Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Before Trump, a low-profile congressman named Ron DeSantis sought a ‘Muslim travel ban’ Muslim groups warn that Republican rhetoric and the party's policy agenda inflame an already fraught situation amid rising threats and violence against the community.

(NBC) In 2017, President Donald Trump triggered national outrage for implementing a so-called Muslim travel ban, blocking U.S. admissions for travelers from predominantly Muslim countries. The move prompted widespread protests and legal challenges, and Joe Biden rescinded it in one of his first […]

Employment

The U.S. gov’t hired a pro-Hamas PLO spokeswoman to handle asylum claims 'F*** Israel, the government, and its military. Are you ready for your downfall?' Department of Homeland Security officer Nejwa Ali said.

(Daily Wire) The U.S. immigration enforcement agency hired a former spokeswoman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and put her in a position to determine who gets to come into the country as an immigrant or “asylum seeker.” Now the Department of […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Muslims body in US shocked over FBI’s secret surveillance since 9/11 attacks FBI's filing practices have impact on Muslims' daily lives, says senior lawyer at Council on American-Islamic Relations

(Anadolu) The largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the US has expressed shock at the recent disclosure of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s secret surveillance and listing of Muslims in the country since the 9/11 attacks. Gadeir Abbas, a […]

Legal

NYC bike path attacker spared death penalty in rare trial The same jurors who convicted Sayfullo Saipov of eight murder counts eligible for the death penalty needed to agree on the penalty unanimously for him to face capital punishment.

(Courthouse News) The Uzbek immigrant who carried out a truck attack on a lower Manhattan bike path in 2017, killing eight, will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. federal prison after a federal jury was divided on whether he […]

Legal

Family of truck terrorist testify in his defense at NYC death penalty trial The penalty phase of a trial underway since January hurtled toward its end with emotional testimony from the mother and the youngest sister of the Uzbek man convicted of a deadly 2017 truck attack in Manhattan.

(Courthouse News) Two family members of Sayfullo Saipov spoke in his defense Wednesday, giving jurors a tearful composite of the man they knew before he became radicalized by the Islamic State group and went on to kill eight people as they spent […]

Government & Politics

Justices parse Twitter’s role in Islamic State attacks The case is the second one before the high court in as many days that concerns the extent to which the tech industry is shielded for the content their users publish.

(Courthouse News) The Supreme Court spent nearly three hours Wednesday on the question of whether the ability of the Islamic State group to post on Twitter amounts to aiding and abetting. Spending most of the arguments waffling through various hypotheticals, the justices […]

Legal

Suspect in bike path killing faces first death penalty trial under Biden Though President Biden campaigned against capital punishment, Attorney General Merrick Garland is charting his own course in pursuing the death penalty in the trial of Sayfullo Saipov.

(NY Times) On Halloween 2017, Sayfullo Saipov plowed a rented pickup truck down Manhattan’s crowded West Side bicycle path, smashing into pedestrians and cyclists, killing eight people and injuring more than a dozen, the authorities said. Soon after Mr. Saipov was charged, […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

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'

(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 […]

Government & Politics

American Muslims in the midterms aren’t long-shot candidates anymore In 2018, a Muslim blue wave emerged in response to Trump. Four years later, many Muslim American candidates are prepping for long careers.

(HuffPost) Abdelnasser Rashid was one of the dozens of American Muslims who ran for office in 2018. It was dubbed the Muslim blue wave, where more than 90 American Muslims ran for office up and down the ballot, emboldened to push back […]

Government & Politics

Biden to honour Khizr Khan, who lashed out at Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ US president to award nation's highest civilian honour to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles and football star Megan Rapinoe

(National-UAE) President Joe Biden will present the top civilian honour to Khizr Khan, the Pakistani-American father of a veteran killed in action who criticised Donald Trump over his proposed “Muslim ban.” He is one of 17 people Mr Biden announced would receive […]

Government & Politics

US Congress: Rashida Tlaib introduces Nakba resolution Congresswoman says measure aims to recognise forced displacement of Palestinians during establishment of Israeli state.

(Al-Jazeera) US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has said she introduced a resolution to recognise the Palestinian Nakba, a term used to describe the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the lead-up to the establishment of the state of Israel in […]

Interfaith

‘Lady al Qaeda’ blamed Jews for her conviction. Her allies can’t figure why a gunman attacked synagogue in her name CAIR and Siddiqui attorney scramble to avoid blame for terrorist attack on Texas synagogue

(Free Beacon) The Council on American-Islamic Relations denied any connection between the terror attack at a Texas synagogue and its campaign to free imprisoned terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, one day after a fanatical gunman took Jewish congregants hostage to demand Siddiqui’s release. CAIR […]

Government & Politics

Rashad Hussain confirmed as first Muslim US religious freedom ambassador ‘Ambassador Hussain is well placed to advance the US government’s promotion of international religious freedom,’ said the chair of a religious freedom watchdog.

(Religion News) Rashad Hussain has been confirmed as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, making him the first Muslim American in the role. Hussain was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday (Dec. 16) by an overwhelming vote of 85 to […]

Government & Politics

Appeals court revives suit over Trump ‘Muslim ban’ documents D.C. Circuit ruling could open more draft documents to public disclosure

(Politico) A federal appeals court has overturned a lower-court decision that allowed the Department of Justice to withhold emails related to former President Donald Trump’s 2017 travel ban that largely targeted Muslim-majority nations. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in the […]

Government & Politics

Rashad Hussain faces Senate committee on historic nomination The former Obama administration official’s confirmation would make him the first Muslim to hold the position.

(Religion News) A Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday (Oct. 26) considered the nomination of Rashad Hussain to be President Joe Biden’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Hussain’s confirmation would make him the first Muslim to hold the position. Hussain held […]

Interfaith

Islamist who defended murderers of Jews to speak at Tree of Life anti-hate summit Bush, ADL, Biden cabinet member join with hater to fight hate.

(FrontPage) In October, former President George W. Bush, Biden’s DHS secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, ADL boss Jonathan Greenblatt, and other notables will descend on the massive Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The occasion isn’t a party convention, but the inaugural Eradicate Hate […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Trump is gone, but Muslim federal workers say reforms are still needed Muslim Americans in Public Service has published a set of 12 recommendations to improve working conditions for Muslims in public service.

(Religion News) Muslim federal employees who say they felt discriminated against under President Trump are advocating for new federal policies to prevent workplace bias, with many backing a new initiative from Muslim Americans in Public Service aimed at getting the Biden administration to […]