Legal

‘Unacceptable risk’: Terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika will stay jailed despite finishing sentence A convicted terrorist who plotted terrifying attacks on major Aussie targets will not be let out of jail despite finishing his sentence.

(NCA NewsWire) A convicted terrorist will stay behind bars despite finishing his sentence after a judge agreed he was an “unacceptable risk” to the community. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney ruled on Christmas Eve that Abdul Nacer Benbrika will spend a […]

Government & Politics

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

(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 […]

Crime

Amirah Droudis: Lindt cafe terrorist Man Monis’s girlfriend has murder sentence slashed The girlfriend of the Lindt cafe terrorist has had nine years slashed from her sentence for murdering the gunman’s wife.

(NCA NewsWire) Man Monis’s lover has had her jail sentence for murdering the Lindt cafe siege gunman’s former wife slashed by nearly 10 years after the Court of Appeal found his thrall over her was broken by his death. Amirah Droudis, 41, […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Colorado rep: ‘As a practising Muslim, Palestinian American, you mobilise advocacy every day’ The 38-year-old daughter of Palestinian immigrants became a trained political scientist after earning a bachelor's degree at the University of Colorado Denver and then a master’s degree in public policy.

(Middle East Monitor) Colorado elected its first Muslim lawmaker in state history, during a night like no other following four years of social, political, and indeed, emotional turmoil. Iman Jodeh is no stranger to the US political arena, which she believes has […]

Government & Politics

‘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

(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 […]

Government & Politics

Supreme Court receptive to damages battle over no-fly list Forecasting a win for four men whom the FBI put on the no-fly list after they refused to spy on fellow Muslims, several U.S. Supreme Court justices saw an implication of private damages in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

(Courthouse News) Several justices with the U.S. Supreme Court hinted Tuesday that a law protecting religious freedoms includes a subtext that would allow individuals to sue government agents for money damages. In the underlying 2013 suit, Muhammad Tanvir accused FBI agents of violating […]

Government & Politics

9/11 conspirator imprisoned in Colorado’s Supermax sues Trump and top U.S. officials, alleging ‘cover up’ Zacarias Moussaoui is serving a life sentence at the federal Supermax prison in Florence

(Denver Post) A man who conspired with the 9/11 hijackers has filed lawsuits from his Colorado prison cell against President Donald Trump, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Attorney General William Barr and more than a dozen other people in […]

Government & Politics

U.S. repatriates last of Islamic State suspects believed captured in Syria The suspects had been held by Syrian forces along with prisoners from other countries whose governments have been reluctant to take back the men.

(NY Times) The United States has repatriated and charged the last Americans believed to be detained in Syria and accused of supporting the Islamic State, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. The move could give the Trump administration a stronger hand in […]

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.

(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, […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

People’s Alliance drops candidate for making Islamophobic comments online Memramcook-Tantramar's Heather Collins will no longer be running for the People's Alliance

(CBC) People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin has dropped one of the party’s election candidates because she complained online about the number of Muslims immigrating to this country. As of Wednesday, Memramcook-Tantramar’s Heather Collins is no longer a candidate for the party — […]

Children & Teens

‘Honor killings’ a false narrative in Lewisville teens’ deaths, Muslim community says After Amina and Sarah Said were found shot to death in 2008, many people were quick to blame their father’s Islamic faith.

(Dallas Morning News) Alia Salem remembers how horrific the killings were, and the photos and videos on the TV news of the two Lewisville girls who died. She also remembers how Muslims in North Texas worked to fight rumors and Islamophobic stereotypes, […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

‘Slap in the face’: Muslims decry Bloomberg’s upcoming appearance at Democratic convention As New York mayor, Bloomberg oversaw a surveillance programme that targeted Muslim community gatherings, businesses and student groups

(Middle East Eye) Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg oversaw a surveillance programme targeting the city’s Muslim community for almost a decade. This week he will be speaking at the Democratic national convention — an event that has so far focused on […]

Government & Politics

‘Dismantle’ racism: Muslim-American Democrats issue platform proposals Coalition of Muslim Democratic delegates puts forward list of recommendations including ending surveillance programmes and US aid to Israel

(Middle East Eye) In 2016, the Democratic Party’s platform sounded an alarm on the harm that a Donald Trump presidency would cause by outlining potential damages to different communities targeted by the then-Republican nominee’s proposals. “The stakes have been high in previous […]