Umar A. Farooq

Ron DeSantis: Republican rising star alarms Muslim, Palestinian communities As the Florida governor positions himself for a possible presidential bid, activists and organisers say DeSantis reminds them of bigoted rhetoric birthed in US-led 'war on terror'

December 5, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) In 2006, then-Navy officer Ron DeSantis was an appointed attorney supporting the US military’s mission at Guantanamo Bay. Not much is officially known about his months-long stint at the prison, which at its peak held nearly 800 Muslim men […]

Holy Land Five: Rights groups, families demand release over ‘miscarriage of justice’ Advocacy groups launch awareness campaign marking 14 years since the conviction of the Holy Land Five

November 24, 2022 Azad Essa and Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of advocacy groups have called for the release of the Holy Land Five, a group of Palestinian-American men who were convicted of funding terrorism in a case civil liberties groups say highlights the disproportionate targeting of Muslim charities […]

Holy Land Five: Palestinian released, deported to Turkey after more than decade in US prison Mohammad el-Mezain was held in ICE custody for nearly a year after completing his prison sentence

July 1, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Mohammad el-Mezain, a Palestinian resident in the US, was released from detention and subsequently deported to Turkey after serving more than a decade in an American prison, following a controversial case in which he and others involved in a […]

Former Guantanamo detainee explains why he’s suing Canada Mohamedou Ould Slahi is suing the Canadian government for $28m over its alleged role in wrongly sending him to Guantanamo Bay

May 27, 2022 Mohamed Hashem and Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Mohamedou Ould Slahi hoped his release from Guantanamo in 2016 would mark a new stage in his life, one where he could finally live freely after decades of imprisonment and torture. But years later, without a passport and the ability to […]

Muslim inmate sues US jail for denying halal, timely meals during Ramadan Norman Simmonds was denied a halal diet because the jail could not 'confirm the devoutness of his beliefs,' according to lawsuit filed with help of Cair-Georgia

April 19, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) A Muslim prisoner in the US state of Georgia has filed a lawsuit challenging his detention facility’s refusal to provide him halal meals during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations […]

US: Justice Department urged to probe anti-Muslim group’s alleged spying More than 80 groups call on US government to determine whether the Investigative Project on Terrorism violated any federal laws in an alleged espionage campaign

February 1, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) More than 80 Muslim organisations, including rights groups, mosques and charities, have sent a letter to the US Department of Justice, calling on the administration to launch an investigation into whether an anti-Muslim group violated federal laws by allegedly […]

‘War on terror’: US protesters urge release for Pakistani woman Aafia Siddiqui Protesters call for the release of the Pakistani neurosurgeon serving 86 years in prison for the attempted murder of US officials

October 20, 2021 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Dozens of protesters stood outside Pakistan’s consulate in New York City on Wednesday, calling for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who is currently serving 86 years in prison in what civil liberties groups and activists say was […]

Biden urged to appoint envoy to counter Islamophobia ‘epidemic’ The US Council of Muslim Organisations is urging the Biden administration to create an office to monitor and combat anti-Muslim attacks

May 7, 2021 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of Muslim organisations in the US is calling on the administration of President Joe Biden to create an envoy that would monitor and combat Islamophobia, which the groups say plays an interconnected threat to Muslims around the […]

US elections 2020: Muslims in state of Georgia mobilise for Senate runoff As early voting begins, the contest will have implications on issues of Islamophobia, police reform and systemic racism across US

December 14, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Ahead of the consequential US Senate race in Georgia next month, Muslim organisers and community members in the state are coming together to mobilise Muslims to vote for the upcoming election, which will decide which political party will have […]

Muslim Americans ran for office in record numbers in 2020 At least 170 Muslim candidates were on ballots this election cycle, running in 28 states and Washington, DC

December 2, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Muslim Americans ran for political office in record numbers this year, according to a report published on Wednesday by multiple organisations. Taking a step up on the ladder of political mobilisation, 170 Muslim candidates were on the ballot this […]

US Muslim student groups drop Emgage from voter mobilisation event Yale University's Muslim Student Association faced calls to drop Emgage and Farooq Mitha from its programming

