News: North America – Page 68

Supreme Court receptive to damages battle over no-fly list Forecasting a win for four men whom the FBI put on the no-fly list after they refused to spy on fellow Muslims, several U.S. Supreme Court justices saw an implication of private damages in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

October 6, 2020 Nick Rummell

(Courthouse News) Several justices with the U.S. Supreme Court hinted Tuesday that a law protecting religious freedoms includes a subtext that would allow individuals to sue government agents for money damages. In the underlying 2013 suit, Muhammad Tanvir accused FBI agents of violating […]

Support of US Muslims for Democrats down by 12% Majority of respondents in Council on American-Islamic Relations survey favor Biden over Trump

October 6, 2020 Beyza Binnur Donmez

(Anadolu) American Muslims’ support for the Democratic Party fell by 12% since 2018, while the Republican Party gained 2%, according to a survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Poll results released on Monday showed that Muslim voters who identify with […]

ISIS terrorists known as the ‘Beatles’ likely to be brought to U.S. in coming days Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, who are in U.S. military custody in Iraq, are accused of taking part in kidnappings of U.S. aid workers and reporters.

October 6, 2020 Anna Schecter and Courtney Kube

(NBC) Two of the British Islamic State terrorists dubbed the “Beatles,” accused of involvement in the murders of U.S. hostages in Syria, are likely to be brought to the United States in mid-October, according to two government officials. The men, Alexanda Kotey […]

9/11 conspirator imprisoned in Colorado’s Supermax sues Trump and top U.S. officials, alleging ‘cover up’ Zacarias Moussaoui is serving a life sentence at the federal Supermax prison in Florence

October 5, 2020 Shelly Bradbury

(Denver Post) A man who conspired with the 9/11 hijackers has filed lawsuits from his Colorado prison cell against President Donald Trump, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Attorney General William Barr and more than a dozen other people in […]

Canada repatriates orphaned girl from ISIS camp in Syria

October 5, 2020 Stewart Bell and Mercedes Stephenson

(Global News) Canadian officials removed an orphaned girl from an ISIS detention camp in northeastern Syria over the weekend, the government confirmed on Monday. The girl, known as Amira, is the first Canadian to be repatriated from Syrian camps for ISIS detainees. […]

Another judge steps away from stalled Guantanamo 9/11 trial

October 2, 2020 Ben Fox

(AP) Another military judge has stepped down from the Sept. 11 war crimes tribunal at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a further blow to an already long-stalled case. Marine Col. Stephen F. Keane said in an order issued Friday […]

RCMP reverses mask policy for bearded officers Prime minister said policy discriminated against officers who keep beards for religious reasons

October 1, 2020 Unlisted Author

(CBC) The RCMP has reversed its policy on mask-wearing after being accused of discrimination over the rule, which saw bearded Mounties — including Sikh and Muslim officers — reassigned to desk duty. The policy, which was condemned by both activists and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, required front-line officers to wear […]

Poll: Muslim American support for Trump rises, but most plan to vote for Biden

October 1, 2020 Yonat Shimron

(Religion News) Muslim support for President Donald Trump nearly doubled in 2020 compared with a year ago, with 30% of Muslims willing to vote for the president, a new poll shows. Muslim Americans are also more likely to report satisfaction with the […]

Trump plans to slash refugee admissions to US to record low

September 30, 2020 Julie Watson and Matthew Lee

(AP) The Trump administration has proposed further slashing the number of refugees the United States accepts to a new record low in the coming year. In a notice sent to Congress late Wednesday, just 34 minutes before a statutory deadline to do […]

Judge reserves her decision on bail bid by Calgary terrorism suspect

September 30, 2020 Kevin Martin

(Calgary Herald) Calgary terrorism suspect Jamal Taan Borhot must wait until next week to learn whether he’ll be freed from custody while his case makes its way through the courts. Provincial court Judge Catherine Skene on Wednesday reserved her decision after hearing […]

U.S. repatriates last of Islamic State suspects believed captured in Syria The suspects had been held by Syrian forces along with prisoners from other countries whose governments have been reluctant to take back the men.

