News: North America – Page 72

Biden campaign holds private meeting with Palestinian-American activists Senior adviser to Joe Biden was 'evasive' and made no promises to address Israel's human rights abuses, source tells MEE

July 22, 2020 Ali Harb

(Middle East Eye) Joe Biden’s presidential campaign held a private virtual meeting with Palestinian-American activists on Tuesday, several sources familiar with the call confirmed to Middle East Eye. Tony Blinken, a top campaign adviser, drew a “contrast between Donald Trump and Joe […]

Terrorism charges laid against Calgary man after 7-year probe Hussein Sobhe Borhot, 34, accused of participating in a kidnapping, helping ISIS in Syria

July 22, 2020 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Alberta’s RCMP Integrated National [Security] Enforcement Team has laid terrorism charges against a Calgary man following an investigation that lasted seven years. Hussein Sobhe Borhot, 34, of Calgary has been charged with three counts of participation in the activity of a […]

House votes to repeal Trump travel ban

July 22, 2020 Juliegrace Brufke

(Hill) The House passed legislation to repeal President Trump’s controversial travel ban in a 233-183 vote along party lines on Wednesday. The legislation — spearheaded by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and backed by 219 co-sponsors — includes language aimed at reining in […]

RCMP make national security arrest in Calgary

July 21, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) A suspect has been arrested in Calgary following a national security investigation, the RCMP said on Tuesday. “Alberta RCMP can confirm that an individual was arrested in Calgary today in relation to a national security file,” said RCMP spokesperson Fraser […]

‘Nation’s largest’ Muslim PAC embraces Biden, but activist Sarsour’s endorsement is tepid

July 21, 2020 Patrick Goodenough

(CNS) Thanking a Muslim American PAC for supporting his presidential bid, Joe Biden said Monday he wished U.S. schools taught more about Islam, and pledged to scrap, on his first day in office, what he called President Trump’s “vile Muslim ban.” The […]

Democrat national committeewoman memorializes dead Palestinian car-ramming terrorist The Democrat Party continues to ignore Rasha Mubarak’s bigotry and fanaticism.

July 20, 2020 Joe Kaufman

(FrontPage) Rasha Mubarak is a national committeewoman for the Florida Young Democrats (FYD). This makes her a voice for the Democratic Party, and while it is not the largest voice, it is far from insignificant. When she says or does something, her […]

Biden: Schools should ramp up ‘Islamic faith’ studies, Muslims must ‘mobilize’ against Trump

July 20, 2020 Douglas Ernst

(Washington Times) Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden says it’s time for U.S. schools to ramp up [an] Islamic curriculum across the nation. The presidential hopeful’s remarks came during the “Million Muslim Votes Summit” hosted by Emgage Action. “Look, one of the […]

Judge allows challenge to terrorist watchlist to move ahead

July 20, 2020 Matthew Barakat

(AP) A federal judge in Maryland is allowing dozens of Muslim plaintiffs to move ahead with a lawsuit against Attorney General William Barr and other federal officials challenging the constitutionality of the government’s watchlist of people identified as “known or suspected terrorists.” […]

Biden urges Muslim Americans to help him defeat Trump

July 20, 2020 Mariam Fam and Elana Schor

(AP) Democrat Joe Biden urged Muslim Americans on Monday to join him in the fight to defeat President Donald Trump as he addressed an online summit hosted by the advocacy organization Emgage Action to mobilize Muslim voters ahead of the presidential election. […]

Columbus-area mosque begins outdoor broadcasting of prayer call A central Ohio mosque will broadcast the call to prayer for the first time.

July 19, 2020 Tanisha Thomas

(Columbus Dispatch) A central Ohio mosque is trying to pull the community together while making history at the same time. For what is believed to be the first time in Ohio, a call to prayer, also known as Adhan, began being publicly […]

Million Muslim Votes: Campaign seeks unprecedented turnout in US presidential election Efforts under way to increase Muslim American voter turnout

July 18, 2020 Cody Combs

(National-UAE) As the 2020 US presidential election approaches, several groups are working to ensure that as many of America’s approximately 3.4 million Muslim citizens as possible make their voices heard at the ballot box. “The strategies are kind of old school and […]

Massachusetts House passes bill to establish criminal and civil penalties for female genital mutilation

