n a first for Canada, the country has appointed Amira Elghawaby as the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the development on Thursday in a statement, stating that this was done to improve government efforts in offering advice on policy making or programs to improve the lives of Muslims living in Canada.
“Diversity truly is one of Canada’s greatest strengths, but for many Muslims, Islamophobia is all too familiar. We need to change that. No one in our country should experience hatred because of their faith,” he said.
Trudeau further added that Elghawaby’s position “is an important step in our fight against Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms. I look forward to working with her as we continue building a country where everyone feels safe and respected.”
Elghawaby is a Muslim journalist who is a contributing columnist for the Toronto Star newspaper, and also works at Canadian Race Relations Foundation. She also serves as a board member for the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, a non-profit that tracks the rise of hate crimes committed towards minorities in Canada.
On Twitter, Elghawaby thanked Trudeau and the Canadian government, promising that she would use her platform to ensure that the interests of Canadian Muslims are represented on the national platform.
“It is my honour to serve in this role. I want to thank the Prime Minister of Canada @JustinTrudeau for working to fight Islamophobia and to ensure Canadian institutions from coast to coast to coast are inclusive of Canadian Muslims, and all people.”
“I look forward to meeting with elected officials, policymakers, and community leaders across the country to amplify the voices of Canadian Muslims and work together to fight discrimination and hate in all its forms.”
Tag: Muslims
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Canada appoints Amira Elghawaby as the first Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia
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‘Deeply disrespectful act’: Swedish PM condemns desecration of Holy Quran
Swedish Prime Minister (PM) Ulf Kristersson has condemned the abhorrent act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Stockholm.
On Saturday, far-right politician Rasmus Paludan set fire to a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Turkish embassy.
PM Kristersson reacted to the abhorrent incident, tweeting: “Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act.”
“I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm,” he said.
Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the incident.
In a tweet, the Premier said: “No words are enough to adequately condemn the abhorrable act of desecration of the Holy Quran by a right-wing extremist in Sweden.”
Shehbaz emphasised that “the garb of freedom of expression” was used to hurt the religious sentiments of the 1.5 billion Muslims across the world, calling the act “unacceptable”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also condemned the incident as he highlighted the steps his government took against Islamophobia.
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Indonesia bans sex outside marriage
Indonesia’s parliament has approved a new criminal code that bans sex outside marriage—an act for which people can be jailed.
Under the law, unmarried couples caught having sex can be jailed for up to a year. They are also banned from live-in relationships, with perpetrators facing jail time of up to six months. Adultery will also be an offense for which people can be jailed.
The new code will apply to locals as well as foreigners with critics calling the law a “disaster” for human rights.
However, the code will not come into effect for three years to allow for implementing regulations to be drafted. Currently, Indonesia bans adultery but not premarital sex.
A 28-year-old Muslim woman said that she is now at risk for living with her partner for the past five years, reports BBC.
According to international media, researcher Andreas Harsano, said there were millions of couples in Indonesia without marriage certificates, “especially among Indigenous peoples or Muslims in rural areas” who had married in specific religious ceremonies.
It is pertinent to mention that these changes have come after a rise in religious conservatism in the Muslim-majority country.
Several protests have also been carried out after the passing of this law. However, it’s expected that the new law will be challenged in court.
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Outrage in India after video of Police beating Muslim men in public goes viral
A video showing plainclothes police officers whipping Muslim men who are strapped to a pole has gone viral in India. The video shows large crowds of people present at the incident cheering and applauding police for the flogging.
The crowd can also be heard chanting, “maro, maro” (beat them).
The video footage is thought to have been shot on Tuesday in the Kheda area of western Gujarat. It surfaced on social media and spread like wildfire.
A group of police officers in civilian attire can be seen beating a group of at least four or five men with sticks as they are each tied to an electricity pole. One of them is using a holstered pistol. The pistol is customary for Indian police officers.
The muslim men were accused of attacking a garba celebration in Undhela hamlet in the district on Monday.
