Source: NBC

Demonstrations

When does free speech cross the line into breaking U.S. anti-terrorism laws? Former federal officials say the FBI should open a criminal investigation into a New Jersey native who leads a pro-Hamas nonprofit group. Civil rights advocates say she’s engaged in political speech.

November 1, 2024 and   

(NBC) Charlotte Kates, a New Jersey native and Rutgers Law School graduate who co-founded the pro-Hamas organization Samidoun, has become the focus of an ongoing legal debate: When does free speech cross the line into breaking federal anti-terrorism laws? Over the last […]

Immigration

ISIS-K threat grows as it targets disaffected Muslims with sophisticated propaganda The Afghanistan-based terrorist group has revamped its online recruiting tactics, experts say, as it seeks to carry out attacks against the U.S. and other Western countries.

October 20, 2024   

(NBC) The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has ramped up its recruitment efforts in the past year, American officials and analysts say, rolling out a sophisticated propaganda campaign designed to persuade disaffected Muslims to carry out terrorist plots in the U.S. and […]

Immigration

ISIS-K behind foiled Election Day terrorism plot, U.S. officials say Charging documents said the suspect told the FBI that he was communicating with a person named 'Malik' and that he knew 'Malik' was affiliated with the Afghan branch of the Islamic State.

October 15, 2024 , and   

(NBC) ISIS-K, the Afghan branch of the Islamic State, directed an Afghan man’s foiled U.S. Election Day terror plot, according to two senior U.S. officials briefed on the matter. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested by the FBI last week in Oklahoma […]

Academics & Education

Pro-Hamas group that helped organize college protests is a ‘sham charity,’ Treasury says In an interview with NBC News earlier this month, a co-founder of the group known as Samidoun called Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel 'a brave and heroic operation.'

October 15, 2024 , and   

(NBC) A pro-Hamas organization that has helped organize protests on American college campuses is a “sham charity” that fundraises for a terrorist group, the Treasury Department said Tuesday. In a joint action by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner […]

Government & Politics

Arab and Muslim leaders risk blowback for endorsing Harris As Kamala Harris steps up her engagement to a group of voters who could be critical in Michigan, some fear publicly supporting her.

October 14, 2024 and   

(NBC) Last month, Mohammed Hassan, a longtime city councilor in Hamtramck, Michigan, the only Muslim-majority city in the country, got a call from someone with Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign asking him what they needed to do to win back disaffected Michigan Muslims. […]

Government & Politics

Afghan accused of plotting terror attack worked as CIA guard, officials say It isn't yet known whether the man, who worked for the CIA in Afghanistan, radicalized before or after he arrived in the U.S. following the chaotic American withdrawal.

October 9, 2024 , and   

(NBC) An Afghan man arrested on charges of planning a terrorist attack on Election Day worked as a security guard in Afghanistan for the CIA, two sources with knowledge of the matter told NBC News. Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested on Monday in […]

Government & Politics

Tim Walz makes direct appeal to conflicted Muslim voters Democrats are stepping up their outreach to Muslim and Arab voters, who could be critical in battleground states like Michigan but are concerned about U.S. support for Israel.

October 3, 2024   

(NBC) Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz addressed a Democratic Muslim voter group Thursday night as the Harris campaign works to engage a group of voters who threaten to defect in large numbers over the Biden administration’s handling of the deteriorating situation in […]

Crime

GOP senator tells Arab American witness at hate crimes hearing to ‘hide your head in a bag’ Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana also repeatedly suggested the witness, a leading Arab American activist, supports Hamas even as she repeatedly denied it.

September 17, 2024   

(NBC) Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., repeatedly suggested a leading Arab American activist is a Hamas supporter when she testified Tuesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes, and he told her she should hide her “head in a bag.” The […]

Demonstrations

Harris’ campaign adds top adviser to lead outreach to Muslim and Arab voters Nasrina Bargzie will lead outreach to a constituency that soured on President Joe Biden over his support of Israel in its war against Hamas.

