Source: Middle East Eye – Page 2

Muslim children disconsolate as Sweden forces Islamic schools shut Swedish authorities have closed 17 private Islamic schools since 2019, claiming they're unfit to conduct school activities. But critics say it's part of 'anti-Islamic rhetoric'

January 1, 2023 Bashir Mohamed Caato

(Middle East Eye) Samsam Ahmad’s children, eight and 12, were inconsolable. They had just found out that their school in the Swedish capital Stockholm was closed down, leaving their mother at a loss of how to explain why they would no longer […]

Favourable view of Muslims in the US ticks up, even as Islamophobic incidents rise Number of Americans holding Islamophobic and antisemitic views has flatlined, and may actually be shrinking, even as hate crimes increase

December 30, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) The number of US residents holding Islamophobic and antisemitic views has flatlined, and may actually be shrinking, even as hate crimes increase, according to a 2022 poll conducted by Brookings Institute. Favourable views of Muslims in the US have […]

US lawmakers demand banking regulators address discrimination against Muslims Congressman Ilhan Omar and Senator Elizabeth Warren urge Treasury to adopt corrective measures to promote equal access to banking institutions

December 6, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Senator Elizabeth Warren are leading an effort to urge American banking regulators to reassess policies that discriminate against Muslim Americans and immigrant communities. The two lawmakers, along with Senator Ed Markey and Congresswomen Rashida […]

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'

December 5, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(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 […]

UK: Growing Muslim population hailed as ‘strategic national asset’ New census data suggests Christians now a minority in England and Wales while number of those with 'no religion' increases

November 30, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that the growth of the UK’s Muslim population is a “strategic national asset” for the country but raised concerns about the levels of poverty the community continues to live in. Results […]

Holy Land Five: Rights groups, families demand release over ‘miscarriage of justice’ Advocacy groups launch awareness campaign marking 14 years since the conviction of the Holy Land Five

November 24, 2022 Azad Essa and Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of advocacy groups have called for the release of the Holy Land Five, a group of Palestinian-American men who were convicted of funding terrorism in a case civil liberties groups say highlights the disproportionate targeting of Muslim charities […]

Why more Muslim Americans are choosing to send their children to Islamic schools Many Muslim parents are opting to send their children to Islamic schools because they feel secular schooling is heading in the wrong direction

November 14, 2022 Zainab Iqbal

(Middle East Eye) Abdullah Khan attended public school his entire life. The truth is, his parents had wanted to send their kids to a private Islamic school, but they just couldn’t afford it — and Abdullah believes he suffered because of it. […]

Why the Muslim vote for Republicans grew in 2022 midterm elections There’s an important emphasis on traditional values in Islam, experts and voters tell MEE

November 14, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) More Muslims shifted to the right in this year’s midterm elections, compared to how they voted in the 2018 midterms. In the 2022 midterm election, 28 percent of Muslim voters voted Republican, which is an 11 percent increase from […]

European governments accused over ‘suppression of Muslim civil society’ OSCE conference in Poland hears plea for member states to protect Muslim citizens from Islamophobia and 'state racism'

September 29, 2022 Simon Hooper

(Middle East Eye) Muslim civil society organisations have raised the alarm about a rising tide of state-sponsored Islamophobia in Europe at a major security and human rights conference in Poland. France, Denmark and Austria were among countries singled out over policies which […]

US: Rights group condemns congressman’s attack on Muslim university officer CAIR says Lee Zeldin's attack on CUNY diversity officer is 'vile, defamatory and Islamophobic'

September 22, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) New York Congressman Lee Zeldin has come under fire from a leading Muslim rights organisation after attacking the Muslim American official tapped to lead a probe into a complaint of antisemitism at a university in New York City. Saly […]

American Muslims as likely as general population to serve in US military, poll finds Institute for Social Policy and Understanding survey found white Muslims more likely than white non-Muslims to serve in the US armed forces

