But more than two months on, the promised Islamophobia equivalent hasn’t been appointed, leading to concern within some influential parts of the Islamic community.

The Australian National Imams Council’s Bilal Rauf has labelled the delay “very disappointing and concerning” and has called for urgent action.

“I think it needs to occur this month, in the matter of a week or two,” he said.

“Any longer than that, it almost does become farcical, and one begins to question: ‘what’s the point?’.”

As the weeks without an Islamophobia envoy roll on, he said there’s a growing sense of scepticism and disappointment within parts of the community.

“We’re hearing of wonderful progress being made and steps being taken by the anti-Semitism [envoy] engaging with different departments and organisations, and yet nothing has happened in the space of Islamophobia,” Mr Rauf said.

“Some of the questions that we are getting on the ground are: Is this legitimate? Is there a real intent, or is this just a show?”

Candidates speak out

Chief executive of the Islamic College of Brisbane, Ali Kadri, said he was approached by the government in relation to the Islamophobia envoy position “about a month” ago.

He decided against taking the full-time role due to his current responsibilities, but said he had a candid conversation with Multicultural Affairs Minister Tony Burke.

“He asked me for my opinion and my opinion was, and it still remains, that this can’t be seen as some bureaucratic government role,” he said.

“If anyone who takes that position does not engage at the grassroots with the wider community and within Muslim community, then that position will not be effective in countering Islamophobia.”

Mr Kadri expressed disappointment that the appointment process had taken so long and said it should be finalised “as soon as possible”, but added that finding the right candidate would not be easy for the federal government.

“The anti-Semitism envoy was appointed quite quickly and swiftly,” he said. “The Muslim community is a lot more complex.”

Western Sydney general practitioner Jamal Rifi put his name forward for the role and met with government representatives, but pulled out of the running due to a change in circumstances.

Dr Rifi isn’t confident one person will be able to win the support of Australia’s large and diverse Muslim community but he’s pleased the position is being created.

“The impact is not going to come from the envoy himself or herself. It’s going to come from the community,” he said.

“But the envoy will have a role to play, providing facts and statistics, so the community and the government can respond in their own specific way.”

With the issues of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism highlighted in the wake of the conflict in Gaza, Dr Rifi said it was right for there to be allocated positions to counter their rise.

“It’s proper for the government to quantify it, study it, analyse it, and find ways to combat it, because [we] will be a better nation for doing so.”

‘Soon’, ‘shortly’, ‘imminent’ — but when?

In early July, the Albanese government said the appointment of the Islamophobia envoy would be announced “shortly”.

Since then variations of that word have been used to signal an announcement was imminent, but no specific time frame has been set.

Meanwhile, the anti-Semitism envoy’s work is underway. On Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Segal appeared before a Senate committee to call for a judicial inquiry into anti-Semitism at Australian universities.

She told the inquiry that anti-Semitism was “embedded” in campuses and that it was her view that this was not fully understood by management.

“They do not appreciate the extent of the difficulty, they don’t appreciate the extent of the embedded anti-Semitism,” she said.

Mr Rauf said the appointment of an Islamophobia envoy needed to be prioritised by the government.

“It is absolutely critical and urgent that steps are taken very soon to appoint someone, in circumstances where this was announced months ago, and the anti-Semitism envoy is well underway and established and already doing things,” he said.

When asked if a shortlist had been finalised and when an appointment would be made, a spokesperson for Tony Burke said “consultation on the appointment continues”.

“The rise of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism is of grave concern to this government,” the statement read.

Source: ABC News

As the world gets ready to celebrate sport and the best athletes and coaches in the world, there is a push by Olympic organizers to emphasize gender equality at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

On March 8, 2024 (not coincidentally International Women’s Day), the International Olympic Committee announced there would be complete gender parity on the field at this summer’s Games.

“We are about to celebrate one of the most important moments in the history of women at the Olympic Games, and in sport overall,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.

But the reality is that gender parity doesn’t necessarily mean open to all women. There are a number of women who have been dreadfully left behind in all the excitement about women athletes and by the hosts who claim to be celebrating their existence.