August 13, 2024   

(NBC) Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is hiring Nasrina Bargzie to lead outreach to Muslim and Arab voters, according to a campaign official who first shared details of the plan with NBC News — a move focused on a key constituency that […]

Government & Politics

Jill Stein recruiting Palestinian Americans for her running mate position The Green Party nominee is looking to capitalize on Arab and Muslim voters' disaffection with Democrats over the Biden administration's support for Israel amid its war in Gaza.

August 9, 2024   

(NBC) Green Party nominee Jill Stein has been recruiting Palestinian Americans to be her vice presidential running mate as the left-wing presidential candidate looks to exploit the community’s frustrations with Democrats’ support for Israel during its war in Gaza. Three potential candidates […]

Government & Politics

Black Muslim group endorses Harris after its ‘uncommitted’ stance on Biden The Black Muslim Leadership Council Fund had withheld its support for Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

August 1, 2024   

(NBC) A national Muslim organization that had declared itself “uncommitted” on President Joe Biden’s re-election bid is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy. Salima Suswell, the founder and chief executive of the Black Muslim Leadership Council Fund, first shared the group’s decision with […]

Internet

Fake video of threat to Olympic Games appears to be from Russia, researchers say Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, which reviewed the video at NBC News’ request, said it appears to have come from a known Russian disinformation group.

July 23, 2024   

(NBC) A video spreading on X and Telegram of a man purporting to be a Hamas fighter threatening the Olympics in Paris is part of a Russian-linked disinformation campaign meant to disrupt the event, according to researchers at Microsoft. On Telegram, Hamas […]

Clothing

Delta apologizes after official X account says ‘I’d be terrified’ of employees with Palestinian flag pins The airline said it 'removed a mistakenly posted comment' because it was 'not in line with our values' and that the staffer who posted it 'no longer supports Delta’s social channels.'

July 11, 2024 and   

(NBC) Delta Airlines apologized Thursday after its X account sympathized with a post that incorrectly said two flight attendants with Palestinian flag pins were wearing “Hamas badges.” An X user by the handle “ilikeTeslas” had tweeted Tuesday: “Since 2001 we take our […]

Immigration

DHS identifies over 400 migrants brought to the U.S. by an ISIS-affiliated human smuggling network Over 150 have been arrested, but the whereabouts of over 50 remain unknown, officials said. ICE is looking to arrest them on immigration charges when they are found.

June 25, 2024 and   

(NBC) The Department of Homeland Security has identified over 400 immigrants from Central Asia and elsewhere who crossed into the U.S. in the past three years as “subjects of concern” because they were brought by an ISIS-affiliated human smuggling network, three U.S. officials […]

Immigration

8 suspected terrorists with possible ISIS ties arrested in New York, L.A. and Philadelphia, sources say The men from Tajikistan came to the U.S. through the southern border and their criminal [background] checks came back clean at the time they crossed, officials familiar with the matter said.

June 11, 2024 , , and   

(NBC) Eight men from Tajikistan with potential ties to ISIS out of central Asia were arrested over the weekend in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News on Tuesday. The suspects had been on the […]

Government & Politics

Biden administration tries to plug loophole that released migrant linked to terrorism into the U.S. The change in policy follows an NBC News story that revealed a judge released the man on bond when ICE prosecutors could not show the judge classified evidence of terror ties.

May 28, 2024   

(NBC) The Biden administration is giving immigration judges and asylum officers more access to classified information to help them determine which migrants might have ties to terrorism or pose a threat to public safety. The change in policy follows an April 11 […]

Immigration

Migrant with alleged ISIS ties was living in the U.S. for more than two years, officials say Jovokhir Attoev was released inside the U.S. in 2022. A year later, Uzbekistan put out a global notice that he was wanted for alleged ISIS ties. U.S. officials didn't arrest him until this year.

May 1, 2024   

(NBC) Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently arrested an Uzbek man in Baltimore with alleged ISIS ties after he had been living inside the United States for over two years, according to two U.S. officials. The man, 33-year-old Jovokhir Attoev, crossed the border […]

Government & Politics

Muslim Americans who soured on Biden see Israel aid package as further betrayal 'If our votes and the votes of people who support the Palestinian human rights are so important, then Biden should be listening,' one activist said.