July 17, 2020 Katie Lannan

(MassLive) A bill the Massachusetts House passed on Thursday would establish criminal and civil penalties for the practice of female genital mutilation. The bill (H 4606) would set a penalty of up to five years in state prison, or a fine of […]

Alleged Hezbollah money launderer arrives in Miami-Dade to face 2016 charges

July 17, 2020 Andrea Torres

(WPLG) A purported Hezbollah associate arrived in Miami-Dade County on Friday evening after Cyprus agreed to turn him over to U.S. authorities to face money laundering charges in Miami-Dade County. Ghassan Diab, 37, had been a fugitive since 2016. Drug Enforcement Administration […]

CSIS used information collected via illegal activities to get counter-terrorism warrants, court rules

July 16, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) The Federal Court has called for a “comprehensive and detailed review” of Canada’s intelligence service after learning it used information that was likely collected illegally to obtain national security warrants. In a decision Thursday, the court said the Canadian Security […]

Biden to speak to the nation’s largest Muslim American PAC

July 16, 2020 David Weigel

(Washington Post) Joe Biden will address the nation’s largest Muslim American PAC on Monday, as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee continues to reach out to groups he didn’t court during the primary. Emgage Action, the political arm of a 14-year-old Muslim outreach […]

Muslim woman says Kansas City area gun range turned her away for wearing hijab

July 16, 2020 Robert A. Cronkleton

(Kansas City Star) A Lee’s Summit gun range discriminated against a Muslim woman by denying her access to their facility, according to a Washington, D.C.-based civil rights organization that demanded an immediate federal probe on Thursday. Rania Barakat said staff at Frontier […]

City proclamation commemorates American Muslim Appreciation Month

July 15, 2020 Bay City News

(SF Chronicle) The city of Santa Clara presented the Muslim community with a proclamation to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the California Assembly designation of August as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. “Muslim Appreciation Month honors generations of Muslim Americans and […]

Islamic Society of North America condemns Turkey’s conversion of Hagia Sophia

July 14, 2020 Paul Antonopoulos

(Greek City Times) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has released a statement condemning Turkey’s conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. ISNA says that the Quran states that it [is] against their religious beliefs to desecrate a Christian place of […]

NCR military stabber OK for passes but not to live in community

July 14, 2020 Michele Mandel

(Toronto Sun) Despite being cleared last year for two-day passes into Toronto, the pandemic has delayed those privileges for a mentally ill man who stabbed three soldiers at a North York recruitment office. Instead, Ayanle Hassan Ali, 32, was only able [to] […]

Terror suspect wages court fight for info in bid to stave off deportation

July 14, 2020 Jim Bronskill

(Canadian Press) A terrorism suspect is waging a new court fight against the federal government for information he says he needs to mount a full argument against deportation to his native Egypt and possible torture. It is just the latest twist in […]

Family asks court to order Canada to repatriate orphan from ISIS camp

July 14, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) The family of a Canadian orphan living at a camp for ISIS detainees in Syria filed legal action against the federal government on Tuesday, alleging Ottawa is violating her rights by not bringing her home. The case was filed in […]

ISIS ‘still evading detection on Facebook,’ report says

July 13, 2020 Gordon Corera

(BBC) Facebook accounts linked to the Islamic State group (ISIS) are still finding ways to evade detection on the social media platform, a new report claims. One network’s tactics included mixing its material with content from real news outlets, such as recorded […]

ADL condemns CAIR NJ head for saying Israel is ‘choking the Palestinian people’ during ‘Day of Rage’ protest

July 10, 2020 Aaron Bandler

(Jewish Journal) Anti-Defamation League (ADL) New York / New Jersey issued a joint statement with the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey (JFNNJ) on July 10 condemning the head of New Jersey’s Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for accusing Israel of “choking” […]

Peter Beinart’s one-state call earns praise of Israel-hater Linda Sarsour

July 10, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Algemeiner) While widely panned by mainstream commenters, US Jewish journalist Peter Beinart’s New York Times op-ed earlier this week in which he called for a one-state solution to the Middle East conflict did earn the praise of some on the far-left — […]

Include kosher and halal food in emergency coronavirus food programs, senators tell Agriculture Department

July 9, 2020 Marcy Oster

(JTA) Two U.S. senators want to know if kosher and halal food is being included in the Department of Agriculture’s efforts to help alleviate food insecurity during the coronavirus crisis. The senators, Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who represent large […]