France bans women in hijab (an Islamic headscarf) from participating in sport. As the Olympic host, France could not ban athletes from all around the world from wearing a headscarf, so they banned their own athletes instead. When this was announced last September, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said: “No one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear, or not wear.”

How can France claim to champion women when it is stripping them away from sport in a move that is blatantly opposed to the IOC’s own human rights framework? The Olympic Charter states clearly: “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”

France claims that secularism, which is at the heart of French identity, is at risk of being compromised by Muslim women in headscarves on the field of play. And because the country has determined that athletes representing France are technically public servants, then a strict regime of secularism is required. Recreational leagues and teams are not permitted to allow hijabs anywhere near the court, field or gym.

Why is a hijab-clad woman sprinting down the sideline and scoring a goal for France considered a threat to identity? How including women in sport, and showing solidarity with them as they choose to act on their personal rights of religious expression, is bad? Why not grow sport in different communities in France and let Black and brown women who are deeply connected to sport play and enjoy life? Apparently there’s no joie de vivre allowed for you in sports if you are a Muslim woman who chooses to cover.

Earlier this week, Amnesty International released a report about the violations of Muslim women’s and girls’ rights because of the hijab sports ban in France.

It’s baffling and enraging to read the testimonies of many of the athletes from Muslim communities who are not permitted to play. The groups like Sports & Rights Alliance, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch sent a letter to the IOC objecting to the ban and demanded that they “publicly call on sporting authorities in France to overturn all bans on athletes wearing the hijab in French sport, both at Paris 2024 and at all times and all levels of sport.”

There are groups like Les Hijabeuses and Basket Pour Toutes that continue to play and advocate publicly for hijab-wearing athletes. They hold festivals and tournaments but they are not included in any recognized type of sport in France and have no possibility of further opportunities.

On the same day that the IOC released its own statement about gender parity, more than 80 athletes, including WNBA stars Natasha Cloud, Layshia Clarendon, USA Olympian Breanna Stewart and Olympic medallist fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad signed an open letter to urge the French Federation of Basketball (FFBB) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to immediately overturn the hijab ban and uphold international human rights laws and standards in sports.

The IOC replied that discrimination of this kind is against the Olympic Charter, but added, “freedom of religion is interpreted in many different ways by sovereign states. This is reflected in national approaches to sport, too. In practice, the wearing of the hijab, veil or headscarf is highly debated in many countries.”

The letter then asserted that competing for French national teams meant those athletes are civil servants and must adhere to te “principles of secularism and neutrality.” Basically, athletes and participants have to adhere to principles of the Olympic host nation even if those principles are against the actual Olympic Charter.

This ban on hijab that is meant to uphold French identity isolates and marginalizes French Muslim women even more. It seems almost surreal that the Olympics are being hosted by a country that actively and ruthlessly excludes women from sport.

Source: CBC News

“Why do you wear the hijab?” is a question I’m often asked. Whether it’s by well-intentioned and genuinely curious people, those who think I’m doing a disservice to feminism, men who think I would look better without it or others with pure vitriol towards women like me. Well, it’s been 10 years since I began wearing the hijab and here is why I do.

I was around 14-years-old, growing up in a small town in the West Midlands and had recently begun practicing my faith when I first put it on. I was born and raised Muslim, but found a new connection to my faith during the Islamic month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from sunrise until sunset as a way to gain a better consciousness of God. It was the change I needed in my life and wearing the hijab felt like a way to affirm that.

By wearing the hijab, I’m constantly reminded to practice my faith and be the best version of myself due to being a visual representation of my religion. Whether that means going out of my way to help someone in need, giving plentifully in charity or keeping my mouth shut when people walk slowly in front of me during rush hour in London.

It also provides me with an instant sisterhood and sense of solidarity with other visibly Muslim women (there’s nothing quite like the friendships made in prayer rooms and swapping modest fashion tips) and invites people to judge me based on my character, over my hair or body. Overall, Muslim women wear the hijab for a plethora of reasons and it can be a difficult choice, which I’ve found now to be the case now more than ever.