April 20, 2024   

(NBC) “Outraged,” “point of no return” and “absolute disaster” are how some Muslim American organizers have described their reactions to an aid package for Israel that is making its way through Congress for President Joe Biden to sign into law. Many Muslim […]

Immigration

Man on terrorist watchlist was dropped from program that monitors migrants The Afghan national was enrolled in Alternatives to Detention, which tracks migrants' locations via ankle monitor, mobile app or phone. It didn’t last long, NBC News has learned.

April 17, 2024   

(NBC) When an Afghan national on the FBI terrorist watchlist was arrested last Thursday after having spent nearly a year in the U.S., immigration officials said he had been enrolled in a program that tracked his location via ankle monitor, mobile app or telephone. But […]

Immigration

Man on terror watchlist was released by Border Patrol With border security funding blocked in Congress, the case illustrates the challenges U.S. officials face in identifying migrants who may pose national security threats.

April 11, 2024 , and   

(NBC) An Afghan migrant on the terrorist watchlist spent nearly a year inside the U.S. after he was apprehended and released by Border Patrol agents last year, U.S. officials told NBC News. The man was arrested in February and then released last […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

White House ramps up defense of embattled Muslim American judicial nominee First to NBC News: Biden’s top aides are pushing the Senate to confirm Adeel Mangi to be a U.S. appeals court judge as Sen. Jacky Rosen becomes the third Democrat to oppose him.

March 27, 2024 and   

(NBC) Facing a potentially devastating Democratic defection in the Senate, the White House is ramping up its fight to confirm an embattled judicial nominee who would be the first Muslim American to serve as a U.S. federal appeals court judge. The White […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Biden nomination of the first Muslim American to a federal appeals court in peril Two Democratic senators said they will oppose the nomination of Adeel Mangi to the powerful 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

March 21, 2024 , and   

(NBC) President Joe Biden’s nomination of Adeel Mangi to be a powerful U.S. circuit court judge is in peril after two Senate Democrats announced they will oppose his nomination. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., have said they will […]

Demonstrations

Michigan Arab and Muslim leaders fuming after second Biden visit this year with no meeting President Joe Biden faces pushback and protest over his support for Israel amid its military action in Gaza.

March 14, 2024 , and   

(NBC) For the second time this year, President Joe Biden visited Michigan without any in-person meetings with members of its Arab American or Muslim communities as he faces protests at campaign events and at the ballot box over Israel’s military action in […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

White House pushes back on GOP attacks on Muslim judicial nominee First to NBC News: The White House said conservatives’ criticisms of Adeel Mangi were driven by Islamophobia.

February 16, 2024   

(NBC) The White House is slamming three Republican senators for leveling what it deems to be “cruel and Islamophobic attacks” at a Biden judicial nominee as part of a larger “smear effort” to discredit the man, who would be the first Muslim […]

Crime

Iranian man and two Hells Angels accused in murder-for-hire plot in U.S. An alleged hitman promised to shoot targets and 'erase his head from his torso,' according to a federal indictment.

January 29, 2024 , and   

(NBC) Two Canadian members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang plotted with an Iranian drug trafficker to kill a pair of dissidents who were living in Maryland, the Justice Department and federal officials said Monday. Naji Sharifi Zindashti, aka “Big Guy,” who […]

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.

November 30, 2023   

(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 […]

Government & Politics

Swing-state Muslim Americans threaten to vote against Biden Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Biden. But community leaders in swing states tell NBC News that the president's handling of the war in Gaza risks losing their support.

October 31, 2023 and   

(NBC) As Israel’s U.S-backed war against Hamas intensifies and Palestinian civilian deaths mount, a growing number of swing-state Muslim American and Arab American leaders are warning President Joe Biden that he is losing support from their communities in ways that could cost […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

With no fanfare or acknowledgment, Biden hosts White House meeting with Muslim leaders 'The optics don’t look good,' an attendee said, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk freely about the discussion with Biden.

