports, without concerns of exclusion. The bill, called the Inclusive Attire Act, which took […]

Biden’s low approval among US Muslim voters ‘a challenge’ for upcoming midterms With the US midterms approaching in November, Muslims' low approval ratings for the Biden administration and for Congress should be of concern for candidates.

July 7, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) If US President Joe Biden looks like he’s in trouble with the average voter in the United States, then there’s even worse news for him among Muslim voters. A new survey of US Muslim voters released Wednesday by the Council […]

CAIR launches ‘Get Out the Jokes’ comedy voter drive for US midterm elections CAIR launches 'Get Out the Jokes' comedy tour voter [drive] ahead of the 2022 US midterm elections.

June 15, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Getting people to go out and vote can be hard, especially in communities where people don’t feel like their voices are heard. Humour is one way to break the ice on serious topics, like politics. This month, the Council on […]

Rights groups warn of ‘real danger’ to Muslims, marginalised if Trump returns to Twitter Elon Musk has said he would like to reverse Trump's Twitter ban. What does this mean for Muslims and other vulnerable groups, who have been affected by inflammatory statements?

May 11, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) As many have expected since billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk was approved to buy Twitter last month, he has finally indicated that he will approve of the return of banned former president Donald Trump. This could leave Muslims and other marginalised […]

CAIR urges Georgetown University to probe student complaints of Islamophobia Following multiple student reports of a professor's Islamophobic remarks in the classroom, CAIR is calling on Georgetown University to investigate.

March 19, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on Georgetown University Law Center to look into student claims of Islamophobia by a law professor. In a letter to the law school this week, CAIR Maryland director Zainab Chaudry wrote that they […]

Minnesota school districts to [observe] Muslim Eid holidays for the first time this year With its small but vibrant Muslim community, Minnesota's schools have until now not observed Muslim holidays. That will change next school year.

March 1, 2022 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Even with its growing Muslim community, Minnesota’s district schools have until now not officially observed Muslim holidays. That will change starting next school year, when several school districts will recognise Eid El-Fitr and Eid El-Adha as official school holidays. “Muslims are […]

Why Virginia’s upcoming election is important for Arabs and Muslims In-depth: With a race that's too close to predict, every community plays an important role in the outcome.

October 31, 2021 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Anyone who thought America could relax for a while after the latest presidential election should take a look at Virginia. The streets and airwaves filled with adverts leave no doubt that a close and important vote is around the corner. […]

US rights group call[s] out Facebook on ‘anti-Muslim hate’ content Recent congressional testimony has once again highlighted what appears to be neglect by Facebook regarding the hosting of hate content on its pages.

October 12, 2021 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) After the congressional testimony by Facebook whistle-blower Frances Haugen about hate speech on the platform, a Muslim rights group in the US is calling for greater accountability of the social media giant. Facebook has come under fire for allegations that it has […]

‘Politics is power’: American Muslim groups ramp up voting drives ahead of upcoming general elections American Muslims are becoming an important voting bloc, but engagement needs to be an ongoing habit, not just for general elections, say advocates.

September 30, 2021 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) America’s general election was less than a year ago, but with local, state and midterm elections fast approaching, and with early voting already well underway, Muslim groups are wasting no time in getting their community out to vote. “We’re often […]

Muslim advocates share tips on teaching about 9/11 to Muslim students Educators can create a productive learning environment when teaching young Muslim students about 9/11, Muslim advocates say.

September 7, 2021 Brooke Anderson

(New Arab) Teaching children about the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US can be a sensitive topic — even more so when it comes to Muslim students, who can face intimidation and bullying related to the event. As we approach the […]