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ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s opposition party Congress has strongly condemned the police handling of an attack on Muslim youths at a birthday party in Bareilly, calling it evidence of &ldquo;discriminatory practices&rdquo; that embolden fringe right-wing groups in the country&rsquo;s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, Indian media reported. Senior Congress leader Anil Yadav said, &ldquo;Such incidents are a blot on civilized society and raise question marks on rule of law. Instead of taking strict action against anti-social elements who disrupted the celebration and attempted to communalise the environment, the police booked the victims.&rdquo; &lsquo;Discriminatory attitude&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;FIR against the accused is registered only after public outcry.&rdquo; Yadav said, &ldquo;It highlights the discriminatory attitude of the police, which is emboldening the fringe right-wing organizations in Uttar Pradesh. Such occurrences are happening on a daily basis.&rdquo; The attack occurred on December 27 at a restaurant in Prem Nagar, where a first-year BSc Nursing student was celebrating her birthday with friends. Of the nine attendees, two male guests were Muslim. Accusation of &lsquo;love jihad&rsquo;Videos that went viral showed a group of right-wing activists storming the caf&eacute;, raising slogans, and allegedly assaulting the youths, accusing them of &ldquo;love jihad&rdquo;, Indian media reported. A journalist, Mohammed Zubair, shared footage of the reported attack on his X account.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005158144734101928&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0be6aaa2fee7f4e690364f483cdfecd12b20b76c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005158144734101928"></iframe></div></div>According to Indian media, the student said in a video, &ldquo;They barged into my birthday party and assaulted my friend. There were only two Muslims present, and most of the guests were Hindus. The attackers tried to harass and snatch my phone. We were helpless for some time.&rdquo; Punishing the victims&nbsp;Initially, the local police issued challans against the victims and caf&eacute; staff for disturbing the peace, prompting widespread social media outrage. Following the backlash, the police registered FIR 532/25 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Rishabh Thakur, Deepak Pathak, and 20&ndash;25 others for assault, trespass with intent to cause hurt, grievous hurt, and severe criminal intimidation. Ashutosh Shivam, Circle Officer City 1, Bareilly, said, &ldquo;We are identifying the people involved in the assault.&rdquo; Law enforcement failure&nbsp;The Congress criticized the ruling BJP government, saying the incident reflects growing insecurity for minority communities in Uttar Pradesh and a failure of law enforcement to act impartially.

India

Congress condemns police action after a birthday party attack in Bareilly, accusing them of ‘discriminatory practices’; UP Police initially issued challans to victims, but after backlash, an FIR was filed against attackers, highlighting law enforcement bias.

Indian opposition slams police for ‘discriminatory practices’ after Bareilly birthday party attack

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned the uprooting of Muslim families in two localities in the Indian city of Bengaluru, Karnataka, terming it &ldquo;bulldozer raj&rdquo;.&nbsp;Vijayan, who belongs to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI), in a post on X on Friday (December 26) stated: &ldquo;The bulldozing of Faqir Colony and Waseem Layout in Bengaluru, uprooting Muslim families who have lived there for years, exposes the brutal normalization of &ldquo;bulldozer raj&rdquo;.&rdquo;&nbsp; &lsquo;Anti-minority politics&rsquo;Lamenting the situation, he stated, &ldquo;Sadly, the Sangh Parivar&rsquo;s anti-minority politics is now being executed under a Congress Government in Karnataka.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;When a regime rules through fear and brute force, constitutional values and human dignity become the first casualties.&rdquo;&nbsp; Vijayan stressed, &ldquo;All secular and democratic forces must rally together to resist and defeat this insidious trend.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004545028744692212&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=5157be1bb5ef009d41645d0ce50a08cf30f5b118&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2004545028744692212">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to an Indian media report, a demolition drive at Yelahanka last week pulled down more than 200 houses in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony.&nbsp; The operation was reportedly carried out by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited.&nbsp; The report said the houses were removed to clear what were described as &quot;encroachments&quot; on land marked for a proposed waste processing unit. &lsquo;Bulldozer justice&rsquo;In a Facebook post, Vijayan referred to the reported bulldozing of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout, where Muslim families had been living for many years.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/22de3f69-0b66-4464-9455-07520bf3a67a.jpeg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> He said the incident reflected a form of minority-targeting politics seen earlier in north India and warned that such practices were now spreading to the south of the country. The chief minister alleged that entire families were forced out of their homes in harsh winter conditions and pushed onto the streets, leaving them with no choice but to flee. He expressed surprise that what he described as &ldquo;bulldozer justice&rdquo; was carried out under a Congress-led government in Karnataka. Social justice&nbsp;The chief minister questioned how such forced evictions could be justified by a party that claims to stand for social justice.&nbsp; He added that governments should take responsibility for protecting the poor, ensuring housing, and preventing people from being driven out of their homes through the use of force.