October 27, 2023   

(NBC) President Joe Biden quietly hosted a meeting Thursday for a handful of Muslim leaders, according to four sources familiar with the White House gathering, as he faces pressure from the Arab American community over what they contend is his comparative disregard […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

White House increases outreach to Muslim and Arab Americans in face of criticism to Israel-Gaza war response Some aides worry Biden hasn't shown enough empathy for Palestinian civilians and a Muslim community facing anger at home.

October 25, 2023 , , and   

(NBC) Hours before President Joe Biden gave a rare prime-time address last week, his head speechwriter sat down with a group of senior Arab and Muslim American officials to go over the draft and take suggestions. Dissent was sprouting even inside the […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

‘I will never vote Biden’: Some Muslim Americans in a key swing state feel betrayed by the president Muslim and Arab Americans say their support was critical to Biden’s winning Michigan in 2020. Some warn they won’t back him again over his blanket support for Israel.

October 21, 2023 , and   

(NBC) As President Joe Biden declared unwavering support for Israel in the days after Hamas’ terror attack in Israel, Ahmad Ramadan, a former Biden adviser now leading coalition efforts for the Michigan Democratic Party, called the state party chair to raise the […]

Government & Politics

Number of people on terrorist watchlist stopped at southern U.S. border has risen So far in fiscal year 2023, 160 migrants whose identities match those on the list have been stopped trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, compared to 100 in 2022.

September 14, 2023   

(NBC) This year U.S. border agents have encountered a “growing number of individuals” on the FBI’s terrorist watchlist trying to enter the country via the southern border, according to the Homeland Threat Assessment released Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security. As […]

Legal

Ex-soccer star accused of plotting terror with Osama bin Laden found not guilty Nizar Trabelsi was previously convicted in Belgium for planning to attack the Kleine-Brogel Air Base, where U.S. military staff are stationed. He was later extradited to the U.S. for trial.

July 14, 2023 and   

(NBC) In a rare and shocking development, an accused foreign Islamic terrorist was found not guilty Friday by a jury in federal court after a trial on charges he conspired with Osama bin Laden to conduct a suicide bombing on Americans in […]

Legal

Boston Marathon bomber hasn’t paid victims even though thousands were deposited in his fund, officials say Among the deposits was a Covid-19 relief payment for $1,400, prosecutors said.

January 5, 2022 and   

(NBC) Convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hasn’t been paying fines or victims with the tens of thousands of dollars deposited into his trust fund, including a Covid-19 relief payment he received in June, federal prosecutors said in a filing Wednesday. In […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

More than 400 Hill staffers demand House leaders act after Boebert’s anti-Muslim remarks Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., suggested in a video that surfaced online last month that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., had been mistaken for a terrorist.

December 7, 2021 and   

(NBC) More than 400 congressional staff members are calling on House leaders to “categorically reject the incendiary rhetoric” in the workplace following the recent anti-Muslim remarks by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., about Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. “As passionate public servants, we each […]

Legal

ISIS terrorists known as the ‘Beatles’ likely to be brought to U.S. in coming days Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, who are in U.S. military custody in Iraq, are accused of taking part in kidnappings of U.S. aid workers and reporters.

October 6, 2020 and   

(NBC) Two of the British Islamic State terrorists dubbed the “Beatles,” accused of involvement in the murders of U.S. hostages in Syria, are likely to be brought to the United States in mid-October, according to two government officials. The men, Alexanda Kotey […]

News: North America

Terrorism on a budget: Americans who joined ISIS or planned attacks did so with little money Americans supporting ISIS left a much smaller financial footprint than Al Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks, a concerning trend, says a new report.

September 29, 2020   

(NBC) A new report on terrorism financing shows that for most Americans who sought to join or support ISIS, the trip was cheap and the money came easily, making it harder for investigators to track would-be terrorists. “[S]ave for a few exceptions, […]

Government & Politics

AG Barr promises to rule out death penalty for ISIS ‘Beatles,’ victims’ families say The decision breaks an impasse with the British government and appears to clear the way for the two former UK residents to be moved to the U.S. criminal justice system.