October 23, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Muslim student groups at more than 30 US universities have dropped Emgage, a Muslim political advocacy group that has come under fierce criticism in recent weeks over its ties with pro-Israel groups, from an event aimed at mobilising young voters. The event, hosted […]

‘Palestinian self-determination not for sale’: Protesters in US rally against normalisation Hundreds gather outside the White House to condemn normalisation deals between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates

September 15, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) As US President Donald Trump brought together leaders from Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to sign deals to establish diplomatic relations, just outside of the White House, hundreds of Palestinians, civil rights and advocacy groups gathered in […]

Prominent American activist resigns from UAE peace forum over Israel statement Aisha al-Adawiya resigns from UAE's Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies citing a 'breach of trust'

August 24, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) A prominent Muslim American activist resigned from a UAE-based forum “promoting peace” and accused the organisation of a “breach of trust” after it issued a statement with her name attached to it endorsing normalisation with Israel. Aisha al-Adawiya, the founder of the […]

Influential Muslim scholar Hamza Yusuf criticised for backing UAE-Israel deal Academics say Yusuf's endorsement of the Israel-UAE deal is part of a long history of condoning the actions of the UAE government

August 21, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Hamza Yusuf, a prominent Muslim scholar based in the United States, is facing a deluge of criticism after publicly endorsing the United Arab Emirates’ decision to normalise ties with Israel — a move which has in large part been condemned […]

Meet Nabilah Islam, the Bangladeshi American trying to make Georgia progressive Endorsed by Ilhan Omar and AOC, Islam says she's not just trying to flip her district from red to blue, but from red to progressive

June 8, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Nabilah Islam says her family’s one of the lucky ones. As a teenager, her mother, a working-class immigrant from Noakhali, Bangladesh, literally broke her back while trying to hold down two jobs — flipping burgers at one and stacking […]

New name, same game: American Muslims vow to fight new ‘counter-terror’ initiative Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention programme is just an extension of CVE, advocacy groups say

June 5, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Ahmed Mohamed made headlines five years ago when he brought a homemade clock to his US public high school. A robotics enthusiast, Mohamed loved engineering and had dreams of studying at the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Still, when […]

‘We see this as our responsibility’: Muslims fundraise for Americans impacted by coronavirus Several organisations have begun distributing groceries and money to families financially impacted by coronavirus

March 20, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) The coronavirus pandemic has devastated global financial markets and sent shockwaves through the US economy with analysts expecting massive job losses in the coming months. According to a recent poll, a staggering 18 percent of American households reported either being laid off or […]

‘A show of force’: Muslim-Americans plan to get the vote out on Super Tuesday Muslim groups say the faithful, despite being small in numbers, could be crucial in some voting states

March 3, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Data on Muslim-American voters is scarce and their voting patterns have hardly been studied, but according to a leading political action group, the Muslim vote could make a major difference on Super Tuesday. Voters in 14 US states and […]

Meet the progressive Democrat running for Congress in the heart of Arab America Solomon Rajput, a medical student and congressional hopeful, is seeking to take down one of the longest-standing political dynasties in the US

February 18, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Congressional hopeful Solomon Rajput says his early morning commute to school, more than 20 years ago, left an indelible mark on his political outlook. Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a school bus would pick him up from his […]

‘We want our voices heard’: Muslims in Maryland showcase power of door-to-door lobbying Scores of Muslims from across Maryland converge on state capital and find some lawmakers willing to listen

February 12, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) The energy was palpable at Maryland’s House of Delegates late Monday, as members of the Muslim community hurried through the building’s hallways and knocked on doors, trying to lobby politicians on key bills and issues under consideration in the […]

Can Muslims become strong voice in American politics? Muslim-American organisers want to build on political momentum gained over past three years

January 2, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Muslims say they can either make or break President Donald Trump’s bid for re-election in 2020. The young and politically visible community says it has all the tools at its disposal to turn the almost 3.5 million Muslims in the United States into a powerful […]

‘Foolish’: Muslim convention criticised for hosting anti-Palestinian politician Attendees criticise decision to host Ontario Premier Doug Ford whose political party has been accused of Islamophobia

December 23, 2019 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Billed as one of the biggest Muslim events in North America, the Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) conference has attracted some high-profile names in recent years, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as Pakistan’s Imran Khan. So […]