According to an Indian media report, a demolition drive at Yelahanka last week pulled down more than 200 houses in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony; the operation was reportedly carried out by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited. 

Kerala CM condemns uprooting of Muslim families in Indian state of Karnataka 

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s civil rights body, People&rsquo;s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has condemned the alleged mob lynching of a Muslim clothes hawker in Bihar, saying the incident reflects growing hatred toward Muslims and has demanded immediate arrests of all the accused. A Muslim clothes hawker, Athar Hussain, in Nawada district of Bihar was allegedly lynched by a mob earlier this month, said an Indian media report on Wednesday. The PUCL has demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused named in the case. The civil rights body has also questioned the state police&#39;s negligence and called for a speedy trial and strict punishment under the law. &lsquo;Growing hatred toward Muslims&rsquo;The incident reflects a &ldquo;gruesome and distorted society and highlights the growing hatred toward Muslims in Bihar. The state must address the matter with sensitivity&rdquo;, it said. PUCL Bihar general secretary Sarfaraz pointed out that while the attackers alleged theft, the victim&rsquo;s wife termed the allegations as false, the Indian media report said. &ldquo;The FIR filed by Athar Hussain&rsquo;s relatives does not include specific sections like Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 103 (murder on grounds like race, caste, or sex, targeting mob violence and hate crimes). This points toward negligence on the part of the police. This is clearly a case of mob lynching and appears to be a case of hate-driven violence,&rdquo; Sarfaraz said. The PUCL also noted the influence of social media as a catalyst that transforms regular groups of people into violent mobs. Hussain, a resident of Gagan Diwan locality in Bihar Sharif town of Nalanda district, was returning home on a bicycle after his day&rsquo;s work of selling clothes on Dec. 5, when a group of people accosted him at Bhatta village in neighboring Nawada district, the report said. Mob assault&nbsp;According to a post on X on Wednesday by journalist CJ Werleman, &ldquo;Mohammad Athar Hussain, a 50-year-old Muslim cloth vendor from Gagan Dih village in Nalanda district, India, was killed late Friday at Biharsharif Sadar Hospital following a mob assault on December 5 in Nawada district&#39;s Roh police station area.&rdquo; &ldquo;Returning by bicycle from door-to-door sales in Dumri village, he was intercepted by six to seven men who verified his identity, robbed him, locked him in a room, compelled him to reveal his religious status, struck him with rods, sticks, bricks, and pliers, stomped on his chest, and doused him with petrol to ignite him.&rdquo; &ldquo;His wife Shabnam Parveen lodged an FIR (police report) claiming religious hatred as the motive, prompting police to detain four suspects amid an active probe,&rdquo; Werleman said in his post. Mercilessly thrashed&nbsp;According to the Indian media report, the mob thrashed the hawker mercilessly, branded him with hot iron tools and burning pieces of wood, cut his ears, broke his fingers, and subjected him to inhuman torture. He was later admitted to Bhagwan Mahaveer Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital at Pawapuri in Nalanda, where he succumbed to his injuries on Dec. 12. The police registered a police report on Dec. 6 based on the statement of his wife, Shabnam Parveen, naming 10 people and stating that they lynched her husband on the charge of theft. The police have arrested eight of the accused so far, and are making efforts to nab the other two, who are absconding. Hate crime&nbsp;The human rights organization demanded an impartial investigation into the lynching of Hussain and called for swift justice, preventive measures by the government to stop mob lynching, inclusion of &lsquo;hate-crime&rsquo; charges in the police report, regulation of hate-filled speeches, crackdown on social media and television channels that spread hatred and animosity, as well as fixing the responsibility of the officials who show negligence in cases of hate and divisive incidents, the report said.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties has demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused named in the case; questions the negligence of the state police and calls for a speedy trial and strict punishment according to the law.

