Government & Politics

In run-up to midterms, Muslim groups, mosques push for voter engagement 'The local work is allowing us to expand voting rights so more people can vote for our candidates,' said Nada Al-Hanooti, executive director of Emgage’s Michigan chapter.

(Religion News) Community organizer Nada Al-Hanooti insists local city council politics hold just as much power as elections on the national and federal levels. As proof, she cites voter outreach efforts in southeast Michigan that in 2021 helped elect the city of […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

US may elect first Muslim senator. Why are few Muslims thrilled? Donald Trump-backed Mehmet Oz’s Senate bid fails to produce enthusiasm seen with previous Muslim firsts in US.

(Al-Jazeera) The United States may elect its highest-ranking Muslim official next week — a Donald Trump-backed Republican who has questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 elections. Mehmet Oz, a television personality and retired surgeon of Turkish descent, is running in Pennsylvania against […]

Government & Politics

NGOs call for rejection of IHRA’s anti-Semitism definition in US county A coalition of NGOs are calling for the rejection of a resolution in Montgomery County in Maryland that could make criticism of Israel part of a definition of anti-Semitism, raising wider concerns over free speech.

(New Arab) On a rainy Monday evening at the Montgomery County Council in Maryland, located near Washington, DC, a group of NGOs held a press conference calling on the Council to reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, which would […]

Government & Politics

Arab Americans flex their muscles at the US midterms ballot box Arabic voting ballots available in two Michigan cities as Arab Americans enjoy growing political power

(National-UAE) The upcoming US midterm elections serve as a reminder of how far the Arab American demographic has come in gaining political power and influence. In Dearborn, Michigan — the Detroit suburb long considered the heart of America’s Arab American community — […]

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 […]

Legal

Feds charge Pentagon contractor with lying about ties to ISIS Mohammad Rafi Mohammadi worked for the U.S. in Afghanistan. He was also allegedly helping the terrorist group behind a bombing that killed 13 American troops

(Rolling Stone) Federal prosecutors say a translator hired by the U.S. to work in Afghanistan lied about his contacts with recruiters for the terrorist group behind a notorious bombing that killed 13 American troops in August 2021. In a federal criminal complaint […]

Government & Politics

Mehmet Oz faces backlash from Pennsylvania’s Armenian community over Turkish ties Would-be Republican senator's refusal to recognise genocide has made him persona non grata for many Armenian voters

(National-UAE) For many of the roughly 40,000 Armenian Americans living in Pennsylvania, the Senate race between Democratic candidate John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz is personal and has become focused on a genocide that occurred during the First World War. Oz, a […]

Legal

Canadian man gets 20 years for helping six to join ISIS in Syria The former San Diego resident helped six U.S. and Canadian men to travel to Syria where they died fighting for the Islamic State group.

(Courthouse News) A Canadian man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for helping six U.S. and Canadian citizens, including four of his cousins, travel to Syria and join the Islamic State group. Abdullahi Ahmed Abdullahi, 37, of Edmonton, Alberta, had […]

Government & Politics

Muslims suing over watch-list status say U.S. tactics block scrutiny Those challenging the constitutionality of the ‘No-Fly List’ and Terrorist Screening Database say that when they sue, they get removed, making it impossible to have their concerns heard in court

(Washington Post) Saadiq Long was only allowed to visit his mother after FBI agents questioned her. He was strip-searched at an airport in Amsterdam and arrested when visiting Turkey. He was banned from two Persian Gulf states and fired from a trucking […]

Government & Politics

Georgia’s Muslim community seeking more political engagement in midterm election The Georgia Muslim Voter Project is working to make sure members of their community are prepared for the upcoming midterm election.

(WXIA) The last few weeks have been busy for Shafina Khabani, the staff and the volunteers at the Georgia Muslim Voter Project. Saturday was no different as people unfolded tablecloths and displayed merchandise in preparation for a candidate forum at the Masjid […]

Government & Politics

Pennsylvania Armenians decry Oz’s failure to recognize the Armenian Genocide 'It’s not just genocide denial, it’s the reason why he’s doing it,' said Lorig Baronian, volunteer for the Armenian National Committee of Pennsylvania.

(Philadelphia Inquirer) For Lorig Baronian, the Armenian Genocide is a century-old piece of history that still affects her life today. The descendant of survivors of the genocide, Baronian grew up hearing about the atrocities her ancestors experienced: her great-grandparents meeting in an […]

Government & Politics

NY Gov. Hochul pictured with Dem fundraiser who shared Holocaust denial, other anti-Semitic content Hochul is facing down Republican candidate Lee Zeldin, who is Jewish, for the governor's mansion

(Fox) New York Governor Kathy Hochul took several pictures with a Democrat donor who has a history of sharing anti-Semitic content online, including propagating the conspiracy that six million Jews were not killed in the Holocaust. Hochul, the Democrat governor running for […]

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 […]

Academics & Education

Congress probes Oberlin College prof. with links to Iranian regime A letter sent to Oberlin wants answers on professor's 'apparent leading role in covering up the Iranian regime's atrocities'

(Fox) Two Republican lawmakers from the Committee [on] Education and Labor called for an inquiry Wednesday into Oberlin College’s religion studies professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati due to his reported ties with the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of […]