News: North America – Page 63

Ex-Drexel student whose Facebook posts wished ‘death to all Americans’ will be deported for ties to Yemeni rebels Gaafar al-Wazer was suspended from an English-language program at Drexel after staff became concerned about Facebook posts showing him carrying an AK-47 and wishing 'death to all Americans.'

April 8, 2021 Jeremy Roebuck

(Philadelphia Inquirer) A former Drexel University student jailed since 2019 for lying about his contact with anti-American insurgents in Yemen will be released from custody and immediately deported under a deal approved Thursday by a federal judge in Philadelphia. FBI agents arrested […]

Activist’s deportation case adds to increased calls for oversight of border services Abdelrahman Elmady says he was deemed a security threat over his ties to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

April 8, 2021 Ethan Sawyer

(CBC) An Egyptian human rights activist is fighting to stay in Vancouver, saying the political affiliations that forced him to seek asylum in Canada are now being used to justify his deportation. In 2011, Abdelrahman Elmady joined other Egyptians in an uprising against the […]

Muslim civil rights group sues Facebook over hate speech

April 8, 2021 Barbara Ortutay

(AP) A civil rights group is suing Facebook and its executives, saying CEO Mark Zuckerberg made “false and deceptive” statements to Congress when he said the giant social network removes hate speech and other material that violates its rules. The lawsuit, filed […]

Muslim advocacy group calls on Valve to drop Six Days in Fallujah from Steam The Council on American-Islamic Relations described the game as an 'Arab murder simulator.'

April 7, 2021 Andy Chalk

(PC Gamer) The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington DC-based civil rights and advocacy group for Muslims, is asking Valve, Microsoft, and Sony to refuse to distribute Six Days in Fallujah, an upcoming tactical FPS based on the Second Battle of Fallujah, […]

Quebec’s adoption of Bill 21 singled out in report from Amnesty International The annual report is also critical of Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people, citing the case of Joyce Echaquan, and the country’s pandemic response.

April 7, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Montreal Gazette) Amnesty International is condemning Canada’s record on its treatment of First Nations peoples and minority rights and has singled out Quebec for the adoption of Bill 21. The human rights organization’s criticisms were contained in its annual report made public […]

McCarthy asks FBI, CIA for briefing after two men on terror watchlist stopped at border

April 7, 2021 Dominick Mastrangelo

(Hill) House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is asking the FBI and CIA for a classified briefing with other top lawmakers following reports that two people on the … FBI’s terror watchlist were apprehended after crossing the southern border with Mexico. “This […]

State lawyer fired for anti-Islam tweets files speech suit

April 6, 2021 Brian Flood

(Bloomberg) An attorney alleges the Tennessee Supreme Court’s board of professional responsibility unlawfully fired him for posting tweets that an opposing party said displayed anti-Muslim bias, arguing his social media posts were constitutionally protected political speech similar to that of former president […]

Allen ISD addresses allegations of anti-Palestinian assignment questions, district says curriculum change was made

April 6, 2021 Garrett Gravley

(Allen American) Allen ISD is in the process of addressing and “looking for potential resolutions” to allegations that the district’s curriculum included anti-Palestinian assignment questions, the district confirmed Monday. These allegations were first made in a Feb. 23 blog post by the […]

Buffalo Public Schools to begin pilot program for halal meals at eight schools in September

April 6, 2021 Anthony Reyes

(WKBW) Dr. Will Keresztes, Buffalo Public Schools chief of intergovernmental affairs, planning, and community engagement, announced a pilot program to bring halal meals to eight schools will begin in September. The announcement was made during the Buffalo Common Council Education Committee meeting […]

Judge deciding whether to free Knox man accused of helping ISIS recruit fighters

April 5, 2021 Jamie Satterfield

(Knoxville News Sentinel) A federal magistrate judge on Monday withheld an immediate ruling on the fate of a 31-year-old Knoxville man accused of serving as an interpreter and media representative for ISIS. Benjamin Alan Carpenter, who also uses the name Abu Hamza, […]

U.S. arrested two Yemenis on terror watchlist who tried to cross border from Mexico

April 5, 2021 Ted Hesson and Mark Hosenball

(Reuters) U.S. border agents in recent months arrested two Yemeni men on a terror watchlist in separate incidents as they crossed the border with Mexico illegally, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Monday. The men, arrested in January and March near […]

Rep. Murphy facing criticism over deleted tweet in response to Muslim congresswoman