Bihar mob lynching shows growing hatred toward Muslims: India’s civil rights body 

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has publicly rebuked several opposition leaders through an Islamophobic &ldquo;movie poster&rdquo; shared on X, accusing them of being sympathetic to Muslims and &ldquo;intruders.&rdquo; The mock poster, posted by the official BJP Delhi account, features India&rsquo;s Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party founder and national convener Arvind Kejriwal, and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav wearing Muslim skullcaps.&nbsp; The image is titled &ldquo;Ghuspaithiyon Ke Bhaijaan&rdquo; and includes the captions &ldquo;Directed by: Rahul Gandhi,&rdquo; &ldquo;Produced by: Mamata Banerjee,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Supporting Role: Arvind Kejriwal.&rdquo; It was shared alongside the message: &ldquo;The most trouble from SIR is faced by these sympathizers of the intruders.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1995374749728522248&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6bc66bbe3b23caf8095de451d9a26e689bb3eb87&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 754px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The post comes amid growing criticism from opposition parties over the Election Commission of India (ECI)&#39;s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters&rsquo; list. Rahul Gandhi, in a statement on X, had earlier questioned why the BJP had raised no objections to the revision process. &ldquo;Why doesn&#39;t BJP have any complaints against SIR? Haven&#39;t the names of their voters been deleted?&rdquo; he wrote.&nbsp; &ldquo;So far in this journey, I&#39;ve met thousands of such people whose names have been removed from the voter list in SIR &mdash; mostly poor, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, farmers, and laborers.&rdquo; Gandhi further alleged that &ldquo;It&#39;s absolutely clear &mdash; EC and BJP are working together to erase the opposition&#39;s votes.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1959530288192905270&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6bc66bbe3b23caf8095de451d9a26e689bb3eb87&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to Indian media, the second phase of SIR is being implemented across 12 states and territories, including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. Earlier this year, a similar revision took place in Bihar ahead of its November 6 state elections. The process resulted in the removal of approximately 6.5 million names, which the ECI stated was necessary to prevent the inclusion of &ldquo;foreign illegal immigrants,&rdquo; according to AFP.

India’s BJP shared an Islamophobic mock ‘movie poster’ depicting opposition leaders in skullcaps, accusing them of aiding 'intruders,' amid disputes over a voter-list revision that Rahul Gandhi says disproportionately remove poor and minority opposition voters.

India’s ruling BJP posts Islamophobic ‘movie poster’ targeting opposition

ISLAMABAD: A British member of parliament has urged political leaders and the media to take greater responsibility in challenging rising Islamophobia across the UK. In a message shared to mark Islamophobia Awareness Month, Labour MP&nbsp;for Nottingham East, Nadia Whittome, warned that Muslim communities continue to face threats, discrimination, and attacks on places of worship, violence she says is being fueled by &ldquo;Islamophobic and anti-migrant rhetoric from far-right politicians and large sections of the media.&rdquo; &ldquo;We stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends and neighbors,&rdquo; Whittome wrote. &ldquo;All of us, but especially those in power, have a responsibility to challenge the normalization of such hatred.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1993365377561063628&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c898a2a62ba7bb9baa026934ecf67f8368aff73a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Her comments come amid ongoing concerns raised by community groups and rights organizations about the escalation of anti-Muslim incidents nationwide. Several mosques have reported targeted harassment this year, while advocacy groups have called for stronger government action and clearer commitments to countering hate speech. Whittome, who also serves on the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee and is a member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, has been an outspoken critic of discriminatory rhetoric in public life. She emphasized that Islamophobia Awareness Month should serve as a reminder for institutions to strengthen protections for minority communities and promote social cohesion. Islamophobia Awareness Month, held each November, includes educational campaigns, community events, and initiatives aimed at challenging stereotypes and addressing the impact of anti-Muslim prejudice across the UK.

