Olympics – Eye on Islamism

Sweden: Islamist terror concerns put Eurovision preparations on edge Israeli delegation seen as unsafe in Malmö, where the city’s Muslim population celebrated the October 7th massacre.

May 6, 2024 Thomas O'Reilly

(European Conservative) Snipers are being deployed on rooftops this week ahead of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, with security forces scrambling to protect Israel’s delegation from Islamist threats. Planned demonstrations from the city’s large and militant Muslim community threaten to tear apart […]

Paris Olympics: 16-year-old arrested after he said he wanted to ‘die a martyr’ at Games France previously raised its security alert to its highest level ahead of hosting this summer's Olympic Games amid concerns the event could be overshadowed by security incidents.

April 24, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) A 16-year-old boy has been arrested by anti-terrorism police in France after he allegedly said on social media he wanted to “die a martyr” at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. A spokesperson said on Wednesday the boy was […]

Macron’s Olympics terror nightmare Pressure mounts on France, with Paris 2024 just 3 months away.

April 24, 2024 Antoaneta Roussi and Victor Goury-Laffont

(Politico) It seemed like a good idea at the time. French President Emmanuel Macron promised the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics on the banks of the River Seine in July would be a “moment of beauty, art, celebration of sports […]

No ‘specific’ terror threat to Paris Olympics: minister

April 3, 2024 Cyril Touaux

(AFP) France’s sports minister said Wednesday that there was no “specific” terror threat to the Paris Olympics and that organisers were planning to go ahead with the opening ceremony on the river Seine. An attack on a Moscow concert hall last month […]

French security cut 800 ‘without good intentions’ from Olympics

March 31, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) Around 800 people who “did not have good intentions” have been excluded from the Paris Olympics over security fears, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said Sunday. The list includes 15 deemed to represent the most serious threat to national security. “The […]

Netherlands issues travel warning for France amid highest terror threat level

March 28, 2024 Unlisted Author

(NL Times) The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a new warning for people traveling to France after the French government raised its domestic security threat level to its most heightened position. The assessment of “Emergency: Attack” was issued by Prime Minister […]

How the heightened IS terror threat affects Switzerland

March 25, 2024 Matthew Allen

(Swiss Info) Several European countries, including France and Germany, are on high alert following a deadly terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall. Switzerland is also a potential target from the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) terror group, which has claimed responsibility for […]

Moscow attack puts spotlight on IS threat to western Europe

March 25, 2024 Didier Lauras

(AFP) Friday’s attack on a Moscow concert hall is exacerbating worries that similar acts could hit targets in western Europe which is hosting exceptionally high-profile sports events this summer, analysts say. Germany is the site of the Euro 2024 football championship in […]

Moscow attack raise[s] fresh concerns for Paris Olympics

March 25, 2024 Francesco Fontemaggi and Adam Plowright

(AFP) The attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed more than 130 people has raised fresh security fears for the Paris Olympics, leading France’s interior minister to promise Monday that police and intelligence services would be “ready.” The government upgraded the […]

France raises terror alert level after Moscow attack claimed by IS group

March 24, 2024 Unlisted Author

(France 24) France’s government increased its security alert warning to the highest level Sunday after the deadly attack at a Russian concert hall and the Islamic State (IS) group’s claim of responsibility. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said in a post on X […]

France slashes Olympics opening ceremony crowd size amid terror attack fears French President Emmanuel Macron asked for capacity to be reduced to half of what was initially planned for showpiece event.

March 5, 2024 Victor Goury-Laffont

(Politico) France has scaled down the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony which will take place in July on the River Seine, amid concerns over a theoretical Islamist terror attack. Boats carrying each nation’s flag-bearers will pass on the water in the […]

Paris knife attacker sought to ‘target French people’

February 6, 2024 Clara Wright

(AFP) A Mali-born man suspected of injuring several people with a knife and hammer at a Paris railway station deliberately sought out French people to attack, Paris prosecutors said on Tuesday. The 32-year-old was on Tuesday charged by an investigating magistrate with […]

Paris Olympics: 13 rejected for torch relay for drugs, Islamism

January 22, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) French security forces have rejected 13 people who were selected to take part in the torch relay for the Paris Olympics, including some who had committed drugs offences as well as a suspected Islamist, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday. […]