April 4, 2021 Unlisted Author

(WITN) An eastern Carolina congressman is facing criticism after tagging a Muslim congresswoman in a now-deleted tweet invoking the September 11th terror attacks. Following Friday’s Capitol grounds attack that saw a police officer killed, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota tweeted her condolences […]

US shuts once-secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners

April 4, 2021 Unlisted Author

(AP) A once-secret unit within the Guantanamo Bay detention center that had fallen into disrepair has been closed and the prisoners moved to another facility on the American base in Cuba, the U.S. military said Sunday. The prisoners at Camp 7 were […]

Webber Academy asks judge to overturn Muslim prayer order

April 1, 2021 Kevin Martin

(Calgary Herald) Ordering a private Calgary school to allow Muslim students to pray on campus negatively affected the non-denominational principle that attracted parents and teachers to the institution, a lawyer argued Thursday. David Corry, who represents Webber Academy, said Justice Richard Neufeld […]

Sister of Alabama ISIS bride Hoda Muthana arrested with husband while allegedly trying to join terrorists

April 1, 2021 Carol Robinson and Jeremy Gray

(AL.com) The 29-year-old sister of a Hoover woman who left her family to join ISIS in 2014 was arrested Wednesday in New Jersey as she and her husband prepared to board a cargo ship to go and fight for the terrorist group, […]

CAIR demands changes after Muslim woman was deprived of head covering in Santa Clara County jail Woman said deputies forcibly took her hijab and that she had to resort to substituting with a sweater then a shirt after she didn’t get it back

April 1, 2021 Robert Salonga

(Mercury News) One of the region’s preeminent Muslim rights groups is demanding immediate policy and training changes based on a woman’s account that her hijab was forcibly removed while she was booked into a Santa Clara County jail, prompting her to resort […]

Prosecutors seek life term for would-be NYC suicide bomber

April 1, 2021 Tom Hays

(AP) A Bangladeshi immigrant who set off a pipe bomb attached to his chest in New York City’s busiest subway station should spend the rest of his life behind bars for a “premeditated and vicious” terror attack committed on behalf of Islamic […]

Ontario woman facing terror-related charges granted bail Haleema Mustafa and Ikar Mao awaiting June trial on 2 terror-related charges

March 31, 2021 Katie Nicholson

(CBC) An Ontario woman facing terror-related charges with her husband after they allegedly tried to cross the Turkish border to Syria two years ago has been granted bail. Haleema Mustafa, 23, appeared Wednesday morning via Zoom in Ontario Superior Court in Brampton from […]

Appeals court upholds constitutionality of terror watchlist

March 30, 2021 Matthew Barakat

(AP) A federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a challenge to the constitutionality of the government’s terrorist watchlist, ruling that the government deserves wide latitude in establishing programs designed to protect national security. A group of two dozen Muslim plaintiffs sued in […]

Biden nominates New Jerseyan as first Muslim American to serve as a U.S. District Court judge

March 30, 2021 Jonathan D. Salant

(NJ.com) President Joe Biden, making his first picks for the federal bench, announced Tuesday he would nominate Zahid Quraishi for the U.S. District Court. If confirmed, Quraishi will be the first Muslim American to serve as a federal district judge. Quraishi, a […]

Religious advocacy group files suit against Wendy’s

March 29, 2021 Jake Draugelis

(WILX) One of the nation’s largest advocacy groups for religious civil rights has filed complaints with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) against Wendy’s. The complaint involves the alleged treatment of two customers by one of the fast food chain’s store […]

Woman who testified in Surrey imam’s sex assault trial gets award for bravery The woman spent six weeks on the stand being cross-examined before imam was convicted

March 29, 2021 Eva Uguen-Csenge

(CBC) A woman who testified in a sexual assault trial that ended with the conviction of a Surrey imam is being recognized with an award for her bravery. The woman, whose identity is protected by a B.C. Supreme Court order, spent six weeks […]

Defense contractor pleads guilty to sharing classified info

March 26, 2021 Eric Tucker

(AP) A woman who worked as a contract linguist for the U.S. military in Iraq pleaded guilty Friday to sharing classified information with a romantic interest linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Mariam Taha Thompson was arrested last year in an […]

It’s ‘absolutely essential’ Canada repatriate citizens in Syrian camps: Antonio Guterres People should have the possibility to voluntarily go back to their countries of origin, says UN chief

March 26, 2021 Peter Zimonjic, Rosemary Barton and Philip Ling

(CBC) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says it’s “absolutely essential” countries such as Canada repatriate Canadian women and children currently being held in prison camps in Syria. Guterres made the remarks to chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton when asked if the Liberal government’s […]