United Kingdom

Nadia Whittome warns that Muslim communities continue to face threats, discrimination, and attacks on places of worship.

British parliamentarian calls for action against rising Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD: Australian lawmaker Pauline Hanson was suspended from the senate on Tuesday for wearing a burqa to the parliament, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.&nbsp;Pauline, who wore a burqa to parliament in 2017 as well, is the leader of the anti-immigration One Nation party. She was banned from the legislative body for seven days.&nbsp;The lawmaker wanted to vote on legislation to ban burqas in public places, which was blocked and not approved. In response, Pauline left the session and returned wearing a black burqa.&nbsp;Her display was met with outrage from her fellow senators.&nbsp;Australian Greens leader in the Senate, Larissa Waters, described the act, saying, &quot;It is extremely racist and unsafe,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who also serves as leader of the government in the Senate, condemned it as &quot;disrespectful.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;All of us in this place have a great privilege in coming into this chamber,&quot; Wong said.&nbsp;She added, &quot;We represent in our states people of every faith, of all backgrounds. And we should do so decently.&quot;&nbsp;Hanson has described Islam as &quot;a culture and ideology that is incompatible with our own.&quot;

Australasia

Australian senator Pauline Hanson was suspended after wearing a burqa to push for a public ban. Her stunt sparked outrage from fellow lawmakers, who condemned it as racist, unsafe, and disrespectful toward diverse communities nationwide.

Australia suspends senator following Islamophobic burqa stunt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday urged D-8 member states to adopt a unified media strategy to counter Islamophobia, extremism, and the rising tide of global misinformation, as Information Minister Attaullah Tarar addressed the D-8 Media Forum in Baku. Tarar cautioned that the global information ecosystem had been transformed by rapid digitalization, saying the world had moved &ldquo;from print to electronic and now to digital media,&rdquo; creating new vulnerabilities for societies. &ldquo;Disinformation distorts public perception, fuels polarization and weakens institutional trust,&rdquo; he warned. He highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s demographic strength as a key driver of digital change, noting 117 million internet users, nearly 80 million social media users, and a population in which 68 percent is under 30. According to him, this youthful segment &ldquo;has become a vital force in shaping narratives, particularly during crises.&rdquo; Recalling Pakistan&rsquo;s experience during heightened tensions with India, he noted that &ldquo;young citizens collaborated with media houses and digital platforms to disseminate timely and accurate information,&rdquo; saying Gen Z &ldquo;played a vital role in countering misinformation during the information war.&rdquo; Tarar called for a collective D-8 code of conduct to promote responsible communication, saying the forum provides an opportunity &ldquo;to guide Gen Z on the positive use of social media&rdquo; while bridging the divide between &ldquo;digital immigrants and digital natives.&rdquo; Welcoming the establishment of Azerbaijan&rsquo;s Media Excellence Center, he urged deeper collaboration through a joint working group, shared training programs, and workshops on crisis reporting, digital forensics, and counter-disinformation practices. He proposed creating unified communication platforms for the bloc, saying: &ldquo;I would also like to propose the creation of social media handles of the D8 Media Forum.&rdquo; &ldquo;Through which member countries can put forward the narratives of economic development, of uplifting the people of our countries,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Providing a platform to counter Islamophobia, counter terrorism and to put out a narrative of common development of D8 countries.&rdquo; Tarar also called for a bloc-wide fact-checking mechanism and proposed the &ldquo;Baku Declaration of Media Collaboration&rdquo; as a roadmap for long-term media cooperation. Addressing emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence, he said, &ldquo;AI-generated videos must be clearly labeled so users can distinguish synthetic content from authentic material,&rdquo; urging the D-8 to consider adopting shared ethical guidelines. Reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s readiness to deepen cooperation, Tarar said Pakistan stands prepared &ldquo;to promote peace, credibility, crisis preparedness, and an information environment where truth prevails over misinformation.&rdquo; He thanked the Government of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Haider Aliyev, Hikmet Hajiyev, and the D-8 Secretariat for hosting the forum, expressing hope that the gathering would strengthen collaborative media practices and contribute to a peaceful and prosperous future for the D-8 nations.

