Latest news with #Islamophobia
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Mamdani faces Islamophobic attacks from GOP lawmakers, commentators
Zohran Mamdani, who is poised to become the Democratic nominee in New York's mayoral race, is facing a barrage of Islamophobic attacks from some Republican lawmakers and commentators, drawing condemnations from Muslim rights leaders. Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-Tennessee) referred to Mamdani as 'little muhammad' and wrote on social media this week that he 'needs to be DEPORTED.'
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
MTG Tweets Racist Statue Of Liberty After Zohran Win
Sometimes, just for one blissful moment, I forget just how much Islamophobia this country still breeds. Then, a political candidate like Zohran Mamdani comes along. Republicans (or, let's be real, Americans) stop hiding their hate, and I am shamefully reminded that we have a long, long way to go. If you missed the news this week, Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim New Yorker of Indian descent born in Uganda, shocked the political establishment by definitively defeating Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral Democratic primary election. He currently represents a district in Queens as a member of the New York State Assembly and is a Democratic Socialist. Republicans, including Donald Trump, are pretty publicly flipping out over Mamdani's win, which many have referenced as the beginning of a "Communist" takeover of the United States. Unfortunately, Congressperson Marjorie Taylor Greene has joined their ranks with a blatantly racist AI-generated photo. Early on Wednesday, the morning after Mamdani's win, Greene tweeted this: The image depicts New York's Statue of Liberty replaced with a woman in a burqa, a full-body covering worn by some Muslim women and often vilified by Islamophobes. In Afghanistan, the Taliban requires women to wear the veil, but it is not required by the Quran. It also would most certainly not be required under Mamdani's mayorship. "You are not a serious person. Islamophobia is disgraceful and Unamerican," this person replied. "bet this hits hard if you're stupid," this person simply said. Someone reminded Greene that "The founding fathers were immigrants." This person called her a "disgraceful, disgusting, pathetic human being." A couple of people said she was "doing so well there for a minute," presumably in reference to when she finally seemed to turn the slightest bit against her MAGA ways, boldly disagreeing with the president about his decision to strike Iran. This person wrote that "Your Islamophobia isn't edgy, it's pathetic. You don't hate the hijab, you hate that a Muslim dared to win." "I'm so sorry that other religions and races are scary," someone else wrote. "Y'all are so proud to put your racism on full display," another user said. "This image hits harder, for me," this person said, along with a photo of a woman posing with the noose erected outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Someone told Greene, "You are a racist and should not be in Congress." And finally, people made some truly excellent jokes — because sometimes, all you can do is laugh at the racists. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
India Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Are women in Europe really using pigs to avoid Muslim men?
Viral videos show European women walking pigs, claiming they do it to ward off Muslim refugees. But these clips, including one featuring a pet pig, are being twisted to fuel Islamophobia. This video fact-checks the truth behind these claims and shows how ordinary footage is being hijacked for misinformation online. Watch the video to learn more. #FactCheck #ViralVideo #Islamophobia #PetPig #EuropeNews #Misinformation #RefugeeCrisis #FakeNews #SocialMediaLies
Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Times
Islamophobia definition could have chilling effect, says peer
The government's new Islamophobia definition could stop experts warning about Islamist influence in Britain, a former anti-extremism tsar has warned. Lord Walney said that a review being carried out by Angela Rayner's department should drop the term Islamophobia, or risk 'protecting a religion from criticism' rather than protecting individuals. Ministers launched a 'working group' in February aimed at forming an official definition of what is meant by Islamophobia or anti-Muslim hatred within six months. The group was created because incidents of hate crime in England and Wales aimed at Muslims were at an all-time high, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said. Rayner has been warned that using the term Islamophobia rather than anti-Muslim hate risked efforts to expose malign influence from countries such as Iran being branded as Islamophobia. The Times previously revealed that Iran had developed a 'sophisticated network' across the UK to actively promote propaganda and 'plant seeds of suspicion' against the British government. Walney, a Labour peer who wrote a government review into political violence and disruption, said the government did not need to 'scrap the whole thing' because 'prejudice against Muslims absolutely exists in this country, and we should be alive to it'. He said: 'But by dropping the term Islamophobia you could send a clear message that this is not about protecting a religion from criticism.' Walney said that a previous definition adopted by the Labour Party in the Corbyn years specifically said that referring to Pakistani grooming gangs or 'the idea that there are Islamist organisations in the UK that seek to infiltrate British communities' would have been counted as Islamophobia. The government confirmed that was no longer its position and it made it clear that it would uphold free speech in the terms of reference for the review. But Walney said: 'Where really significant worry remains is that the legal framework, or certainly how it is being interpreted at the moment across the country — when no definition exists — is having a significant chilling effect on freedom of speech.' He also warned that it would be 'toxically damaging for Labour' if the government was seen 'as furthering a process which can be in any way seen to perpetuate or extend that culture' that led to the cover-up of grooming gangs. Rayner's department has been accused by the Conservatives of carrying out the review in secret, because although certain groups would be invited to respond to a consultation on any definition, the public would not be asked to do so. It is also facing a potential legal challenge from the Free Speech Union if the definition is deemed too wide. One group that has been asked to contribute is the National Secular Society, which said any definition would 'not protect Muslims' but would threaten freedom of speech. Stephen Evans, the society's chief executive, said: 'Anti-Muslim bigotry is a genuine issue which threatens the rights and wellbeing of individuals, as well as wider community cohesion. However, attempting to protect Muslims by using an 'Islamophobia' definition is likely to fail, and may even have the opposite effect. 'Such a definition could fuel fears around 'two-tier justice', as well as demands for other 'religionphobia' definitions. It could also hinder free speech around Islam, including the ability to criticise aspects of Islam which may cause harm. 'We believe the government should rethink its approach, and instead tackle anti-Muslim bigotry by promoting and upholding the fundamental human rights we all share as individuals.' The MHCLG said: 'We are absolutely committed to defending freedom of speech and any proposed definition must be compatible with the right to freedom of speech and expression. 'The independent working group has been engaging extensively with a wide range of communities and will provide independent, evidence-based advice to ministers.'