France beefs up New Year’s security due to ‘terrorist’ threat

December 29, 2023 Unlisted Author

(AFP) The French government said on Friday it will deploy more than 95,000 police and military personnel for New Year Eve’s celebrations, adding that a heightened “terrorist threat” required tight security. Paris alone, where up to one million revellers are expected on […]

French police address fear factor ahead of the Olympic Games after a deadly attack near Eiffel Tower

December 8, 2023 Elaine Ganley

(AP) The bar was already high, but the security challenge ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games only grew with a knife attack last weekend that killed a tourist near the Eiffel Tower. Still, the assault at the hand of a suspected […]

Maryland AG reinstates hate crime task force member who claimed Israeli babies murdered by Hamas were ‘fake’ Anti-Israel activist Zainab Chaudry made numerous antisemitic social posts

December 6, 2023 Brandon Gillespie

(Fox) Democrat Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown on Tuesday reinstated a member of his state’s hate crime task force who posted numerous antisemitic social media posts, including a claim that the babies murdered in the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas attack were “fake.” […]

A French investigating judge hands terror-linked charges to a man accused of killing tourist

December 6, 2023 Unlisted Author

(AP) A man accused of fatally stabbing a tourist and injuring two other people over the weekend near the Eiffel Tower was placed under investigation Wednesday on charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist organization, the prosecutor’s office […]

‘Failure’ in psychiatric care of Paris attacker: minister

December 4, 2023 Tiphaine Le Liboux and Stuart Williams

(AFP) There was a clear failure in the psychiatric care of the radicalised Islamist suffering from mental troubles who stabbed a German tourist to death in central Paris at the weekend before being arrested, France’s interior minister said Monday. The attack close […]

France deploys 7,000 troops for extra security after teacher slain

October 14, 2023 Leigh Thomas

(Reuters) French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday deployed up to 7,000 soldiers for increased security patrols, as bomb alerts forced the evacuation of the Louvre museum a day after a teacher was killed in an Islamist attack. France was put on its […]

France hijab ban ‘against Olympic spirit’: Islamic sports body

October 2, 2023 Unlisted Author

(AFP) A group of sports federations from majority-Muslim countries said on Monday that France’s move to bar its Olympic athletes from wearing the hijab would “send a message of exclusion.” The 57-member Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF), based in the Saudi capital […]

No restrictions on hijab in Paris 2024 Games’ athletes village — IOC

September 29, 2023 Karolos Grohmann

(Reuters) Athletes can wear a hijab in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games athletes’ village without any restriction, the International Olympic Committee said on Friday, days after France’s sports minister banned it for the host country’s athletes. The Olympic body also said it […]

UN slams France’s decision to ban French athletes’ hijabs at 2024 Olympics

September 26, 2023 Chris Liakos and Maya Szaniecki

(CNN) The United Nations’ human rights office has criticized the French government for banning French athletes from wearing the hijab at the Paris Olympics next year. “No one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear, or not wear,” said […]

Paris Olympics 2024: France bans own athletes from wearing veil Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera made the statement amid an ongoing controversy over a ban on abayas in school

September 25, 2023 Nadda Osman

(Middle East Eye) French athletes will not be allowed to wear veils during the Paris Olympic Games set to be held next year, the country’s sports minister announced on Sunday. Appearing as a guest on the show Sunday in Politics, airing on the […]

Riots add to Paris Olympics security worries one year from start

July 22, 2023 Adam Plowright

(AFP) As riots raged around France earlier this month, infrastructure for next year’s Paris Olympics risked becoming engulfed in the violence, adding a fresh worry for organisers who face a head-spinning list of security challenges one year before the Games start. Surveillance […]

French riots: What to know as hundreds of police hurt, thousands of protesters arrested after deadly shooting Protests have led to 270 policemen injured, over 2,000 protesters arrested

July 1, 2023 Peter Aitken

(Fox) Riots have gripped the suburbs of Paris and quickly spread to other towns and cities across France following the death of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop, but how did the situation spiral so far out of control? “What’s happening there […]