Foreign Affairs

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says divide between tech-savvy youth and older citizens defines current society. Younger demographics now drive public discourse, especially during emergencies.

In Baku, Pakistan proposes unified D-8 media strategy against Islamophobia

Maham Khan

24 years ago, the twin towers fell in Lower Manhattan, reshaping not just the skyline but the lived reality of every Muslim in America. This January, Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in as New York City&#39;s 111th mayor&mdash;its first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born leader.&nbsp; The geographic irony is almost too perfect: a Muslim mayor taking office in the very city whose police department once mapped every mosque within 100 miles, where &quot;wearing traditional Islamic clothing&quot; was listed as a radicalization indicator, where informants infiltrated wedding parties and college rafting trips in the name of counterterrorism. The distance between those two moments&mdash;between surveillance subject and City Hall&mdash;tells a story not just of individual achievement but of collective survival, political awakening, and the hard-won transformation of a community that refused to disappear. Since at least 2002, the NYPD&#39;s Intelligence Division engaged in what can only be described as systematic religious profiling. The Demographics Unit mapped 28 &quot;ancestries of interest&quot; associated with Muslim populations while explicitly excluding non-Muslims like Coptic Christian Egyptians or Iranian Jews. Undercover officers embedded themselves in mosques, bodegas, coffee shops, and barber shops. Their job, according to civil liberties groups, was to &quot;live the life of a fake Muslim&quot; inside these communities. The statistics are staggering: anti-Muslim hate crimes jumped from 28 incidents in 2000 to 481 in 2001 alone. But numbers can&#39;t capture what surveillance does to a community&#39;s soul. As Dr. Debbie Almontaser, a longtime Muslim advocate, testified: &quot;The community was traumatized because of how invasive the surveillance was.&quot; Trust evaporated&mdash;not just between Muslims and law enforcement, but among Muslims themselves. You couldn&#39;t be certain your neighbor wasn&#39;t an informant. Abdullah Ahmad, a Pakistani-American Brooklynite, who grew up in the 2000s, remembers this atmosphere vividly. &quot;Growing up in New York, it was a lot of Islamophobia,&quot; he recalls. &quot;That smear campaign mentality, the stigmatism that came from the Bush administration and everything after, it shaped how we moved through the world.&quot; Yet this is also where the story turns. Because surveillance, for all its trauma, had an unintended consequence: it politicized a generation. When your community is under siege, you have two choices:&nbsp;retreat or organize. New York&#39;s Muslims chose organization. Mamdani&#39;s victory carries symbolic weight that no single person should have to bear. A 2017 Pew Research survey found that 75% of US&nbsp;Muslims agreed there is &quot;a lot of discrimination&quot; against their community. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion noted that &quot;widespread negative representations of Islam, fear of Muslims generally, and counterterrorism policies have served to perpetuate, validate and normalize discrimination.&quot; Into this climate steps a 34-year-old who spent his early years in Uganda and Cape Town, a &quot;third culture kid&quot; who once worked as a foreclosure prevention counselor in Queens. He&#39;s being asked to represent not just eight million New Yorkers but, symbolically, 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Yeliz Coban, a Turkish-American Brooklynite,&nbsp;understands this weight differently. &quot;It feels like being heard,&quot; she says simply. &quot;Not just being spoken at or spoken about, but truly listened to. It feels like someone who understands both the quiet resilience and the heavier burdens that Muslim communities have carried. His win isn&#39;t just symbolic&mdash;it&#39;s emotional. It feels like the city finally made space for us at the table.