September 20, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) American Muslims are just as likely as any other faith group to serve in the US military, a new poll by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (Ispu) has found. More specifically, white Muslims are more likely than […]

King Charles III: Five things the new British monarch said about Islam and Muslims The king, who once studied Arabic to better understand the Quran, has long spoken about Islamic history and theology

September 13, 2022 Rayhan Uddin

(Middle East Eye) In 1996, the grand mufti of Cyprus, shockingly, accused Charles III — the new British king — of secretly being a Muslim. “Did you know that Prince Charles has converted to Islam. Yes, yes. He is a Muslim. I […]

UK: Muslim students threaten to disaffiliate from NUS after Islamophobia claims The Federation of Student Islamic Societies said it would urge its members to disaffiliate after Shaima Dallali was reportedly suspended from the union

September 2, 2022 Areeb Ullah

(Middle East Eye) The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (Fosis), the national body for Muslim students in Britain, has threatened to launch a disaffiliation campaign against the National Union of Students (NUS) after the NUS suspended its president-elect, Shaima Dallali. Earlier this […]

Islamophobia remains steady in the US, but why do some Muslims share the sentiment? Institute for Social Policy and Understanding suggests past two decades of demonisation of Muslims post-9/11 may have played a role in negative sentiments

August 25, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) As Islamophobia in the United States has remained steady in recent years, internalised Islamophobic sentiments have risen from within the Muslim American community, according to newly released data from the Institute for [Social] Policy and Understanding. The new American […]

US Muslims five times more likely to face police harassment due to their religion, study shows Muslims who identify as white are less likely to be harassed by the police because of their faith compared to non-white Muslims, the study notes

August 23, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) Muslims are five times more likely to experience police harassment because of their religion compared to those of other faiths, a study by Rice University shows. More specifically, Muslim adults who identify as black, Middle Eastern, Arab or North […]

Holy Land Five: Palestinian released, deported to Turkey after more than decade in US prison Mohammad el-Mezain was held in ICE custody for nearly a year after completing his prison sentence

July 1, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Mohammad el-Mezain, a Palestinian resident in the US, was released from detention and subsequently deported to Turkey after serving more than a decade in an American prison, following a controversial case in which he and others involved in a […]

Turkey set to deport ‘Islamic State Beatle’ Aine Davis to UK Aine Davis, who was convicted of membership of IS in 2017, is scheduled to be released and flown to the UK within days

June 30, 2022 Ragip Soylu and Simon Hooper

(Middle East Eye) An alleged member of an Islamic State (IS) execution cell dubbed “the Beatles” is scheduled to be deported from Turkey to the UK within days, Middle East Eye can exclusively reveal. Aine Davis, who is originally from London, was […]

Roe v Wade: Muslim women say overturning of decision will hurt everyone The US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which protected a woman's right to have an abortion, will have far-reaching consequences

June 24, 2022 Zainab Iqbal

(Middle East Eye) Fatima* remembers every painstaking detail as if it were yesterday. Her parents had gone out for dinner and she stayed at home with her uncle. She was wearing purple pyjamas under her abaya. Her T-shirt had a small hole […]

Most American Muslims believe gun laws need to be stricter, says survey Muslims are more likely than Protestants, white Evangelicals and the general public to hold this view, Ispu survey finds

June 13, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) Most American Muslims believe gun control laws should be stricter, a new report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (Ispu) has found. According to the poll, 65 percent of Muslim respondents believe existing gun control laws need to […]

Former Guantanamo detainee explains why he’s suing Canada Mohamedou Ould Slahi is suing the Canadian government for $28m over its alleged role in wrongly sending him to Guantanamo Bay

May 27, 2022 Mohamed Hashem and Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Mohamedou Ould Slahi hoped his release from Guantanamo in 2016 would mark a new stage in his life, one where he could finally live freely after decades of imprisonment and torture. But years later, without a passport and the ability to […]