August 6, 2020 and   

(NBC) Attorney General William Barr has promised to formally rule out the death penalty for two notorious ISIS detainees to ensure that the British government can provide evidence against them, relatives of the victims told NBC News after speaking with Barr by […]

News: North America

Two of the ISIS terrorists dubbed the Beatles admit involvement in captivity of Kayla Mueller, James Foley In exclusive interviews, the two men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, for the first time admitted their involvement in the captivity of Mueller.

July 23, 2020 , and   

(NBC) Two of the British ISIS terrorists dubbed the “Beatles” further incriminated themselves in the mistreatment of Western hostages in Syria, including Americans Kayla Mueller and James Foley, in interviews obtained exclusively by NBC News. In the interviews, the two men, Alexanda […]

Clothing

Muslim woman arrested in Miami protest forced to remove hijab for booking photo A civil rights attorney called it a 'severe violation of religious freedoms,' but a police spokesman said the department was following protocol.

June 19, 2020   

(NBC) A Muslim woman arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Miami was forced to remove her hijab for a booking photo, which a Muslim civil rights advocate called a “severe violation of religious freedoms.” It also prompted supporters to start […]

Citizenship

U.S.-born ISIS bride says ‘everyone deserves a second chance’ Hoda Muthana says in an interview with NBC News that she worries for the future of her 2-year-old son, Adam, and wants to return home to Alabama.

November 9, 2019 and   

(NBC) An American-born woman who once urged jihadists in America to “go on drivebys, and spill all of their blood,” says she “regrets every single thing” and believes she should be given the option to return to the United States with her […]

News: North America

In letter, ‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh said ISIS ‘doing a spectacular job’ Lindh is set to be released from prison Thursday amid concerns among U.S. authorities that he remains a potentially violent Islamic extremist.

May 22, 2019   

(NBC) John Walker Lindh, the American captured fighting with the Afghan Taliban two months after the 9/11 attacks, is set to be released from prison Thursday amid concerns among U.S. authorities that he remains a potentially violent Islamic extremist, current and former […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Rep. Liz Cheney blasts House Democrats for ‘enabling’ anti-Semitic comments The House Republican said the failure to single out controversial comments by Rep. Omar was an effort to protect her.

March 10, 2019   

(NBC) Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., accused Democrats on Sunday of “enabling” anti-Semitism for failing to explicitly condemn recent comments by a freshman Minnesota Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar, in a recent congressional vote. Cheney, the third-ranking GOP leader in the House, made her […]

Legal

Texan captured in Syria brought back to U.S., charged with trying to aid ISIS Warren Christopher Clark was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces earlier this month and transferred to U.S. custody this week.

January 25, 2019   

(NBC) Warren Christopher Clark, a Texas man recently captured with ISIS fighters in Syria, has been brought back to the U.S. by law enforcement and faces charges of aiding ISIS. Clark was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a largely Kurdish militia, […]

News: North America

American ISIS member Warren Clark says he wanted to see ‘what the group was about’ 'I’m from the United States, from Texas. They like to execute people, too. So I really don’t see any difference,' he said in an exclusive interview.

January 15, 2019   

(NBC) A Texan who says he offered to work as an English teacher for the Islamic State and was captured earlier this month in Syria by U.S.-backed forces said he witnessed executions and crucifixions during the more than three years he spent […]

Government & Politics

Report: Nearly all terror attacks in France carried out by radicals already known to police A GLOBSEC report says nearly 80 percent of attackers behind 22 French incidents had been on terror watchlists; 97 percent had been on radar of authorities.

January 6, 2019   

(NBC) The vast majority of terror attacks in France were carried out by Islamic radicals who had been known to police or intelligence services, according to a new report by a global security think tank. Bratislava-based GLOBSEC examined 22 terror incidents in […]

Clerics & Preachers

To ease Turkish pressure on Saudis over killing, White House weighs expelling Erdogan foe 'Once they realized it was a serious request, the career guys were furious,' a U.S. official said of request tied to Khashoggi killing.

November 15, 2018 , and   

(NBC) The White House is looking for ways to remove an enemy of Turkish President Recep Erdogan from the U.S. in order to placate Turkey over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to two senior U.S. officials and two other people […]