&quot; But the political opposition Mamdani faces reveals how precarious this moment remains. President Trump branded him a &quot;communist&quot; and vowed &quot;political retribution.&quot; Sitting members of Congress used fear-mongering, warning that his election would cause &quot;another 9/11.&quot; Trump even endorsed independent Andrew Cuomo&mdash;his political opponent&mdash;to prevent a Muslim from leading America&#39;s largest city. Masroor Jehangiri, a Pakistani-American living and studying in Staten Island, a predominantly Republican-leaning borough of NYC, feels both pride and anxiety. &quot;As a Muslim, I certainly feel proud and enabled that a person from our background can now become mayor of one of the greatest cities in the world,&quot; he says. &quot;This also comes with worry about how much Mamdani can actually deliver seeing how bad the political opposition has gotten. But I&#39;m glad his campaign revealed the mindsets of the politicians that lead us.&quot; Here&#39;s what makes Mamdani&#39;s victory genuinely transformative rather than merely symbolic: he didn&#39;t win by running away from controversy or making himself palatable to power. He won by building the largest grassroots campaign in New York history&mdash;100,000 volunteers knocking on three million doors. He won by centering economic justice: freezing rents for two million New Yorkers, making buses free, creating universal childcare, building 200,000 affordable housing units. &quot;A year ago, almost nobody had heard of Zohran Mamdani,&quot; Masroor notes. &quot;He used social media and multiple mediums to connect with younger generations, but he was also out on the streets doing ground work, genuinely connecting with everyday New Yorkers. For the first time, we witnessed a politician being genuine and honest,&nbsp;who doesn&#39;t seem trained to say certain answers but rather knows what answers people want.&quot; Abdullah saw this authenticity firsthand. &quot;Zohran has been a person of the community since the very beginning. He can speak to folks in Harlem because of his Ugandan background, or with all the desis [South Asians] in Jackson Heights.&nbsp;I recently had friends who went out for Halloween, and he was at the clubs speaking. No other politician would do that. I went to Yemeni delis, and they still have his posters up.&quot; This matters because it reframes the narrative. Mamdani isn&#39;t asking Muslims to be grateful for a seat at the table&mdash;he&#39;s reorganizing the entire table around working people&#39;s needs. South Asian voter turnout in the 2025 NYC primary increased by 40% compared to 2021, not because of identity politics but because a candidate finally spoke to their lived economic reality. The path from surveillance to City Hall wasn&#39;t inevitable, it was built. Built by Muslims who refused to self-censor out of existence, who organized despite fear, who raised their children to claim space rather than apologize for occupying it. Abdullah captures this generational shift perfectly: &quot;This 9/11 rhetoric is sort of ending. Yeah, you can instill fear from the Trump administration or Cuomo or whatever. But I think love and hope trumps all of that.&quot; Yeliz&#39;s hopes are more personal but no less powerful: &quot;My prayer is that Mamdani leads with integrity, keeps his promises, and shows this city that representation isn&#39;t something to fear but something that can expand our collective sense of belonging. If he does that, even those hesitant now will see that this moment isn&#39;t a threat, it&#39;s an opportunity.&quot; 24&nbsp;years ago, Muslim New Yorkers became surveillance subjects in their own city. Today, one of their own will lead it. That transformation didn&#39;t erase Islamophobia or solve systemic discrimination. But it proved something more important: that communities under siege can organize their way to power, that the children of immigrants can reshape the cities that once profiled them, that the distance between &quot;suspect community&quot; and City Hall is shorter than it looks&mdash;if you&#39;re willing to knock on three million doors. The future isn&#39;t certain, but it&#39;s no longer being written about Muslims. It&#39;s being written by them.