Report: Al Jazeera violating U.S. law by operating as undisclosed Qatari agent Former representative Ros-Lehtinen pushing Trump DOJ to investigate Al Jazeera

July 8, 2020 Adam Kredo

(Free Beacon) The Al Jazeera news network is running afoul of U.S. laws mandating it disclose its ties to the Qatari royal family, which has for years used the network to further Doha’s political interests in America, according to a new report […]

Islamic State terrorist propaganda is going viral on Facebook A small army of pro-terrorism accounts has polluted Facebook with dangerous propaganda

July 8, 2020 Moustafa Ayad

(Wired) On August 10, 2019, a woman on Facebook posted a status warning her contacts not to accept friend requests from her sister Charlotte, whose account had been hacked. She shared a screenshot of the account: an image of a blonde-haired boy […]

Anti-Semitism rears its head in Canada at Palestinian rally

July 8, 2020 Tarek Fatah

(Toronto Sun) On Saturday, July 4, Mississauga’s Celebration Square witnessed a protest by Palestinian Canadians against the planned annexation of the West Bank into Israel proper. The organizer of this event wrote: “As Canadians, we need to condemn this illegal annexation and […]

Muslim civil liberties group to represent inmate denied kosher food in Michigan jail

July 7, 2020 Marcy Oster

(JTA) An Islamic civil liberties and advocacy organization will represent a man who has been denied kosher food in a Michigan jail. The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said in a statement issued Monday that it would […]

Fewer medical graduates from Muslim countries entering US in Trump era

July 6, 2020 Unlisted Author

(AFP) The number of foreign medical graduates from Muslim-majority countries coming to the United States to become doctors has declined by 15 percent under the Trump administration, exacerbating shortages in America’s physician workforce, a study said Monday. International medical graduates represent about […]

Former member of Toronto 18 terrorist group asks court to take him off no-fly list Saad Gaya is now a lawyer who speaks against extremism.

July 6, 2020 Stewart Bell

(Global News) A former member of a terrorist group that plotted truck bombings in Toronto to protest Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan is appealing a government decision to place him on the no-fly list. Saad Gaya was part of the Toronto 18 […]

Muslim woman outraged after barista writes ‘ISIS’ on her coffee cup in St. Paul. Target calls it a mistake

July 6, 2020 Mara H. Gottfried

(Pioneer Press) While ordering a drink Wednesday in St. Paul, a 19-year-old Muslim woman gave the barista her name — Aishah — and repeated it for clarity. The Minneapolis woman was shocked when she saw what the barista then wrote on her […]

‘I am here to prove you wrong’ At Miss Muslimah USA, a pageant for young Muslim women, the complexity of modesty is on full display.

July 4, 2020 Liana Aghajanian

(NY Times) Last year, on a Thursday in June, long before live events and large gatherings bore the threat of contagion, the ballroom of the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Mich., was in full pageant form. Pink mini cupcakes […]

Judge extends hospitalization of truck attack plot suspect

July 4, 2020 Michael Kunzelman

(AP) A federal judge has extended the court-ordered hospitalization of a Maryland man deemed mentally unfit for trial on charges he planned an Islamic State-inspired attack at a shopping and entertainment complex near Washington, D.C. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said in […]

Police surveillance concerns US Muslims amid BLM protest crackdown With coronavirus hitting the US hard, there are growing fears community groups will have to resort to funding provided by surveillance programmes

July 3, 2020 Vanessa Taylor

(Middle East Eye) The killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis triggered the largest protests over systemic racism and police brutality the United States has seen in more than a generation. Black Lives Matter protests swiftly spread to more […]

US court orders continued detention of 26/11-accused Rana sought by India

July 3, 2020 Lalit K. Jha

(PTI) A US court has ordered the continued detention of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who has been declared a fugitive by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case. Rana, 59, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, […]

Judge rules that man once jailed for terrorism crimes must be freed from immigration center

June 30, 2020 Gary Craig

(Democrat and Chronicle) A federal judge has ruled that a man once convicted of terrorism-related crimes must be released, and the government’s case to jail him indefinitely has been constructed on slipshod evidence and informants’ lies. On Monday, Rochester-based U.S. District Judge […]

Muslim groups decry ‘excessive’ prosecution of lawyers charged with torching police car