UK’s charity regulator urged to investigate Policy Exchange over ‘anti-Muslim agenda’ Complaint to Charity Commission accuses think tank of Islamophobia over report in which David Cameron said Muslim critics of Prevent were 'enabling terrorism'

May 11, 2022 Simon Hooper

(Middle East Eye) The UK’s charities regulator is being urged to investigate the Policy Exchange think tank for alleged racism and Islamophobia, over a report in which it accused Muslim critics of the government’s Prevent strategy of “enabling terrorism.” In a letter […]

US jail settles lawsuit, agrees to serve Muslims kosher meals during Ramadan DeKalb County Jail will provide adequate and timely meals for Muslim inmates who are fasting during the month

April 21, 2022 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) A county jail in the US state of Georgia has agreed to accommodate Muslim inmates during the holy month of Ramadan, saying it will provide them with adequate, timely meals and also notify the detainees of the five daily […]

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

April 19, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(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 […]

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'

April 4, 2022 Zainab Iqbal

(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 […]

New York Muslims voice concern over Times Square’s first Tarawih prayers Several members of the Muslim community have voiced concern over holding Tarawih, an extra night prayer performed during Ramadan, at the bustling thoroughfare

April 1, 2022 Zainab Iqbal

(Middle East Eye) New York City’s Times Square is set to host its first ever Tarawih prayers on Saturday, but several members of the Muslim community have voiced concern over the event being held at the bustling location. According to social media advertisements […]

US Muslims react to Biden’s nomination of first Muslim woman to be federal judge Nusrat Choudhury has been praised for her commitment to defending marginalised communities and fighting for civil rights

February 7, 2022 Zainab Iqbal

(Middle East Eye) Muslims across the United States are celebrating President Joe Biden’s judicial nomination of Nusrat Choudhury, who, if confirmed by the Senate, will be the first Muslim woman to be appointed as a US federal judge. Choudhury, a Bangladeshi American among […]

US: Justice Department urged to probe anti-Muslim group’s alleged spying More than 80 groups call on US government to determine whether the Investigative Project on Terrorism violated any federal laws in an alleged espionage campaign

February 1, 2022 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) More than 80 Muslim organisations, including rights groups, mosques and charities, have sent a letter to the US Department of Justice, calling on the administration to launch an investigation into whether an anti-Muslim group violated federal laws by allegedly […]

‘War on terror’: US protesters urge release for Pakistani woman Aafia Siddiqui Protesters call for the release of the Pakistani neurosurgeon serving 86 years in prison for the attempted murder of US officials

October 20, 2021 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Dozens of protesters stood outside Pakistan’s consulate in New York City on Wednesday, calling for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who is currently serving 86 years in prison in what civil liberties groups and activists say was […]

Austria appoints Jordanian as security chief Appointment follows criticism of old security organisation after failure to prevent attack by Islamic State sympathiser in November

September 17, 2021 Mustafa Abu Sneineh

(Middle East Eye) An Austrian-Jordanian has been appointed … head of the country’s new security agency, following harsh criticism of the previous institution’s failure to prevent an attack by an alleged Islamic State (IS) sympathiser. The appointment of Omar Haijawi-Pirchner as head […]

Anti-Muslim hate crimes fell during Trump’s last year in office, FBI data shows Lawmakers and rights groups have criticised the findings as fewer local law enforcement agencies participated in data collection

August 31, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) The number of reported hate crimes targeting Muslims in the US fell by more than a third in 2020, according to newly published data by the FBI. According to the federal agency, the number of reported hate crimes against Muslims in […]

Pro-Palestine groups denounce PayPal-ADL research into extremism funding Youth group warns 'lifeline' financial dealings for Palestinians could be 'profoundly disrupted' if ADL plays a role in deeming what transactions are legitimate

July 27, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) Pro-Palestine groups have urged PayPal to cancel its partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which seeks to investigate how extremist and hate movements in the United States use financial platforms. The Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) said in a statement […]

