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

In a press conference in Dearborn, Michigan, Muslim organizers from Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada, and Pennsylvania came together to announce a coordinated nationwide effort to ensure Biden does not secure a second term in office.

“We are not powerless as American Muslims. We are powerful. We don’t only have the money, but we have the actual votes. And we will use that vote to save this nation from itself,” Jaylani Hussein, a member of the coalition, said at the press conference.

The campaign was initially being run separately in different states, but they now have decided to coordinate their efforts on a national level.

While it is unclear how much traction the campaign will get, organizers are confident that they can put together a significant bloc of Muslim voters as the population of American Muslims is roughly 3.45 million people and they are able to sway the election.

Source: The Middle East Eye

Prosecutors previously said Wallace admitted leaving similar threatening messages at other mosques. The charge was upgraded to a hate crime from a lesser offense punishable by up to five years in prison.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations estimates that hate crimes targeting Muslims increased 91 percent in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period last year. Federal data from past years suggests most hate crimes aren’t reported, few are prosecuted, and only a fraction of these result in convictions.

“We welcome any kind of hate crime charge in a case like this when there’s clearly an indication of victims being targeted because of their faith or ethnicity or national origin,” said Ibrahim Hooper, a national spokesman for the advocacy group. “If it is indeed an effort to show the Department of Justice will apply the law equally and will target those who attack the Muslim community, I think it’s a good message to send at a time of rising Islamophobia,” Hooper said.

Former federal prosecutor David S. Weinstein said the conviction sends a message that the Justice Department is taking such threats seriously. He notes that hate crimes are difficult to prove because they often turn on the strength of any evidence of a defendant’s motivation.

According to court documents, the message Wallace left at the mosque used profanity against Islam, the prophet Muhammad and the Quran and also made the shooting threats.

“l hate you Muslims. l hate you people. l’m gonna go down to your center, I’m gonna’ shoot all ya’ll,” the message said, according to the documents. His conviction comes as President Donald Trump’s administration defends itself in court against accusations that it’s unfairly singling out Muslims with its travel ban proposals. The administration, led by the Justice Department, has argued that these bans are aimed at protecting Americans from terrorism. The Justice Department will not tolerate threats of hate violence…

Continue reading at: The Associated Press

Students, their parents and school employees would be guaranteed wider rights to publicly pray and express their religious beliefs in public schools under a far-reaching bill approved by the Florida Senate.

Backers of the legislation, including Senate President Joe Negron, contend that the measure is needed because schools have unnecessarily clamped down on free speech rights, including prohibiting students from wearing crosses as jewelry, or chiding students who want to include religious figures in their academic work. The school superintendent in Broward County in 2014 apologized after a student was told he couldn’t read the Bible during a free reading period.

The bill (SB 436) says school districts may not discriminate against any student, parent or school employee because they shared their religious viewpoint. But those opposed to the bill say it could open the door from everything from cracking down on science teachers who teach evolution to allowing Christian students to intimidate those of other faiths.

“Could it be provoking? Could it be concerning? Yeah, that’s healthy thought. That’s what happens in a free world,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, the Ocala Republican and sponsor of the bill. “This isn’t protecting a faith, it’s protecting all people’s freedom to express their hearts.”

The Senate passed the bill 23-13 following a wide-ranging debate. A similar bill is now moving in the Florida House. Democratic Sen. Gary Farmer of Fort Lauderdale said the bill could lead to students proselytizing in school. “We don’t need it. It should be sufficient that during the school day, you can pray to yourself,” Farmer said. “We all have our own personal relationship with God or Allah or whoever we believe in, but to force that on other people is just not necessary and it can be harmful and it can be disrespectful.”

The bill, which is backed by several Christian groups, says that students can wear clothing or jewelry that conveys a religious message. Negron has agreed that this would also allow followers of Islam to wear hijabs in schools. The legislation also says students can express their religious viewpoints in coursework or artwork without being penalized. It also makes clear students can pray and organize religious groups to the same extent as other clubs and groups are allowed to meet on school grounds.

School districts must give religious groups access to school facilities and they must grant students the right to speak on religious topics at public forums.

Source: The Associated Press (AP)

The individuals were asked eight questions, including several specific to al-Qaeda, said Hassan Shibly, a lawyer and the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida.

He said his clients were asked whether they knew the al-Qaeda leaders killed in U.S. military airstrikes last month, who U.S. officials believe were connected to the alleged plot, and whether they knew of anyone who wished to cause harm to Americans at home or abroad. Among those questioned, according to Shibly, were a youth group leader and several wealthy doctors.

Shibly said he was not aware of anything that connected the targeted individuals to each other or to the alleged threat, aside from their religion and ethnicity. It appeared only Muslims of Afghani and Pakistani descent were questioned, he said.

“The FBI actions . . . to conduct a sweep of American Muslim leaders the weekend before the election is completely outrageous and . . . borderline unconstitutional,” Shibly told The Post. “That’s the equivalent of the FBI visiting churchgoing Christians because someone overseas was threatening to blow up an abortion clinic. It’s that preposterous and outrageous.”

The nature of the threat was vague, and officials said its credibility remained under investigation. Officials said law enforcement in New York, Texas and Virginia had been notified of the possible danger. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued statements that said they were “vigilant and well-postured” to defend against terrorist attacks in the United States and were working daily with law enforcement and intelligence partners “to identify and disrupt any potential threat to public safety.”

Muslim Americans in at least eight states told the Council on American-Islamic Relations that FBI agents came to their homes during the weekend seeking information about the terrorism threat. Several of the states — including Florida and Pennsylvania — are viewed as crucial swing states heading into the presidential election Tuesday.

Source: The Washington Post