Failed subway bomber seeks 35 years in prison, not life

March 25, 2021 Larry Neumeister

(AP) A Bangladeshi immigrant who set off a pipe bomb attached to his chest in New York City’s busiest subway station should face no more than the 35-year mandatory prison sentence for his crime because his attack was an aberration from an […]

Baltimore County schools remove Islamophobic image from math curriculum

March 25, 2021 Lillian Reed

(Baltimore Sun) Baltimore County public school leaders have removed an image depicting a negative stereotype of people who practice Islam from the school system’s online math curriculum. The lesson in question centered on a mathematical concept called radical expressions. An image featuring […]

Muslim groups mourn and raise money for Colorado shooting victims As further details about the suspect began to emerge, many expressed concern and fear over ramped-up Islamophobia.

March 24, 2021 Alejandra Molina

(Religion News) Muslim organizations are mourning and raising money for the 10 people killed in the mass shooting on Monday (March 22) at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. The Colorado Muslim Leadership Council on Tuesday released a statement in solidarity […]

Atlantic City will serve halal food at several schools

March 24, 2021 Claire Lowe

(Press of Atlantic City) The city’s school district will begin serving halal food five days a week at several elementary schools and the high school, Superintendent Barry Caldwell said Tuesday. “We’ve heard the community,” Caldwell said at the start of Tuesday’s regular […]

Sacramento man Omar Ameen is accused of being a terrorist. New evidence could cast doubt on the case

March 24, 2021 David Manoucheri

(KCRA) It was a headline few could forget: A leader of the Islamic State group found in Sacramento. The Iraqi government wanted Omar Ameen arrested and extradited immediately to face trial for murder. That push for hurried extradition, though, turned into a […]

Canada shirking responsibility for families of ISIS militants in detention camps: Syrian Kurdish official Kurdish authorities say one camp has Canadian woman with 2 sick children

March 23, 2021 Margaret Evans

(CBC) Kurdish authorities responsible for the prisons and detention camps holding ISIS militants and their family members in northern Syria have accused Canada of shirking its responsibility by failing to bring Canadian women and children home, despite offers of assistance. “Let’s leave […]

Ilhan Omar decries whiteness of Atlanta shooter, then vilifies focus on race of Boulder shooter

March 23, 2021 Tristan Justice

(Federalist) Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar complained Tuesday after the identity of the Boulder, Colorado, shooting suspect was revealed to be a 21-year-old Middle Eastern Muslim that people only raise focus on race when the accused is not white. “The shooter’s race […]

Boulder mass shooting suspect identified, charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder Police identified the suspect as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, a 21-year-old from Arvada, Colo.

March 23, 2021 Stephanie Pagones

(Fox) Boulder, Colo., police officials updated the public regarding Monday’s mass shooting at the King Soopers grocery store that left 10 people dead, including the first police officer to arrive on the scene, revealing they have charged the suspect with 10 counts […]

Court could reimpose Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence

March 22, 2021 Mark Sherman

(AP) The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, presenting President Joe Biden with an early test of his opposition to capital punishment. The justices agreed to hear an appeal filed by […]

‘United States of Al’ blasted for handling of Afghan character Reza Aslan defends CBS sitcom: 'You can’t judge a show by a 30 second trailer'

March 21, 2021 Dino-Ray Ramos

(Deadline) Earlier this month, CBS released the first trailer for Chuck Lorre’s upcoming comedy United States of Al, which is set to debut on April 1. What should have been a delightful, fun look at the new sitcom turned into a backlash against […]

Some U.S. Muslim groups try to spread the word that getting a Covid shot won’t break the Ramadan fast

March 21, 2021 Campbell Robertson

(NY Times) With Ramadan less than a month away, some Muslim organizations in the United States have begun addressing a critical question: whether the dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast prohibits Muslims from receiving vaccine injections during daylight hours. The executive director of the Islamic […]

Miami imam calls Catholics ‘idol worshippers’ and Jews ‘brothers of apes and pigs’ in sermon

March 18, 2021 Andrew Jose

(Daily Caller) A Miami imam attacked the Catholic Church and called Jews “the offspring of apes and pigs,” a research institute reported Thursday. Dr. Fadi Yousef Kablawi, imam of the North Miami Islamic Center, also attacked the Kurds in a now-deleted sermon […]

American-born ISIS bride tells how her son was made to eat grass for dinner (LINK ONLY)

March 18, 2021 EoI News

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Canadian mothers in ISIS detention camp fear their children are being judged on the actions of their parents Women worry their kids have little hope for life beyond confines of the camp