September 30, 2020 Katie Benner

(NY Times) The United States has repatriated and charged the last Americans believed to be detained in Syria and accused of supporting the Islamic State, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. The move could give the Trump administration a stronger hand in […]

Two more American IS supporters repatriated from Syria, charged with material support

September 30, 2020 Jeff Seldin

(VOA) A father and son, part of a family of seven who left the United States to join Islamic State in Syria, are back on U.S. soil, charged with supporting the terror group. Emraan Ali, 53, and his 19-year-old son Jihad appeared […]

Terror hoax charge followed investigation into U.S. podcast content, RCMP says

September 30, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) The RCMP investigated the content of a U.S. podcast and “other avenues of information” before charging a Toronto-area man with allegedly faking his involvement in ISIS, the police force said. In a statement to Global News, the RCMP confirmed its […]

‘Inshallah’: Biden uses Arabic expression over release of Trump’s tax returns No foreign policy discussions during the first US presidential debate, in which candidates traded insults and spoke over each other

September 30, 2020 Ali Harb

(Middle East Eye) Many Middle East-related policy questions that could affect the lives of millions of people hang on the outcome of the US presidential elections in November: a possible return to the Iran nuclear deal; Washington’s relations with Riyadh; and the White House […]

Terrorism on a budget: Americans who joined ISIS or planned attacks did so with little money Americans supporting ISIS left a much smaller financial footprint than Al Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks, a concerning trend, says a new report.

September 29, 2020 Tom Winter

(NBC) A new report on terrorism financing shows that for most Americans who sought to join or support ISIS, the trip was cheap and the money came easily, making it harder for investigators to track would-be terrorists. “[S]ave for a few exceptions, […]

Convicted ISIS terrorist out to ‘kill boys in blue’ resentenced to 30 years in prison Protesters call for his freedom outside federal court in Boston

September 28, 2020 Joe Dwinell

(Boston Herald) Convicted ISIS terrorist David Daoud Wright of Everett — part of a terror cell out to “kill boys in blue” — was resentenced Monday to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervision. Wright, brought back to Boston, fought […]

RCMP mask policy for bearded front-line officers is discriminatory and ‘shouldn’t have happened,’ Trudeau says PM and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair say Mounties need to 'rectify' policy

September 25, 2020 Unlisted Author

(CBC) The prime minister says the RCMP’s policy requiring front-line officers to wear properly fitting N95 respirator masks amounts to discrimination and “shouldn’t have happened,” because the rule disfavours officers who keep beards for religious reasons. Justin Trudeau said Friday he was “very disappointed” to hear about […]

RCMP accuse second Calgary man of travelling to Syria to take part in Islamic State

September 25, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Canadian Press) RCMP have charged a second Calgary man in an ongoing terrorism investigation. Jamal Taan Borhot, 30, is charged with three counts of participating in terrorist group activity. Police allege he “committed terrorist activities benefitting the terrorist group known as the […]

RCMP arrests ‘Abu Huzayfah’ for allegedly faking his past with ISIS

September 25, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) A Canadian whose widely-publicized account of conducting executions for ISIS fueled public outrage and debate in the House of Commons has been charged with allegedly making it up. Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, who has portrayed himself as a former ISIS member […]

RCMP mask policy for bearded front-line officers ‘must be rectified’: Ottawa World Sikh Organization says officers with facial hair have been reassigned to desk jobs

September 24, 2020 Meera Bains

(CBC) The RCMP is facing accusations of discrimination because of a policy requiring front-line officers to wear properly fitting N95 respirator masks — something that might not be possible with a beard. Calls for a change in policy arose after some front-line […]

RCMP make 2nd ‘national security’ arrest in Calgary in 2 months

September 24, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) Two months after an alleged former ISIS member was taken into custody in Calgary, the RCMP has confirmed to Global News that it has made another national security arrest in the city. “I can confirm that an individual was arrested […]

‘Day of Rage’ protests across US featured support for Palestinian terrorists

September 23, 2020 Kaylee Greenlee

(Daily Caller) Nationwide protests organized by pro-Palestine and anti-Israel groups featured anti-American rhetoric and support for known terrorist groups, videos from the protests show. Pro-Palestine protests occurred in at least 16 cities including Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Brooklyn, New York, since July 1, […]

Ilhan Omar says it’s important to understand how people experience anti-Semitism

September 22, 2020 Marcy Oster

(JTA) Many people have gaps in their understanding of what anti-Semitism is and how it works, according to Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has been accused of fomenting anti-Semitism. Omar, D-Minn., offered her perspective on the anti-Semitism experience in an interview published Sunday […]

FBI: Man arrested in San Antonio for providing support to ISIS, discussing possible terror attacks on U.S. soil Jaylyn Molina tracked on social media, encrypted chat by covert employees

September 22, 2020 Dillon Collier

(KSAT) A Gonzales County man arrested by the FBI in San Antonio this week is accused of providing support to ISIS and discussed carrying out attacks in the United States and overseas on behalf of the terrorist group, federal court records reveal. […]