CBC
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Republicans, X accused of spreading racism, Islamophobia in posts about NYC's Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani's Democratic primary upset this week in New York City has sparked anti-Muslim posts that have included death threats and comments comparing his candidacy to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. There were at least 127 violent hate-related reports mentioning the mayoral candidate or his campaign in the day after polls closed, said CAIR Action, an arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group, which logs such incidents. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress including Andy Ogles, Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene have been accused of spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric both by advocates and Democrats. "We call on public officials of every party — including those whose allies are amplifying these smears — to unequivocally condemn Islamophobia," said Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIR Action. Born in Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor if he wins the November general election. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018. The New York City Police Department said earlier this month its hate crime unit was probing anti-Muslim threats against Mamdani. X the biggest offender, advocacy group says Overall, CAIR noted about 6,200 online posts that mentioned some form of Islamophobic slur or hostility in a daylong time frame, which the organizations said was a five-fold increase from a typical day. The advocacy group said its hate-monitoring system includes its own scraping and analysis of posts, online submissions by the public and notifications from law enforcement. About 62 per cent of the anti-Muslim posts against Mamdani originated on X, CAIR Action said. People close to Republican President Donald Trump, including one of his sons, are among those spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric, advocates said. Donald Trump Jr., the president's son, wrote on X on Wednesday that "New York City has fallen," while sharing a post that said New Yorkers had "voted for" Sept. 11. Mace, a Republican House member from Carolina, opined in similar fashion, posting a picture of Mamdani in a type of robe often worn by Muslim men in traditional Islamic ceremonies, with the text: "After 9/11 we said 'Never Forget.' I think we sadly have forgotten." In fact, then-president George W. Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, 2001, to emphasize that the attackers were violent zealots who didn't represent the "true faith of Islam." "Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes," he said. "Moms who wear cover must be not intimidated in America. That's not the America I know. That's not the America I value." Democrats slam Tennessee lawmaker Tennessee's Ogles arguably went the furthest, raising an accusation that Mamdani lied on his citizenship forms while attaching a letter he wrote to Pam Bondi, asking the U.S. attorney general to investigate the matter. "He needs to be DEPORTED. Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalization proceedings," said Ogles, who referred to Mamdani as "little Muhammad." Mamdani enjoyed rapping in earlier years, and Ogles, in his letter to Bondi, cited one rap he alleged expressed support for individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences. "The unhinged racism and xenophobia from my Republican colleagues truly knows no bounds," said House Democrat Nydia Velazquez of New York on X, referring to the Ogles post. Ritchie Torres, also a House Democrat from New York said it was "profoundly unAmerican" to demand the deportation of an American citizen "simply because he is Muslim." "It is no secret that I have profound disagreements with Zohran Mamdani. But every Democrat — and every decent person — should speak out with moral clarity against the despicable Islamophobic attacks that have been directed at him," Torres said in a post from his personal account. House Democrats condemn Andy Ogles: The White House, which did not respond to a request for comment, has denied claims of discrimination against Muslims. Trump and his allies have said they oppose Mamdani and others due to what they call the Democrats' "radical left" ideology. The U.S. president has pursued domestic policies that rights advocates have described as anti-Muslim, including banning travel from some predominantly Muslim or Arab countries in his first term and attempting to deport pro-Palestinian students in his current term. He began commenting on national politics in earnest with the rise of social media, and was the prime driver of a conspiracy theory suggesting former president Barack Obama was not born in the United States and that Hawaiian documents regarding Obama's birth were forgeries. Trump has not commented on Mamdani's religion or ethnicity but characterized him as a "100 per cent communist lunatic" in a social media post this week. Fends off antisemitism allegations Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist and a 33-year-old state lawmaker, declared victory in Tuesday's primary after former New York governor Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat. Cuomo could conceivably still run in November's citywide election; candidates have until Friday to request removal from the ballot. Republicans have called Mamdani antisemitic, citing his pro-Palestinian advocacy and his criticism of Israel's ongoing military assault on Gaza after an attack by Hamas militants in October 2023. Mamdani has condemned antisemitism and has the backing of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is Jewish. Lander also ran in the Democratic primary and the two candidates implored their supporters in the ranked-choice voting to look to the other as a second choice rather than Cuomo. Human rights advocates have noted rising antisemitism and Islamophobia since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, including the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington and the stabbing of a Muslim child in Illinois. Mamdani and other pro-Palestinian advocates, including some Jewish groups, said their criticism of Israel's military action is wrongly conflated with antisemitism.