Police arrested a dozen people and cases were registered against 150 people, including women. -
Man arrested for performing Umrah on behalf of Queen Elizabeth
Saudi police have arrested a man who claimed to have travelled to Mecca to perform an Umrah pilgrimage on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
On Monday, the man, a Yemeni national, posted a video recording of himself at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, in which he was holding a banner that read, “Umrah for the soul of Queen Elizabeth II, we ask God to accept her in heaven and among the righteous.”
A statement issued by the state of Saudi Arabia said the police have arrested a resident of Yemeni nationality who appeared in a video clip carrying a banner inside the Grand Mosque, violating the regulations and instructions for umrah.
“He was arrested, legal measures were taken against him and he was referred to public prosecution,” the statement added.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on Thursday in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96. The Queen was the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the mother church of the worldwide Anglican communion.
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Muslim killings in US: Police arrest Muslim immigrant
Police in New Mexico, United States (US), have arrested a Muslim Afghan immigrant named Muhammad Syed, 51, in connection with the deaths of Muslim men in Albuquerque city. The police have charged Syed with two murders.
A total of four murders took place. All victims were of Afghan or Pakistani descent. One was killed in November, and the other three in the last two weeks.
It was speculated that Shia and Sunni tensions may have led to Syed’s actions. However, the police said that while they are aware of the sectarian narrative, the motive is still being “explored” by investigators.
Albuquerque police deputy commander Kyle Hartsock stated: “We have heard those things, but we’re not sure if that’s the only motivation”, reports CNN.
In a statement, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) said, “As their detectives prepared to search Syed’s home in Southeast Albuquerque on Monday, he drove from the residence in the Volkswagen Jetta that detectives believe was used in at least one of the murders.”
“Detectives discovered evidence that showed the suspect knew the victims to some extent and an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings,” the police statement added.
The APD said Syed was being charged with two of the homicides, the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein and the August 1 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain.
“Detectives connected those homicides using bullet casings found at the scenes. The gun used in these shootings was discovered during the overnight search of [Syed’s] home,” the police said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement about the arrest in which the organisation “strongly condemned the anti-Shia hatred that may have motivated the killings”.
‘Strongly stand with Muslim community’: US President Biden condemns killing of Muslim men in New Mexico
Earlier, US President Joe Biden condemned the killing of four Muslims — two of them Pakistanis, in Albuquerque, a city in the southern state of New Mexico. The local authorities are describing the killings as targeted attacks.
“I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” tweeted US President Biden.
“These hateful attacks have no place in America,” he added.
Four Muslim men killed in New Mexico
The latest victim was gunned down on Friday night. The police said he was in his mid-20s, Muslim, and a native from South Asia.
The local Islamic leaders said that the horrific incident occurred shortly after he had attended funeral services for two others slain during the past couple of weeks.
Before this killing, two of the previous victims were Muslim and Pakistani men. A 27-year-old’s body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old’s body was discovered on July 26.
According to Tahir Gauba, spokesperson for the Islamic Centre of New Mexico, the three latest victims belonged to the same mosque.
Detectives are now investigating whether these murders are connected to the death of a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021.
Mayor Tim Keller said state authorities were working to provide an “extra police presence at mosques during times of prayer”.
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‘Go where Muslims are in minority if you want more kids,’ Abdul Qadir Patel on population control
Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel on Monday presented a unique suggestion to control the population of Pakistan. The health minister said that if couples want to have more children, then they should go to another country where Muslims are in a minority so that the Muslim population can also increase around the world.
Patel said that by 2030, Pakistan’s population is expected to cross 285 million. He said it is an “alarming situation”.
“We do not want to decrease the Muslim population. We want Muslims to be better, more educated and provide them with better healthcare facilities.”
Qadir Patel said that he has suggested to people to go have children in countries where the Muslim population is in a minority. “We are a lot in numbers here masha’Allah.”
The federal minister emphasised that in order to control the growing population, there needs to be more awareness about family planning.
Qadir Patel made the remarks while addressing a seminar in Islamabad.
The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. According to a United Nations (UN) report, Pakistan is among eight countries where the projected increase of population is expected to be concentrated in 2050.
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US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar submits resolution against India
United States (US) Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has submitted a resolution in the House of Representatives on Tuesday in which she condemned the human rights abuses in India.