March 18, 2021 Margaret Evans

(CBC) They are four young women you might meet in any average Canadian setting: at a university lecture, in an elevator at work or picking their kids up from school. But they’re also being held in a detention camp for the families […]

US officials reject claims terrorists trying to enter from Mexico

March 17, 2021 Jeff Seldin

(VOA) U.S. homeland security officials are pushing back against claims that known and suspected terrorists are trying to sneak into the country from Mexico, calling such incidents “very uncommon.” Republican lawmakers have been sounding alarms about what they say is a growing […]

Four people matching terror watchlist arrested at border

March 16, 2021 Stef W. Kight

(Axios) The Customs and Border Protection agency confirmed to Congress today that four people arrested at the southern border since Oct. 1 match names on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database, a congressional aide briefed on the correspondence told Axios. Why it matters: […]

One Canadian child has been rescued from a Syrian detention camp, but what about all the others?

March 15, 2021 Paul Workman and Alexandra Mae Jones

(CTV) A four-year-old rescued from a detention camp in Syria is doing well at her new home in Canada, according to her Canadian aunt — but she keeps crying for her mother, who remains in Syria after allowing other relatives to take […]

Four-year-old Canadian girl rescued from Syrian detention camp, mother left behind

March 14, 2021 Paul Workman and Alexandra Mae Jones

(CTV) A little girl has been rescued from a detention camp in northeast Syria and is on her way to Canada, but her Canadian mother is not with her. The four-year-old girl, whose identity is being withheld, was rescued not through the […]

CSIS, RCMP modelling new security collaboration efforts on British lessons

March 14, 2021 Jim Bronskill

(Canadian Press) Canada’s national police and spy agencies, long under pressure to co-operate more effectively on security cases, are developing new ways to work together based on Britain’s recent responses to deadly terrorist attacks. Following the 2017 terrorist assaults in Manchester and […]

The debate over a proposed mosque in Naperville could span months if all 470 people signed up to speak do so

March 12, 2021 Suzanne Baker

(Naperville Sun) If each of the 470 people waiting to make a comment on the Islamic Center of Naperville’s mosque plans actually speaks, the Planning and Zoning Commission’s review of the project could require as many as nine more meetings. So far, the […]

What’s behind the ‘blended extremism’ surfacing today?

March 11, 2021 Johanna Markind

(Hill) Extremists used to be classified easily into discrete categories, but that is getting harder to do. Increasingly, extremists’ motivations seem cobbled together from different, even contradictory hatreds — including adherents of both white supremacism and radical Islam. Why this is happening […]

Pilot program would add halal-certified meals at some Buffalo schools

March 10, 2021 Deidre Williams

(Buffalo News) Buffalo Public Schools serves a growing population of about 5,000 Muslim students, many of whom follow strict, religious dietary guidelines. Some of them bring their own food to school, but if they don’t, they’re not eating all day long, say […]

Muslim casting agency sets out to authenticate representation in the film industry

March 9, 2021 Antonio Ferme

(Variety) While there are many Muslims active in Hollywood from Mahershala Ali to Riz Ahmed, who is drawing awards buzz for his role in “Sound of Metal,” Serena Rasoul thought they were among the few. Rasoul has launched Muslim American Casting and […]

‘Dehumanized’: Students at Calgary Islamic School demand action on racism, discrimination

March 9, 2021 Heide Pearson and Jill Croteau

(Global News) Dozens of Calgary students marched out of their school Tuesday to protest the injustices, racism and microaggressions they say their school administration isn’t doing enough to stop. Muna Bouh and Rahma Abdela are in high school at the Calgary Islamic […]

U.S. says visa applicants denied due to Trump ‘Muslim ban’ can reapply

March 8, 2021 Eric Beech

(Reuters) Most U.S. visa applicants who were denied because of former President Donald Trump’s travel ban on 13 mostly Muslim-majority and African countries can seek new decisions or submit new applications, the State Department said on Monday. President Joe Biden overturned Trump’s […]

Muslim candidate for Manhattan DA runs to give victims of system a ‘seat at the table’ ‘Tahanie is New York personified,’ said Aboushi’s friend Linda Sarsour. ‘She is kind, humble, but also unbought and unbossed.’

March 5, 2021 Zainab Iqbal

(Religion News) Tahanie Aboushi describes herself as “35, going on 50.” But friends disagree, calling her “bold” and “hilarious.” To survive the next four months, the civil rights attorney likely will need answer both those descriptions, and then some: Aboushi is one […]