Elgin man accused of associating with ISIS terrorists

September 22, 2020 Unlisted Author

(WIS) An Elgin man has been named in FBI documents regarding an investigation into a conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. This criminal complaint, from the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, names Elgin […]

Zoom rejects San Francisco State University event featuring Leila Khaled

September 22, 2020 Melissa Weiss

(Jewish Insider) Zoom has denied its services to San Francisco State University for a university-sponsored event scheduled for Wednesday featuring Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled. The event, titled “Whose Narratives? Gender, Justice & Resistance,” was cosponsored by the university’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities […]

Lehigh Acres man arrested for promoting ISIS propaganda

September 21, 2020 Andryanna Sheppard and Jack Lowenstein

(WINK) The FBI says suspect Jonathan Guerra-Blanco thought he was talking to other people who could help him release ISIS propaganda videos in multiple languages. But, really, he was talking to FBI online covert employees. “To think that somebody would harm their […]

Ilhan Omar: Hate for me is ‘anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-black, sexist’

September 21, 2020 Joshua Caplan

(Breitbart) Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) touted her intersectional oppression in a recent interview with the New York Times, lamenting that she constantly has to “deal with the hate of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-blackness, but also with sexism” in the United States. Omar made the […]

Legal group: Zoom and California university in violation of U.S. law for hosting forum with terrorist Lawfare Project petitions DOJ to investigate school, meeting platform over event with PFLP member

September 18, 2020 Adam Kredo

(Free Beacon) Lawyers petitioned the Trump administration to penalize the Zoom meeting platform and a San Francisco university for hosting an upcoming event with a Palestinian terrorist, a forum that they say violates American laws. San Francisco State University is scheduled to […]

Israeli law firm demands California uni. drop PLFP hijacker as speaker Plane hijacker Leila Khaled is due to address San Francisco State University's Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas study program on September 23.

September 18, 2020 Donna Rachel Edmunds

(Jerusalem Post) The president of a leading law firm dedicated to opposing terrorism through legal channels has written to the chancellor of the California State University to demand that an invitation extended to terrorist Leila Khaled to address a study program be […]

Trump at Minnesota rally: Biden will turn state into a ‘refugee camp’ 'I’m your wall between the American dream and chaos,' the president said.

September 18, 2020 Matthew Choi

(Politico) President Donald Trump said his Democratic rival Joe Biden would “turn Minnesota into a refugee camp” and bragged about deporting Somali nationals, sharpening his play for the battleground state during a Friday rally. “I’m your wall between the American dream and […]

After athlete was disqualified for wearing hijab, Nashville school seeks rule change

September 18, 2020 Mike Organ

(Tennessean) Valor College Prep officials are calling on the National Federation of State High School Associations and the TSSAA to alter a uniform rule after one of its athletes was prohibited from participating in a volleyball match because the Muslim student was wearing a […]

Muslim woman files federal lawsuit over LAPD officers removing her hijab

September 17, 2020 Kevin Rector

(LA Times) A Muslim woman has alleged in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that her civil and religious rights were violated when Los Angeles police officers pulled her from a Police Commission meeting and forcibly removed her religious head covering last year. […]

US charges citizen with providing support to IS

September 16, 2020 Unlisted Author

(AFP) Prosecutors in Washington have charged a US citizen for joining the so-called Islamic State group in Syria, according to a statement from the Justice Department Wednesday. The charges allege that Lirim Sylejmani conspired to provide and provided material support to IS, […]

US congresswoman Betty McCollum receives award for Palestinian children advocacy McCollum thanked American Muslims for Palestine for the 'Champion of Palestinian Rights Award' and accepted it on behalf of 'those who stand up to support human rights for children'

September 16, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) A Palestinian American rights and advocacy group awarded US Congresswoman Betty McCollum on Tuesday with an award for her work advocating for Palestinian human rights. Speaking at the Virtual Palestine Advocacy Day hosted by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), […]

House Dems partner with extreme anti-Israel group on day of historic Israel peace deal

September 16, 2020 Adam Kredo

(Free Beacon) Several House Democrats teamed up with a leading anti-Israel organization on Tuesday as part of the group’s “Palestine advocacy days,” an event that has raised eyebrows for being held on the same day the Trump administration announced a historic peace […]

Minnesota man faces terror charge for allegedly joining IS

September 16, 2020 Amy Forliti

(AP) A Minnesota man accused of joining the Islamic State group has been returned to the United States and faces a terrorism charge after spending more than a year in Syrian custody with alleged IS fighters, according to documents unsealed Wednesday. Abdelhamid […]