How Lee Rigby’s murder changed terrorism The spectacle was consumed across the country

May 23, 2023 Liam Duffy

(UnHerd) Like a still from a cheap horror flick, Michael Adebolajo stands with a meat cleaver and a large knife clasped in one hand. His free hand, saturated in blood, is raised towards the camera. Together with his accomplice and fellow convert […]

France urges stepped-up US cooperation on terror threats

May 20, 2023 Unlisted Author

(AFP) France’s interior minister warned of a coming resurgence in terrorist threats in Europe during a visit to the US on Friday, saying he had asked Washington for stepped-up cooperation ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024. Pointing to the US withdrawal […]

PC candidate says controversial posts she shared ‘not consistent’ with her views Donalda Docherty shared posts about face-covering bans, COVID and climate change

March 22, 2023 Kerry Campbell

(CBC) A Progressive Conservative candidate running in the Prince Edward Island election is taking heat over some of her past posts on social media. Advocacy group BIPOC USHR (which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour United for Strength, Home, Relationship) […]

‘I didn’t think I’d survive’: First Brussels attack victim testifies

March 6, 2023 Unlisted Author

(AFP) A teenage girl who lost both her legs in a 2016 Brussels suicide bombing, and fought back to become a Paralympian, was the first victim to testify on Monday at the trial of those accused of plotting or aiding the attacks. […]

She pushed back her student’s hijab. Was it a mistake or an act of hate? Evidence of antisemitism competed against allegations of Islamophobia as an online debate divided this suburban community along racial and religious lines

March 1, 2023 Laura Meckler

(Washington Post) Tamar Herman knew that a Muslim girl in her second-grade class always wore a hijab. But one day, Herman thought she saw a hoodie covering it. She asked the girl to remove it, she says. Then, depending whom you believe, […]

Teacher sues N.J. Olympian for saying she pulled hijab off 7-year-old’s head

October 18, 2022 Anthony G. Attrino

(NJ.com) The New Jersey teacher who faced a criminal investigation after an Olympian repeated allegations she pulled a hijab off a child’s head has filed a lawsuit claiming the social media-fueled firestorm ruined her teaching career and led to threats on her […]

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

July 1, 2022 Holly Aguirre

(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 […]

French bill banning hijabs in sports events moves to National Assembly

February 16, 2022 Elizabeth Pineau

(Reuters) A draft bill that would ban the wearing of the hijab in sporting competitions will pass on to France’s National Assembly after the Senate on Wednesday declined to vote on the legislation. The broader bill is devoted to “democratising sport,” including […]

Teacher accused of pulling hijab from student’s head won’t face charges, prosecutor says

January 19, 2022 Anthony G. Attrino

(NJ.com) The South Orange-Maplewood School District teacher who was accused of pulling the hijab off a Muslim student’s head — a charge the woman has denied — won’t face criminal charges, authorities said Wednesday. Tamar Herman, an elementary school teacher at Seth […]

France moves closer to banning veils in sports competitions

January 19, 2022 Samuel Petrequin

(AP) The French Senate has voted in favor of banning the wearing of headscarves in sports competitions, arguing that neutrality is a requirement on the field of play. The French upper legislative house voted late Tuesday in favor of amending a proposed […]

Desperate No10 policy chiefs explored using sonic weapons to [stop] small dinghies crossing Channel (LINK ONLY)

January 17, 2022 EoI News

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House Democrats pass bill to combat Islamophobia in support of Omar

December 14, 2021 Cristina Marcos

(Hill) The House passed legislation on Tuesday to create a special office within the State Department to combat Islamophobia globally as Democratic leaders sought to find a way to unify their party against anti-Muslim hatred while stopping short of progressives’ calls to […]

Maplewood police open inquiry of hijab incident, as teacher says it was a misunderstanding

October 13, 2021 Liam Quinn

(Bergen Record) The Maplewood Police Department has opened an inquiry into allegations that a teacher “forcibly” removed the hijab of a second grade student, the South Orange-Maplewood School District announced. The teacher, meanwhile, spoke out, calling the incident a misunderstanding. In a […]

NJ teacher accused of ripping hijab off student was trying to fix her hood, attorney says