From Syria to Belgium: Women to face courts after repatriation with children Six women who are suspected of ties to Islamic State were returned to [Belgium] with children. One tells MEE she was ready to face justice in order to secure her child's safety

July 27, 2021 Céline Martelet

(Middle East Eye) On 16 July, the majority of the women and children held at al-Roj camp were still asleep when a convoy of cars entered the open-air prison in northeastern Syria. A few minutes later, at around 5.30am, six Belgian [women] […]

Ilhan Omar walks back criticism of Jewish Democrats after controversial interview Addressing latest accusations of antisemitism, congresswoman links black and Jewish fights for justice

June 30, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar appeared to walk back her earlier criticism of her Jewish Democratic congressional colleagues for not having “been partners in justice,” after being accused of antisemitism. “I am someone who has survived war and experienced injustice […]

Palestine advocates slam Biden’s ‘victory lap’ over Gaza ceasefire White House sent an email on Friday highlighting comments from pro-Israel advocates and others praising Biden for role in securing truce

May 21, 2021 Ali Harb

(Middle East Eye) As Palestinians were still looking for survivors under the rubble in Gaza, the White House officially tried to claim victory, citing praise by pro-Israel lawmakers and advocacy groups for President Joe Biden’s handling of the crisis. The administration’s approach […]

Biden urged to appoint envoy to counter Islamophobia ‘epidemic’ The US Council of Muslim Organisations is urging the Biden administration to create an office to monitor and combat anti-Muslim attacks

May 7, 2021 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of Muslim organisations in the US is calling on the administration of President Joe Biden to create an envoy that would monitor and combat Islamophobia, which the groups say plays an interconnected threat to Muslims around the […]

Quilliam: British ‘counter-extremist’ group closes citing lack of funds Co-founder Maajid Nawaz says on Twitter that the Covid-19 pandemic hit the 'non-profit' organisation hard

April 9, 2021 Alex MacDonald

(Middle East Eye) British “counter-extremist” organisation Quilliam has announced that it is closing down, citing financial hardship. In a statement on Twitter, co-founder Maajid Nawaz said the closure had been finalised on Friday. “Due to the hardship of maintaining a non-profit during […]

European Parliament calls for repatriation of children from Syrian camps Resolution marking 10 years of the conflict also dismisses forthcoming presidential election in Syria as 'completely lacking in credibility'

March 12, 2021 Simon Hooper

(Middle East Eye) The European Parliament has called for the repatriation of children from European Union countries held in Kurdish-run camps in northeastern Syria since the collapse of the Islamic State group. In a resolution on Thursday marking 10 years of conflict […]

France: European Commission urged to investigate Paris over ‘imam charter’ Civil society groups say a number of French laws disproportionally discriminate against Muslims, violating their fundamental human rights

March 8, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of civil society organisations on Monday urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to investigate France at the European Court of Justice over its controversial “imam charter,” saying that it violates Muslims’ right to free speech […]

Rights group calls on US Muslims to be ‘extra vigilant’ in wake of Capitol riot Council on American-Islamic Relations says threat posed by far-right white supremacist violence is high and Muslims may be targets

January 13, 2021 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) A leading Muslim-American civil rights and advocacy group urged Muslims to remain “extra vigilant” until the end of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration amid a threat of white supremacist violence. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said on Wednesday that the […]

Congress members demand Facebook take steps to ‘eradicate’ anti-Muslim bias Lawmakers issue a list of demands for Facebook, including creating a working group that addresses anti-Muslim bigotry and hate groups

December 15, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Middle East Eye) A group of 30 Democratic members of Congress on Tuesday sent a letter to Facebook criticising the social media giant for allowing anti-Muslim sentiments to spread on its platform, and are demanding it takes concrete steps to “eradicate anti-Muslim […]

US elections 2020: Muslims in state of Georgia mobilise for Senate runoff As early voting begins, the contest will have implications on issues of Islamophobia, police reform and systemic racism across US