June 29, 2020 Aysha Khan

(Religion News) Dozens of Muslim rights groups have joined a chorus of support for two Brooklyn human rights attorneys facing possible life sentences over charges of torching an empty police vehicle. Lawyers Urooj Rahman and Colinford Mattis stand accused of throwing a […]

Repatriate Canadian former ISIS fighters and family members, Human Rights Watch urges Conservatives want any Canadian who joined ISIS to be prosecuted

June 29, 2020 Ryan Patrick Jones

(CBC) The Canadian government is flouting its international human rights obligations by failing to repatriate and provide adequate consular assistance to 47 citizens who are currently detained in northeast Syria because of alleged ties to the Islamic State, a new report from […]

After Floyd, raw talk, racial reckoning among US Muslims

June 28, 2020 Mariam Fam

(AP) As a young student, Hind Makki recalls, she would call out others at the Islamic school she attended when some casually used an Arabic word meaning “slaves” to refer to black people. “Maybe 85% of the time, the response that I […]

US lawmakers call on EU to label entire Hezbollah a terrorist organization

June 26, 2020 Laura Kelly

(Hill) Bipartisan lawmakers in the House and Senate on Friday issued a call for the European Union to designate all of Hezbollah a terrorist organization and ban its activities on the continent. In a letter led by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and […]

South Minneapolis bakery apologizes after accusation of discrimination over hijab mask

June 25, 2020 Unlisted Author

(WCCO) A south Minneapolis bakery is apologizing after a customer wearing a face-covering hijab posted a video showing a worker refusing to serve her for not wearing the proper face mask. Zahur Abdiaziz posted the video to her Facebook page on Monday, […]

Tlaib retweets Rutgers prof alleging Israeli police killed driver in alleged Palestinian car-ramming attack

June 25, 2020 Aaron Bandler

(Jewish Journal) Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) retweeted a Rutgers University assistant professor who alleged that Israeli Border Police unjustifiably killed a Palestinian driver in what appeared to be a car-ramming attack. On June 23, a car rammed into a tower at the […]

Edmonton school trustee resigns over comments about refugee students Cheryl Johner's comments 'unacceptable, racist and wrong,' board chair says

June 24, 2020 Unlisted Author

(CBC) Edmonton public school trustee Cheryl Johner has resigned from the board, less than a day after making comments about refugee students during a debate on police officers in schools. “My comments were inappropriate and immediately regrettable,” Johner, trustee for Ward A […]

‘South Park’ missing five episodes from HBO Max offerings because of Prophet Muhammad depictions

June 24, 2020 Bruce Haring

(Deadline) All 23 seasons of the Comedy Central animation South Park are available on HBO Max — except for five episodes that depict Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Sources tell Deadline the missing episodes were not part of the 23-season package shopped by Viacom […]

Authorities don’t have solid proof that man once jailed for terrorism is now a threat

June 23, 2020 Gary Craig

(Democrat and Chronicle) The upper echelons of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security paint Adham Amin Hassoun as a terrorist so dangerous he should not be set free on American soil. That said, federal officials have a dilemma with Hassoun, […]

Sarsour group backs ‘no Zionists’ Juneteenth rally

June 23, 2020 Ariel Behar

(IPT) It was an event to celebrate freedom and protest ongoing bigotry and discrimination. But the group Muslims4Abolition, which wants “… to be part of the movement to abolish bail, abolish jails, abolish the police, abolish prisons,” openly engaged in bigotry and […]

Former Lexington imam sentenced to prison, $20,000 fine after kidnapping conspiracy plea

June 23, 2020 Morgan Eads

(Lexington Herald Leader) A former Lexington imam was sentenced Monday to two years in prison in connection with a kidnapping plot. Mahmoud Shaker Shalash pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of conspiring to kidnap someone and two counts of money laundering, […]

US soldier plotted to have unit attacked by jihadists: Justice

June 22, 2020 Unlisted Author

(AFP) A US soldier with links to neo-Nazis plotted to have Islamic extremists attack his unit in Turkey in hopes of sparking a new “10-year war” in the Middle East, the Justice Department charged Monday. An indictment unsealed in New York said […]

Tennessee newspaper investigating ‘horrific’ end of times ad

June 21, 2020 John Raby

(AP) A Tennessee newspaper said Sunday it is investigating what its editor called a “horrific” full-page advertisement from a religious group that predicts a terrorist attack in Nashville next month. The paid advertisement that appeared in Sunday’s editions of the Tennessean from […]