Sometimes, it’s the little things. I’ve noticed people making judgements about me or appear surprised when I’m articulate, funny or opinionated as they don’t expect Muslim women to be any of those things, as if there is a covering over our mouths rather than our heads (side note, for the women I know who do wear full face veils such as the niqab, they’re some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.)

At worst, it’s the constant discrimination and feeling at risk. For the most part, I’ve been lucky apart from ignorant comments, some shouting and intense stares. Recently, though, I witnessed an older, hijab-wearing woman being called a terrorist and a member of Hamas on a busy London bus. Many of my friends have had similar or worse experiences, such as having their hijabs pulled off and being threatened with physical violence.

Tell MAMA, a charity which records anti-Muslim incidents in the UK, has reported a 600 per cent increase in Islamophobic incidents since Hamas’ attacks in Israel on 7th October, which makes wearing the hijab tougher than ever. Journalist Nadeine Asbali articulates such feelings brilliantly in her book, ‘Veiled Threat’. “[Our] existence is built on the precarious grounds of policy and stereotype, penned in between the twin oppressions of misogyny and Islamophobia,” she writes.

“Our voices drowned out by the endless din of those seeking to save us and others condemning our covered bodies as foreign, menacing, un-British,” Nadine continues. It can be exhausting and dehumanizing to constantly have to prove your humanity to those who simply do not wish to see it, based on stereotypes and misjudgments incited by parts of the media, exclusionary feminist discourses, outright racists and more.

So, despite this, why do I still choose to wear the hijab? Well, it’s become a core part of my identity. It’s a constant reminder for me to practice my faith without fear, better my character and it’s become a normal part of my daily routine. To take off my hijab would be to dilute who I am in hopes of appeasing those who refuse to accept me, either way.

On this World Hijab Day, an annual event founded in 2013, I feel a greater sense of purpose, belonging and empowerment as a visibly Muslim woman. I’m inspired by those around me who show strength in the face of discrimination, trailblazers increasing representation in their industries and the heartbreaking resilience of the women of Gaza. While it can be difficult, wearing the hijab has – and will always feel – like home to me.

Source: Cosmopolitan UK

Author: Etin Anwar, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Published in: Religions, Vol. 15, Issue 6 (June 2024), pp. 706-726

Publication Date: June 6, 2024

Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), Basel, Switzerland

Abstract:

The Women’s March on 21 January 2017, opened a new social and political landscape for Muslim women to engage in Islamic liberatory activism. I locate Muslim women’s participation in the marches following the 2017 ‘Muslim travel ban policy’ as a site for discovering the link between the politics of resistance and the utility of Islam as a source for liberation. I argue that Muslim women living in minority and post-secular contexts resort to faith as a source of agentival liberation to address the political rhetoric of anti-Islamic sentiments and policies.

The outcome of this research demonstrates:

1. How Muslim women activists challenge the Western narratives of being oppressed and explore the ways they want to represent themselves;
2. How Islam serves as a catalyst for theological resistance and how this enhances the role of Muslim women as moral and spiritual agents in transforming their political and social conditions;
3. How the Islamic liberation in the US context historically intersects with Black churches’ resistance toward White racism; and
4. How Muslim women’s agency as spiritual beings is linked to the promotion of justice in the Western liberatory movements.

Overall, the article shows how Muslim women resort to their spiritual journey and use such narratives to confront unjust political rhetoric and policies.

Keywords: Islamic liberation theology; agency; Women’s March; Justice activism; Islamic feminist resistance

Read the full article HERE.

Source: MDPI

Reports released June 23, revealed that Elizabeth Wolf, 42, was arrested on May 19 in the Dallas suburb of Euless, a day after the incident took place.

Investigators said a disturbance was reported between two women at the apartment pool where Wolf questioned the 32-year-old mother about her country of origin, as she was wearing a hijab, or Muslim headscarf.

Police said Wolf attempted to grab the woman’s 6-year-old son, who was able to get away, then tried drowning her 3-year-old daughter in the pool.

“The mother began helping her son when Wolf grabbed her 3-year-old daughter and forced her underwater,” police told reporters.

