New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation this week to target hate crimes on the streets of New York, which includes criminalizing the forcible removal of religious clothing, including the hijab.

The legislation consists of three new laws to protect New Yorkers from hate-fuelled violence, including fighting harassment or threats against those who wear religious clothing, enhancing anti-violence education in schools and cracking down on stolen phones.

“Public safety is my top priority, and I’m committed to using every possible tool to keep New Yorkers safe,” Governor Hochul said in a statement.

“There is more to do to stop hate and prevent violence in our communities. Signing these bills today will create three new laws to help protect New Yorkers and further reduce crime.”

Removing or threatening to remove religious clothing like the hijab or kippah is now classified as aggravated harassment in the second degree and takes effect immediately.

This covers incidents including threats, verbal harassment and physical strikes motivated by one’s identity.

The law amends an existing law. It was introduced by Assembly member Nader Sayegh, a Jordanian-American Democrat, and co-sponsored by Nily Rozic, an Israeli-American Democrat and Assembly woman from Queens.

There were also no votes against the amendments.

This comes after multiple incidents over the year where individuals’ religious clothing has been threatened.

New York has seen a surge in hate crimes over the last five years, with over 1,000 reported instances in 2023, including the targeting of people in religious clothing. One incident included a man pulling off a 16-year-old’s hijab on the subway.

Following 7 October, New York police logged five instances of anti-Muslim hate crimes in the first three weeks.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services in December 2023 also noted a 417 percent increase in online hate speech against Muslim communities since Israel’s war started.

In April, New York City agreed to pay $17.5m to settle a lawsuit by two Muslim women who said the police violated their rights after forcing them to remove their hijabs before being photographed.

Source: The New Arab

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North Texas Islamic Council (NTIC) joined forces to hold the 61st ISNA Convention in Dallas over Labor Day weekend at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, celebrating the theme of “The Muslim American: Forging Faith & Action.”

“This year’s #ISNA61 held in Dallas, TX was a huge success with over 21,000 attendees,” said convention chair and former ISNA president, Azhar Azeez. “This was an unprecedented and historic convention.”

NTIC president Mujeeb Kazi served as the ISNA convention vice chair and says the 2024 convention broke records with the number of attendees for the event which is normally held in Chicago.

“It is an extraordinary, happy moment, especially for those who live in North Texas,” said Kazi. “We see the ISNA organization as a true representative of Muslim sentiment across the entire spectrum — it’s not just the religious services, it’s not just establishing institutions, it’s about shaping the narrative.”

The four-day event provided numerous parallel sessions covering critical topics to foster dialogue and reflection on faith, health, environmental issues, politics and community building.

Headlining speakers included media critic and journalist Medi Hasan, the first female Muslim military chaplain Saleha Jabeen, African American civil rights leader and academic, Dr. Cornel West among many others.“ISNA is a historic organization, and for 61 years it has been trying to keep alive the best of a great Islamic legacy in the United States,” said West, who is Christian. “So for me to be able to come here in the spirit of humility, to learn and listen as well as speak, and be able to just revel in the humanity of my Muslim brothers and sisters and engage in serious intellectual and religious wrestling is an honor.”

Saleha Jabeen, who is with the air force, has attended the convention for many years and says she “would never want to skip any year for multiple reasons, you get to be around community… mentors and people of different generations, and it just reminds me of what I am supposed to be as an active member of the community.”

CEO of Emgage, a Muslim-led civic action organization, Wa’el Alzayat emphasized the benefit of the convention, “ISNA is such an important annual gathering for Muslim Americans and allies to reconnect, to celebrate our religion, to celebrate each other and to also dedicate ourselves to the betterment of our community, our country and the world.”

One notable session featured esteemed imams who guided attendees on how to translate faith into action while delving into urgent issues, such as the genocide facing Palestinians in Gaza. The former Imam of the Islamic Association of North Texas, Shpendim Nadzaku who spoke on a panel discussing the imam’s role in activating the community, said ISNA’s presence in DFW was significant.