The resolution said that the House has expressed grave concern about the “worsening treatment” of religious minorities in India and called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate India as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
The resolution includes two reports i.e. a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and a Report on International Religious Freedom 2021 by the US State Department which was published on June 2, 2022.
The resolution highlighted that the USCIRF had called for designating India as a country of particular concern for three consecutive years.
According to the resolution, the report mentioned cases of the Indian government’s “repression of religious minority leaders and voices for religious pluralism in India, including the Jesuit human rights defender Father Stan Swamy and the Muslim human rights advocate Khurram Parvez”.
According to the resolution, the report said: “Many of the incidents [on minorties] were violent, unprovoked, and/or encouraged or incited by government officials.”
The resolution said that in the International Religious Freedom 2021 report by State Department there are numerous examples of violence and threats of violence against religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, in India throughout 2021.
It added that while presenting the report, Blinken himself said that “In India, the world’s largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, we’ve seen rising attacks on people and places of worship.”
In April, Omar made a visit to Pakistan’s part of Kashmir. She said the issue should get more attention from the US which prompted an angry response from India. The congresswoman has always highlighted the Kashmir issue on several platforms.
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‘My Muslim friends eat pork and drink’: Kangana Ranaut slams Muslims, defends Nupur Sharma
Indian actor and BJP supporter Kangana Ranaut took to her Instagram story to defend politician Nupur Sharma’s controversial remark on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The Woh Lamhe star wrote, “Many of my Muslim friends drink, smoke, have premarital sex, don’t wear a burka, use swear words, eat pork and because of work situations at times don’t even follow all guidelines… it’s fine beauty of India’s freedom nahi toh not just Nupur but everyone will become criminals.”
BJP leader and spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received a lot of flak from international communities. Countries like UAE, Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, the Maldives, Jordan, Libya, and Bahrain strongly condemned her comments.
This is not the first time that Kangana came to Nupur Sharma’s defense. She previously wrote on her Instagram story, “Nupur is entitled to her opinions, this is not Afghanistan, we have a properly functioning government which is chosen with a process called democracy… just a reminder for those who keep forgetting.”
Recently, senior Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah shared his thoughts on why the three Khans of Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan, have remained silent on the issue. The veteran actor said to NDTV, “I cannot speak for them. I am not in the position they are in. I feel they think they would be risking too much. But then, I don’t know how they explain to their own conscience about it. But I think they are in a position where they have too much to lose.”
He also gave an example of Aryan Khan’s arrest in an alleged drug case. What happened to Shah Rukh Khan and the dignity with which he faced it was admirable. It was nothing but a witch-hunt. He has kept his mouth shut. All he did was support Trinamool and applaud Mamata Banerjee,” he said.
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Hindutva activists attack, terrorize Muslims during Ramazan
A mob of Hindutva activists has been attacking and terrorizing the Muslim community in different parts of India during the holy month of Ramazan.
Disturbing videos have been shared on the Microblogging site, Twitter in which extremist Hindus are making hate speeches against the Muslim community in Hyderabad, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Bengal.
On the occasion of the Hindu festival, Ram Navami in Hyderabad, a rally was taken out in which the Hindu extremists were singing a hatred song against Muslims, which says, ” Saare Bharat ko Hindu Rashtra banana hai ( We need to turn India into a Hindu country)” which goes on, “Jo Ram ka naam na le usko Bharat se bhagana hai (Whoever do not take RAM name, they have to go from India”. The song was targetting minorities, especially the Muslim community living in India.
In Himmat Nagar, Gujarat, the miscreants involved in the Ram Navami procession targeted mosques, dargahs, and shops.
In Goa, a Hindu mob tried to enter a mosque who were intended to attack Muslims. The Hindu mob accused Muslims that someone from the mosque threw stones at the Ram Navmi procession.
Communal violence also erupted in Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, during the Hindu festival of Ram Navmi procession and the police have banned large gatherings in some areas.
Riots during Ram Navami procession in Khargone, MP. The Ram Navami procession entered the Muslim locality Kazipura and raised slogans, stone-pelting.
A bangle shop of a Muslim family was set on fire by the Hindutva activists during the celebration of Ram Navami.