December 14, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Ahead of the consequential US Senate race in Georgia next month, Muslim organisers and community members in the state are coming together to mobilise Muslims to vote for the upcoming election, which will decide which political party will have […]

Muslim Americans ran for office in record numbers in 2020 At least 170 Muslim candidates were on ballots this election cycle, running in 28 states and Washington, DC

December 2, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Muslim Americans ran for political office in record numbers this year, according to a report published on Wednesday by multiple organisations. Taking a step up on the ladder of political mobilisation, 170 Muslim candidates were on the ballot this […]

‘The French government has no right’: CAIR slams Macron’s ‘ultimatum’ to Muslims Muslim-American civil rights group labels French president's order to establish 'National Council of Imams' under government parameters 'hypocritical and dangerous'

November 20, 2020 Sheren Khalel

(Middle East Eye) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned French President Emmanuel Macron’s “attempt to dictate the principles of the Islamic faith” to French Muslim leaders, and his demand they “falsely state that Islam is an ‘apolitical religion.’” Macron on Wednesday […]

How Arabs and Muslims helped Biden win Michigan and the White House Election data shows increase in turnout in Arab and Muslim communities that overwhelmingly favoured Biden in the presidential race

November 10, 2020 Ali Harb

(Middle East Eye) In one of his first decrees as president in 2017, Donald Trump signed an executive order banning travellers from several Arab, Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Less than four years later, Arab and Muslim communities in Michigan […]

France dissolves Muslim NGO BarakaCity The organisation has rejected accusations of inciting terrorism, says it will fight the decision 'until the very end'

October 28, 2020 Areeb Ullah and Chloé Benoist

(Middle East Eye) The French government dissolved on Wednesday French Muslim charity BarakaCity, government officials said, amid high tensions in the country following the murder of a teacher earlier this month. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed on Twitter that the NGO was […]

US Muslim student groups drop Emgage from voter mobilisation event Yale University's Muslim Student Association faced calls to drop Emgage and Farooq Mitha from its programming

October 23, 2020 Umar A. Farooq

(Middle East Eye) Muslim student groups at more than 30 US universities have dropped Emgage, a Muslim political advocacy group that has come under fierce criticism in recent weeks over its ties with pro-Israel groups, from an event aimed at mobilising young voters. The event, hosted […]

‘We don’t have much of a choice’: Florida’s Muslim voters disenfranchised by both parties In largest swing state, most voter advocacy taking place is for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, but not everyone is happy about it

October 23, 2020 Sheren Khalel

(Middle East Eye) As the US November elections edge closer, much of the nation’s attention has zeroed in on swing states, with some, such as Florida, set to be battlegrounds that may determine the outcome. While there are only about 3.45 million […]

Joe Biden says Muslims would serve ‘at every level’ in his administration Speaking to Muslim-American advocacy group, Biden reiterates pledge to repeal Trump's 'Muslim ban' on day one of his presidency

October 15, 2020 Ali Harb

(Middle East Eye) Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden vowed Muslim Americans would be included in every social and political aspect in his administration, and reiterated his pledge to repeal President Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban” on his first day in office. In a […]

Muslim Voices for Trump event cut short after being ‘Zoom bombed’ by activists The call had to be abandoned less than 20 minutes in when it turned into a disorderly free-for-all

October 14, 2020 Azad Essa

(Middle East Eye) An online event organised by “Muslim Voices for Trump” descended into chaos late on Tuesday when activists infiltrated the call in another case of the new viral threat termed “Zoom bombing.” The call, arranged by US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign in […]

‘Out-vote the hate’: Tlaib and Omar call for large Muslim turnout At virtual event hosted by Senator Bernie Sanders, the congresswomen and other prominent US Muslims called for 'historic' turnout to defeat Trump

October 14, 2020 Ali Harb

(Middle East Eye) Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar along with other prominent Muslim Americans have called for high voter turnout from their community to push back against bigotry and defeat President Donald Trump in next month’s election. Speaking at a virtual […]