“I think it’s important for us as Muslims, especially within a city as Dallas that has such a high profile role within the politics of the country as a whole,” said Nadzaku, who currently works for the City of Dallas’ Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs department.

The diversity and networking opportunities that the convention afforded were appreciated by Imam Muhammad Abdul-Jami of Masjid Al-Islam, located in downtown Dallas. One of the oldest mosques in the area, it serves a mainly African American congregation.

“We believe that the work we’re doing at Masjid Al-Islam is so important that everyone should know about it and support it on whatever level that they can,” said Abdul-Jami. “I think it’s inspiring for everyone to see and collaborate with Muslims who are doing great things, learning from these sessions and having fun together.”

There were approximately 50 parallel sessions, including a youth-led convention which was managed, organized and led entirely by young leaders. There were also spaces for reverts and multilingual Muslim community members.

The convention also had separate tracks for African American and Hispanic Muslims, with 300 complimentary badges, complimentary booths and sessions for Islam in Spanish and Masjid Al Islam. 35% of event speakers were from these communities.

ISNA is one of the largest Muslim nonprofit umbrella organizations in North America, dedicated to fostering the development of the community, interfaith relations, civic engagement and a better understanding of Islam. ISNA provides platforms for community development, leadership training and promotes understanding through events like the annual convention.

NTIC is committed to fostering unity, collaboration and advocacy among Muslims in North Texas. NTIC works towards addressing the spiritual, social and civic needs of its communities through educational programs, community engagement, interfaith relationships and collaborative initiatives.

NTIC President Kazi and Convention Chair, Azeez, both said the event’s success was a testament to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers and staff who had been planning it for almost a year and they thanked attendees, speakers and participating Masjids for making this convention an outstanding success.

Source: Medium.com

“The Great Muslim American Road Trip,” a documentary series about a Muslim couple traveling Route 66, will air on PBS-TV later this summer.

This three-part documentary series follows a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66 as they explore Islam’s deep roots in America. Making more than a dozen stops between Chicago and Los Angeles (including St. Louis), rapper Mona Haydar and her husband Sebastian Robins meet with authors, entrepreneurs, medical students, performers and others to better understand the centuries-long Muslim experience in the United States. This series highlights the diversity of Muslims across the nation and their contributions to history and culture, weaving a colorful story of what it means to be a Muslim in America today.

The three-part series will be offered on PBS stations, PBS.org and the PBS app, reported Realscreen.com.

Source: Nine PBS

“Muslim women are often vilified, obsessed over, become the target of speculation or are infantilized in the media and sometimes within the Muslim community,” Malik told RNS.

The Texas-based American Muslim Today hopes to change that narrative by placing women at the heart of the storytelling.

The current editorial staff is six women, including interns, while the sole men involved in the project are in technology and other supporting roles. While some outside contributors are men, the bulk of their content is authored by women.

The publication’s foremost goal, she noted, is to provide professional coverage of news and topics that appeal to the roughly 3.5 million Muslims in America, as well as those living in other Western countries.

The digital-only publication attracts 20,000 daily visitors across its web and social media platforms, a figure that is steadily rising. The growth of AMT and similar publications, such as Muslim Girl, suggests changing attitudes in the Muslim community in America — toward women and media.

Source: The Washington Post

She said more than 90,000 Muslim are living in Alameda County and have made innumerable contributions to the cultural, political and economic fabric and wellbeing of California and the United States. She slammed U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policy that places more restrictions on Muslim immigrants who are seeking their dreams in the United States.

Faheem Shuaibe, resident Imam of Masjidul Waritheen, said Schaaf’s visit to the event to celebrate with the Muslim community is “very special.”

Sameena Usman, government relations coordinator of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) California, the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in the country, told Xinhua that the celebration aims to show that Muslims have been part of this country since even before its founding…

Source: Xinhua