October 9, 2021 Cecilia Levine

(Essex Daily Voice) A New Jersey teacher accused by a former Olympian of pulling a 7-year-old student’s hijab off was just trying to fix her hood, her attorney told Daily Voice. “This is not a story about a teacher who forcibly removed […]

EU neighbours jointly rebuke Belarus for illegal migrant surge

August 21, 2021 Joanna Plucinska and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk

(Reuters) The leaders of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia came together on Saturday to condemn Belarus for allowing migrants to illegally cross its borders into the European Union. “All European Union member states have a duty to protect borders and to stop […]

Latvia and Lithuania move to stop migrants arriving via Belarus

August 10, 2021 Janis Laizans, Ints Kalnins, Gwladys Fouche and Nerijus Adomaitis

(Reuters) Latvia declared a state of emergency along its border on Tuesday and Lithuania decided to erect a fence in new measures to deter migrants they say Belarus is encouraging to cross illegally in order to pressure European states. Rising numbers of […]

Poland says Belarus lets migrants cross border in ‘hybrid war’ with EU

August 5, 2021 Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, Agnieszka Barteczko and Matthias Williams

(Reuters) Poland accused Belarus of sending a growing number of migrants over the border in retaliation for Warsaw’s decision this week to give refuge to Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, a Belarusian athlete who refused to return home from the Tokyo Olympics. A deputy interior […]

Bring in Army to solve migrant crisis, former Border Force boss says (LINK ONLY)

June 6, 2021 EoI News

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German Muslims raise alarm over ‘headscarf ban through the back door’ Critics say new law on tattoos could pave the way for ban on religious coverings

May 7, 2021 Tim Stickings

(National-UAE) Muslims in Germany are alarmed over a new law that they say could lead to a ban on Islamic headscarves through the back door. The law, which comes as France debates a hijab ban for under-18s, would allow for German civil […]

Hands off my hijab! Young Muslim women protest proposed French ban

May 4, 2021 Manuel Ausloos

(Reuters) Sixteen-year-old Mariem Chourak is a devout Muslim who considers wearing a hijab an expression of her devotion to the Prophet Mohammad, but a proposal by French senators might soon deny her the freedom to do so in public spaces. The amendment […]

Explained: Is France really planning to ban the hijab? Anti-extremism bill going through parliament has raised concerns from Muslims

May 3, 2021 Jamie Prentis

(National-UAE) The beheading of a schoolteacher and the killing of a female police [employee] in terrorist attacks have resulted in a demand for tougher action to combat extremists in France. A so-called anti-separatism bill, which seeks to clamp down on extremism and […]

Anish Kapoor: Shamima Begum would be treated as a victim if she was white (LINK ONLY)

March 14, 2021 EoI News

Eye on Islamism is no longer printing excerpts from articles published by certain news sources. To read the original article, click here.

‘French Muslims will suffer’ under separatism rules, critics say Civil rights groups, academics and experts raise alarm ahead of key vote on controversial bill.

February 11, 2021 Peter Yeung

(Al-Jazeera) On October 2 last year, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a law against what he called “Islamist separatism” aimed at tackling “radical” movements in the country. He described Islam as a religion “in crisis” globally, as he sought to boost support […]

Top Muslim group calls for U.S. boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing The Chinese government’s 'ethnic genocide' against the Muslim Uighur population is disqualifying, according to Emgage.

November 26, 2019 Daniel Marans

(HuffPost) Emgage, a group dedicated to increasing Muslim American involvement in politics, called on the U.S. Olympic National Committee to boycott the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing over the Chinese government’s mass detention and repression of Uighur Muslims. “The Olympic Games are […]

Watchdog group launches petition to keep CAIR off American college campuses An appeal by StopAntisemitism.org was launched in response to the CAIR chapter in Georgia, urging Georgia State University to end its relationship with the project Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange due to its partnership with Israel.

October 28, 2019 Shiryn Ghermezian

(JNS) The watchdog group Stopantisemitism.org is calling on the U.S. Department of Education and [Georgia] State University to keep the “terror-affiliated” Council on American-Islamic Relations off U.S. college campuses. “The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an American front group for the terrorist […]