“The mother was able to pull back her daughter from the water. Her daughter had been yelling for help and was coughing up water.”

Authorities said witnesses told them that Wolf was intoxicated and spewed racist remarks at the mother and her children regarding their nationality.

“We are American citizens originally from Palestine, and I don’t know where to go to feel safe with my kids,” the mom, identified only as Mrs. H, told news outlets in the aftermath of the incident.

“My country is facing a war, and we are facing that hate here,” she continued. “My daughter is traumatized. Whenever I open the apartment door, she runs away and hides, telling me she is afraid the lady will come and immerse her head in the water again.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) alleged that Wolf also snatched the mother’s headscarf off while she tried to save her daughter and beat her with it.

The Austin, Texas chapter of CAIR has called on state and federal authorities to probe the incident as a hate crime.

“We are seeing a new level of bigotry here where a person deeply believes they get to decide, based on religion, spoken language and country of origin whose kids deserve to stay alive and whose don’t,” said CAIR Austin operations manager Shaimaa Zayan in a statement.

Wolf was charged with several counts, including attempted capital murder, injury to a child and public intoxication.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The concerns centered on condemnations of pro-Palestinian rallies and advocacy since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

“The response that the Muslim community in Canada, for months, has been receiving from our elected leaders has been duplicitous,” National Council of Canadian Muslims head Stephen Brown said.

He told the House justice committee that it is contradictory for politicians to call out discrimination while vilifying people for attending peaceful pro-Palestinian protests.

“One that says they care about our concerns, and the other that immediately turns around and further spreads misinformation and makes deliberate attempt to villainize an entire community as hateful and intolerant people,” he testified.

His testimony was part of a parliamentary study into Islamophobia in Canada, which followed a similar study of antisemitism. Police have reported an increase in crimes targeting Jews and Muslims across Canada since the Israel-Hamas war started last October.

Brown’s group called on MPs to pass a motion to denounce anti-Palestinian racism and urge that civil liberties be protected, “including the ability to critique foreign governments.”

“If we’re going to combat Islamophobia, in all its ugly forms, it’s imperative for this government to walk the talk first,” said Samya Hasan, head of the Toronto-based group.

“Muslims in Canada are not safe from violent Islamophobia,” Brown said. “Islamophobia is real, it has killed and will continue to kill, if this study is not taken seriously.”

Source: CTV News

As Florida lawmakers continue their push for a commission for what they say is a rise in antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, some organizers say a commission is needed to protect the state’s Palestinian and Muslim communities.

Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, the Council on American-Islamic Relations received 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias across the country, compared to 406 complaints within an average 29-day period in 2022. Anti-Muslim discrimination had already been on the rise in 2020 and 2021, which organizers attribute to increased volatility in domestic politics at the time, though reports decreased in 2022.

“This alleged violence and hate have absolutely no place in Florida,” said CAIR-Florida Media and Outreach Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz in a public statement following an anti-Muslim hate crime in the state. “We will make sure to follow up on this and any other case to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent to deter others from engaging in this criminal anti-social behavior targeting anyone, regardless of their race or religion.”

Florida has seen a major uptick in anti-Muslim incidents. “We’re getting calls faster than we can document,” said Omar Saleh, CAIR-Florida lead attorney. “Here in Florida, our rate of calls, which we might get about 45 per month prior to Oct. 7, has since doubled, and a majority of those calls involve bullying of students because they are either Palestinian or support Palestine anywhere from the elementary stage all the way to the university stage. We’re seeing it most in employment.”

Florida lawmakers have largely ignored the rise in Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian incidents, often stoking the racism themselves and conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

In December, federal lawmakers introduced House Resolution 6578, also known as Commission to Study Acts of Antisemitism in the United States Act with the aim of targeting critics of Israel. Civil rights groups and organizers worry that HR 6578 would usher in a new era of McCarthyism during a pivotal time of resistance and legitimate criticism of the apartheid state of Israel and its violent occupation of Palestinian territories.

The Florida House resolution was found favorable by the State Affairs Committee and was released to the House calendar for a second reading.

Source: Prism Reports