Articles

The geographic irony is almost too perfect: a Muslim mayor taking office in the very city whose police department once mapped every mosque within 100 miles.

New York once surveilled its Muslims, now Zohran Mamdani leads it

WASHINGTON: Zohran Mamdani &rsquo;s swift rise in New York City&rsquo;s mayoral race has made him into a national symbol &mdash; both as a point of pride among many Muslim Americans and a political foil for the right.&nbsp; His campaign has been met by a surge in anti-Muslim language directed at the Democratic nominee, who would become the city&rsquo;s first Muslim mayor if elected in November. Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee called him &ldquo;little [M]uhammad&rdquo; and urged deportation. On social media, GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina referenced 9/11 alongside a photo of Mamdani dressed in a kurta, a loose collarless shirt common in South Asia. Far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed without evidence that &ldquo;NYC is about to see 9/11 2.0.&rdquo; On many levels, Mamdani&rsquo;s run is a significant moment for the country and New York City, which endured 9/11 and the rise in Islamophobia that followed. &ldquo;He really does hold so much symbolism,&rdquo; said Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University. The campaign is a reminder of anti-Muslim discrimination, he said, but also of Muslim Americans asserting their right &quot;to lead this society moving forward.&rdquo; Politicians from both major parties have attacked Mamdani&rsquo;s progressive politics and criticism of Israel. Conservatives have leaned more heavily into religious attacks and anti-immigrant sentiments. President Donald Trump singled him out for censure and falsely questioned his U.S. citizenship, echoing &ldquo;birther&rdquo; rhetoric he once aimed at former President Barack Obama. At the National Conservatism Conference, multiple speakers used Mamdani&rsquo;s name and religion as attack lines, with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon calling the democratic socialist a &ldquo;Marxist and a jihadist.&rdquo; The rhetoric is all too familiar for many Muslim Americans, including Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, who faced slurs and death threats as the first Muslim woman to run for Congress in New Jersey in 2020. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re at a crossroads,&rdquo; she said via email. &ldquo;On one hand, Muslims are achieving unprecedented visibility and influence in political spaces. On the other, our dehumanization has never been so normalized and widespread.&rdquo; The threat of political violence Before his assassination last month, conservative activist Charlie Kirk wrote on social media that, &ldquo;America&rsquo;s largest city was attacked by radical Islam 24 years ago, and now a similar form of that pernicious force is poised to capture city hall.&rdquo; On his show, Kirk called Mamdani a &ldquo;Mohammedan,&rdquo; an antiquated term for Muslim, and warned about &ldquo;Anglo centers&rdquo; like New York coming &ldquo;under Mohammedan rule.&rdquo; Mamdani condemned Kirk&rsquo;s killing while decrying America&#39;s plague of political violence. In September, a Texas man was charged with making death threats against Mamdani, including calling him a terrorist and saying &ldquo;Muslims don&rsquo;t belong here,&rdquo; prosecutors said. Mamdani&rsquo;s campaign responded by saying these types of threats &ldquo;reflect a broader climate of hate that has no place in our city.&rdquo; &ldquo;We cannot and will not be intimidated by racism, Islamophobia and hate,&rdquo; the statement read. Islamophobia from 9/11 until now Anti-Muslim bias has persisted in different forms since September 11, 2001. New York City police ran a now-disbanded Muslim surveillance program. There was furor in 2010 over plans to build a Muslim community center in lower Manhattan. Nationwide, dozens of states introduced legislation aimed at banning Islamic law. &ldquo;At its core, anti-Muslim rhetoric is the same: that Muslims don&rsquo;t belong in this country, that they are perpetual foreigners, that they are a threat to American society and government,&rdquo; said Eman Abdelhadi, a sociologist at the University of Chicago. Critics of Obama, a Christian with Muslim ancestry, sought to use his connections to Islam as a political liability. As president, he spoke about his childhood years in Indonesia and his father&rsquo;s Muslim family in Kenya as assets in diplomacy. Trump amplified criticisms of Obama&rsquo;s background, stoking so-called &ldquo;birther&rdquo; rumors by falsely questioning whether Obama was born in the US. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s really created this new permission structure for people to more openly voice their anti-Muslim rhetoric,&rdquo; Chouhoud said. A similar playbook is being used with Mamdani. Born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, he has lived in New York City since he was 7 and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He was elected to the state Assembly in 2020. Despite that record, Trump has echoed a false allegation denying Mamdani&rsquo;s citizenship and immigration status. Democrats and the backdrop of the Israel war on Gaza&nbsp;Islamophobia and antisemitism have risen during the war in Gaza. Accusations of both have played out in the race for mayor of New York, a city home to the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in the US. Before dropping out, Mayor Eric Adams joined another Democrat, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in calling Mamdani &ldquo;dangerous.&rdquo; Cuomo accused him of &ldquo;fueling antisemitism&rdquo; with sharp criticism of Israel. An outside group supporting Cuomo, who&#39;s now running as an independent, prepared a flyer that appeared to lengthen and darken Mamdani&rsquo;s beard, which Mamdani called &ldquo;blatant Islamophobia.&rdquo; Cuomo&#39;s campaign disavowed it and the mailer was never sent. Other Democrats have distanced themselves from Mamdani&rsquo;s progressive platform, critiques of Israel and staunch support for Palestinian rights. Senator&nbsp;Kirsten Gillibrand of New York apologized to Mamdani after incorrectly saying he referenced &ldquo;global jihad.&rdquo; At issue was his refusal to condemn other people&#39;s use of the slogan &ldquo;globalize the intifada.&rdquo; He later said he would discourage its use. Some see the phrase as a call for Palestinian liberation and rights, others as a call for violence against Jews. In an emotional news conference ahead of his primary win in June, Mamdani accused his rivals of using antisemitism to score political points. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve said at every opportunity there is no room for antisemitism in this city, in this country.&rdquo; Pride and hope from fellow Muslims Despite the controversies, many American Muslims are upbeat about a possible Mamdani victory. &ldquo;The abiding emotion ... is a really deep sense of hope,&rdquo; said Chouhoud, whose Brooklyn accent speaks to his New York roots. Shahana Hanif, a Mamdani ally and the first Muslim woman elected to the New York City Council, is optimistic. She said Islamophobia is being used as a fear tactic &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s just not working.&rdquo; Hanan Thabet, a born-and-raised New Yorker and a Mamdani supporter, said his campaign has energized her family after two years of grief over the killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. So much so that her children &mdash; ages 10 and 8 &mdash; helped her phone bank for him. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re super excited to see this young, energetic, brown man, Muslim man, you know, potentially be our next mayor.&rdquo; As a mother, she feels like it&#39;s &ldquo;impossible to explain why it has become so socially acceptable to dehumanize Muslims and Arabs, and why our lives seem to matter the least.&rdquo; &ldquo;That is what makes Zohran&rsquo;s candidacy not only historic,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but necessary.&rdquo;

NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani participates during a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks in New York, Thursday, September 11, 2025. (AP)

Americas

Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral run inspires hope among Muslims but faces intense Islamophobic attacks, political violence threats, and controversy amid rising Islamophobia and antisemitism linked to the Israel war in Gaza.

Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid sparks rise in anti-Muslim vitriol

BELGRADE:&nbsp;Serbian prosecutors said Tuesday they had questioned 11 people who had been arrested over hate-motivated acts in France and Germany, including defacing Jewish sites and placing pig heads near mosques. The 11 people, whose arrests were announced on Monday, were allegedly trained by another suspect, &quot;acting under the instructions of a foreign intelligence service&quot; who is &quot;currently on the run&quot;, the interior ministry said earlier. Rising anti-Muslim hatred&nbsp;Nine heads of pigs, considered impure in Islam, were found in early September outside mosques in Paris and the surrounding region, sparking outrage and alarm over rising-anti-Muslim hatred. In late April, the Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues and a restaurant in Paris were defaced with green paint. Three Serbs have since been charged and jailed in France as part of the investigation. On Tuesday, the group of 11, identified by their initials only, were questioned at the Higher Public Prosecutor&#39;s Office in Smederevo, the office said in a statement to AFP. They were arrested on suspicion of associating to &quot;commit criminal offences of racial and other discrimination and espionage&quot;, the statement added. Remanded in custody&nbsp;After the questioning, during which eight suspects presented their defense while three remained silent, the prosecutors proposed that nine of them be remanded in custody for up to 30 days. They cited as the reason the risk of flight, the possibility of obstructing judicial proceedings by influencing accomplices and witnesses, and the likelihood of repeating the offence within a short period of time. For the remaining two suspects, the prosecutors proposed that they be put under house arrest. An investigating judge is to decide on the prosecutor&#39;s proposal. Monday&#39;s arrests took place in the Serbian capital Belgrade, and in Velika Plana, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the south.

Europe

Serbian prosecutors questioned 11 suspects over hate-motivated acts in France, including placing pig heads near mosques. They face charges of discrimination and espionage, and were allegedly trained by a foreign intelligence-linked fugitive.

Articles tagged with "Islamophobia"