Government & Politics

Tim Walz makes direct appeal to conflicted Muslim voters Democrats are stepping up their outreach to Muslim and Arab voters, who could be critical in battleground states like Michigan but are concerned about U.S. support for Israel.

(NBC) Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz addressed a Democratic Muslim voter group Thursday night as the Harris campaign works to engage a group of voters who threaten to defect in large numbers over the Biden administration’s handling of the deteriorating situation in […]

Clerics & Preachers

Leading US imams and scholars urge Muslim voters to snub Kamala Harris over Gaza Dozens of Muslim scholars and faith leaders unite to send a powerful message to the Democrats

(Middle East Eye) A group of leading Muslim American scholars and imams have signed a letter calling on Muslim voters to spurn Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election over US support for Israel’s war on Gaza. […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Government considers new definition of Islamophobia over fears for UK equality laws Faith Minister Lord Khan concerned free speech may be impinged by current interpretation

(National-UAE) The UK’s Labour government could change its proposed definition of Islamophobia over concerns it is “not in line” with equality laws and may impinge on free speech. The party is under pressure to publish its definition of Islamophobia in an effort […]

Government & Politics

CAIR, which blamed Israel for being attacked on Oct. 7, calls for Lipstadt to be fired for beeper ‘joke’ The U.S. envoy on fighting Jew-hatred said at the Israeli-American Council summit that the attack on Hezbollah beepers proves that Israel isn't weak.

(JNS) The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which blamed the Jewish state for being attacked on Oct. 7 and which the White House removed from its national strategy on Jew-hatred, called on Sunday for the Biden administration to fire Deborah Lipstadt as U.S. […]

Government & Politics

New York eatery spreads Netanyahu photo on floor for customers to step on Palestinian-American shawarma joint introduces 'floor of shame' of images of prominent world leaders, with owner asking patrons to step on them to receive service

(Ynet) Popular Palestinian shawarma restaurant King of Falafel and Shawarma located in New York is asking diners to step on a picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they enter. The eatery’s owner placed images of political leaders including Netanyahu and U.S. […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

UK government urged to overhaul Prevent and counter-extremism policies Letter from civil society groups also calls on Labour to suspend Michael Gove's proposed definition of extremism

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of leading civil society organisations has urged the UK Labour government to overhaul counter-extremism policies including the controversial Prevent programme, Middle East Eye can exclusively report. In a letter sent to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the organisations also […]

Government & Politics

Mayor of Muslim-majority Michigan city endorses Trump: ‘Right choice for this critical time’ Mayor Ghalib met with former President Trump in Flint earlier this week for a private 20-minute conversation

(Fox) The mayor of a Muslim-majority city in Michigan says he is endorsing Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, calling the former commander-in-chief “the right choice for this critical time.” Amer Ghalib, mayor of the Detroit-area suburb Hamtramck, announced his endorsement […]

Clerics & Preachers

Albania is planning a new Muslim state inside its capital Prime Minister Edi Rama says he wants to give members of the Bektashi, a Shiite Sufi order, their own Vatican-style enclave as a way of promoting religious tolerance.

(NY Times) The Muslim cleric preparing to lead what, if everything goes as planned, will become the world’s smallest state, has laid-back plans for the tiny new country. His hoped-for Muslim state in Tirana, Albania’s capital, will be a Vatican-style sovereign enclave […]

Government & Politics

US: Muslim groups urge voters to back Jill Stein, Cornel West or other pro-Palestine candidates While only a minor voting bloc, Muslims say endorsements show[ing] their anger over bipartisan support for Israel could sway the election

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of Muslim-American groups angry at US support for Israel’s devastating war on Gaza is asking Muslim voters to shun Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris in November’s presidential race and back either Jill Stein, Cornel West or other pro-Palestine […]

Crime

GOP senator tells Arab American witness at hate crimes hearing to ‘hide your head in a bag’ Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana also repeatedly suggested the witness, a leading Arab American activist, supports Hamas even as she repeatedly denied it.

(NBC) Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., repeatedly suggested a leading Arab American activist is a Hamas supporter when she testified Tuesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes, and he told her she should hide her “head in a bag.” The […]