Academics & Education

CUNY pulls former CAIR staffer from anti-Zionism investigation Prof. Jeffrey Lax says choosing a former employee of the Council on American–Islamic Relations to conduct the probe showed 'at best, extremely poor judgment.'

(JNS) The City University of New York (CUNY) has reversed course after it assigned a former employee of a vehemently anti-Israel NGO to investigate allegations of anti-Zionist discrimination. The probe came at the request of Prof. Jeffrey Lax, chair of the business […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Muslim groups are alarmed by new CNN boss’ first big hire John Miller resigned from the NYPD after lying about its Muslim surveillance program. Now he’s covering law enforcement for CNN.

(HuffPost) CNN has hired John Miller, a former New York City Police Department official who lied about the department’s history of surveilling Muslims, to be its chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst — a move that has alarmed civil rights leaders and […]

Crime

Shia-Sunni communities hold joint press conference after Albuquerque Muslim killings Following days of tension in the US Muslim community following the killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque by a serial killer, a man was arrested on Tuesday in what appears to be murders by a Sunni motivated by anti-Shia hatred.

(New Arab) Following the arrest of the main suspect in the killing of Muslim men in Albuquerque — an Afghan Sunni immigrant who allegedly murdered four Shia Muslims — the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a press conference Tuesday evening in […]

Government & Politics

Maryland CAIR chapter opposes IHRA definition of antisemitism Montgomery County is Maryland's most populous region, encompassing the heavily Jewish town of Silver Spring as well as several heavily populated places in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

(Jerusalem Post) The Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on members of the Montgomery County Council on Sunday to oppose the county’s resolution to formally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Montgomery County is […]

Legal

US rights groups warn against travel to UAE 'Our fear is that the UAE might be involved in extraordinary rendition,' Nihad [Awad], executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the New Arab.

(New Arab) Rights groups in the United States are warning civil society activists against travelling or transiting through the United Arab Emirates after the detention of US civil rights attorney Asim Ghafoor. Ghafoor, a Virginia-based civil rights lawyer who represented murdered Washington […]

Academics & Education

US state Maryland gives Muslim students the legal right to wear hijab in sport The Inclusive Attire Act, which took effect earlier this month, gives legal protection to student athletes of all faiths who choose to dress modestly or wear their religious coverings while participating in sports.

(New Arab) The US state of Maryland has passed a law that will protect the rights of hijab-wearing female athletes and others with faith-related head coverings to play sports, without concerns of exclusion. The bill, called the Inclusive Attire Act, which took […]

Government & Politics

Biden’s low approval among US Muslim voters ‘a challenge’ for upcoming midterms With the US midterms approaching in November, Muslims' low approval ratings for the Biden administration and for Congress should be of concern for candidates.

(New Arab) If US President Joe Biden looks like he’s in trouble with the average voter in the United States, then there’s even worse news for him among Muslim voters. A new survey of US Muslim voters released Wednesday by the Council […]

Interfaith

Government-funded Canada Muslim org hosts anti-LGBTQ, pro-terrorism speakers One speaker has said in the past that all homosexuals deserve the death penalty, and another praised terrorist attacks from the recent terrorism wave in Israel.

(Jerusalem Post) Featured speakers who have supported terrorism, antisemitic conspiracy theories and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments are being hosted at a Friday Toronto convention by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), which has received millions of dollars in funding from the Canadian government for […]

Interfaith

More than 50 groups reject ADL’s critique of pro-Palestinian activism ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt was wrong, they wrote, to compare them to far-right extremists.

(Forward) Dozens of American Muslim groups Monday issued a statement decrying recent remarks of Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who they accuse of slandering Palestinian rights organization[s]. They referred to a speech Greenblatt made two weeks ago in which he called several […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Rights groups warn of ‘real danger’ to Muslims, marginalised if Trump returns to Twitter Elon Musk has said he would like to reverse Trump's Twitter ban. What does this mean for Muslims and other vulnerable groups, who have been affected by inflammatory statements?

(New Arab) As many have expected since billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk was approved to buy Twitter last month, he has finally indicated that he will approve of the return of banned former president Donald Trump. This could leave Muslims and other marginalised […]

Interfaith

ADL chief’s attack on left-leaning organizations criticized as dangerous The speech by ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt signaled a new, more combative focus on what he called anti-Zionist extremists.

(Religion News) In one of his harshest speeches to date, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, the country’s leading antisemitism watchdog, compared three left-leaning groups that have been critical of Israel to white nationalists. The speech by Jonathan Greenblatt, who has led […]

Converting to Islam

Latino Muslims — a growing group — struggle to find their place in the Islamic community Though the number of Latino Muslims is on the rise, experts and converts say that many are isolated after they join the faith

(Deseret News) It’s a Saturday night during Ramadan and, as the sun sets, the courtyard of [the] Muslim Community of Palm Beach County comes alive as locals gather for iftar, the breaking of the fast. Men take seats at the long white […]

Fasting

Muslim inmate sues US jail for denying halal, timely meals during Ramadan Norman Simmonds was denied a halal diet because the jail could not 'confirm the devoutness of his beliefs,' according to lawsuit filed with help of Cair-Georgia

(Middle East Eye) A Muslim prisoner in the US state of Georgia has filed a lawsuit challenging his detention facility’s refusal to provide him halal meals during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Americans on FBI watchlist face detention, extra screenings when flying The ACLU estimates 1.6 million people are currently on the federal watchlist.

(ABC) Already missing their flight to Canada, Zainab Merchant held her then-6-month-old baby inside a cold room in an airport in September of 2016 while she waited for her husband’s screening to be over after her family was detained for a random […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

New York attorney general urges Justice Department to probe anti-Muslim group The attorney general also told Investigative Project on Terrorism to cease and desist 'ongoing or contemplated unlawful espionage operations against Muslims'

(Middle East Eye) New York’s attorney general has called on the US Justice Department to investigate whether an anti-Muslim group violated federal, criminal, and civil rights laws by spying on American Muslim groups. In a letter to the Justice Department on Friday, Attorney […]

Government & Politics

Minneapolis mosques to broadcast call to prayer all year round Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman announced this week that mosques will be allowed to play the adhan several times between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily and all year round.

(Star Tribune) The Muslim call to prayer will soon be heard regularly in parts of Minneapolis. Minneapolis mosques can now publicly broadcast the adhan, or call to prayer, over loudspeakers without acquiring a permit and so long as they abide by the […]