‘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 […]

Top Muslim-American group protests against signing of peace agreement between Israel, UAE, and Bahrain

September 15, 2020 Benjamin Kerstein

(Algemeiner) A top American Muslim group expressed its opposition to peace with Israel on Tuesday, calling on its followers to protest outside the White House during the signing of the historic peace agreements between the Jewish state, the UAE and Bahrain. The […]

Tory leader says won’t touch Quebec secularism law, supports Bill 101 expansion

September 14, 2020 Sidhartha Banerjee

(Canadian Press) Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said following a meeting Monday with Quebec Premier Francois Legault that he supports the province’s right to pass legislation banning religious symbols and he wouldn’t challenge it in court. Canada is facing a national unity crisis, O’Toole told reporters after his first in-person meeting […]

Omar demands ICE halt plans to deport Somali illegal immigrants from her district: ‘Risking the spread of COVID’

September 12, 2020 Andrew Mark Miller

(Washington Examiner) Rep. Ilhan Omar criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday over the agency’s potential deportation of illegal immigrants back to Somalia, citing coronavirus fears as a reason to halt the deportations. “ICE is set to deport dozens of individuals from […]

Ilhan Omar shifts tone on 9/11: ‘One of the most horrific terrorist attacks we have lived through’

September 11, 2020 Hannah Bleau

(Breitbart) Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) described September 11, 2001, as … “one of the most horrific terrorist attacks that we have lived through” in a video posted on the 19th anniversary of the attacks, over one year after describing 9/11 as a […]

US remembers 9/11, with virus altering familiar tributes

September 11, 2020 Michael R. Sisak, Karen Matthews and Jennifer Peltz

(AP) Americans commemorated 9/11 on Friday as another national crisis, the coronavirus, reconfigured ceremonies and as a presidential campaign carved a path through the memorials. In New York, victims’ relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances at the World Trade Center’s Sept. […]

Trump administration considers postponing refugee admissions, U.S. official says

September 10, 2020 Ted Hesson and Mica Rosenberg

(Reuters) U.S. officials are weighing whether to postpone or further cut refugee admissions in the coming year amid legal fights over President Donald Trump’s refugee policy and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official said. The possible postponement — one […]

People’s Alliance drops candidate for making Islamophobic comments online Memramcook-Tantramar's Heather Collins will no longer be running for the People's Alliance

September 9, 2020 Elizabeth Fraser

(CBC) People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin has dropped one of the party’s election candidates because she complained online about the number of Muslims immigrating to this country. As of Wednesday, Memramcook-Tantramar’s Heather Collins is no longer a candidate for the party — […]

Quebec judge who asked woman to remove hijab apologizes, 5 years later Judge Eliana Marengo refused to hear case of woman unless she removed her hijab, prompting 5-year saga

September 8, 2020 Steve Rukavina

(CBC) A Quebec court judge, who refused to hear the case of a Montreal woman because she was wearing a hijab, has finally apologized for the incident, more than five years after it happened. At an online hearing of the Quebec Council of the […]

Man accused of making bomb threat against UH during Zoom lecture

September 8, 2020 Anna Bauman

(Houston Chronicle) A 19-year-old Richmond man who authorities said described himself as an ISIS recruiter is accused of making a bomb threat against the University of Houston during a Zoom lecture, federal prosecutors said. Ibraheem Ahmed Al Bayati was taken into custody […]

Osama bin Laden’s niece says only Trump can prevent another 9/11

September 5, 2020 Jon Levine

(NY Post) Another 9/11-style attack may be just around the corner if Joe Biden is elected president, warns Noor bin Ladin, the niece of Sept. 11 terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. “ISIS proliferated under the Obama/Biden administration, leading to them coming to […]

Syracuse man from Iraq charged with lying about membership in Iran-backed militia

September 3, 2020 Patrick Lohmann

(Syracuse.com) A Syracuse man with Iraqi citizenship is facing at least five years in prison for allegedly lying to immigration officials about his association with an Iran-backed militia as part of his application for a green card here, according to the United […]

San Francisco State’s ethnicities department to host documented Palestinian terrorist A university spokesperson told JNS that 'an invitation to a public figure to speak to a class should not be construed as an endorsement of point of view.'

September 3, 2020 Jackson Richman

(JNS) San Francisco State University’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMED) is scheduled to host later this month a virtual conversation with a known Palestinian terrorist. Leila Khaled played a critical role in two airplane hijackings as a member of […]