All articles tagged with #muslims
Democrats are pressing Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) to resign after he posted on X that “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” a remark tied to criticism of dog owners in New York City. Fine defended the comment in a TV interview, and House leaders including Hakeem Jeffries called him Islamophobic, as the controversy prompts calls for disciplinary action.
Florida Rep. Randy Fine sparked outrage with a post saying, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” in response to Palestinian American activist Nerdeen Kiswani. The remark drew swift condemnation from across the political spectrum—including AOC, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Jake Tapper, and Megyn Kelly—with calls for censure and stripping him of committee assignments, highlighting ongoing Islamophobic rhetoric in some GOP circles.
A CSOH/India Hate Lab report shows a sharp rise in hate speech and violence against Christians and Muslims in India under Modi’s BJP-RSS environment, with 1,318 hate-speech events in 2025 (up 97% since 2023) and attacks across states including Raipur, Delhi, and Kerala. Anti-Christian rhetoric grew alongside anti-Muslim hate, often framed as “forced conversions” or conspiracies like “love jihad,” and linked to BJP-affiliated groups and leaders. Experts warn this escalating rhetoric facilitates violence and seeks to consolidate political support for Hindu majoritarianism while triggering laws targeting religious conversions.
Muslims and immigrants played a crucial role in Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory in New York, signaling a shift in the city’s demographics and political landscape.
India has been forcibly deporting Muslims, including its own citizens and refugees like the Rohingya, following increased tensions and violence in Kashmir, with reports of illegal expulsions and home demolitions aimed at diverting attention from political issues and stoking nationalist sentiments.
A Pew Research Center study from 2010 to 2020 shows that Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group due to higher birth rates, while the number of people with no religious affiliation has also increased significantly, making it the third largest group globally. Christianity remains the largest religion, but its share has slightly decreased, and Buddhism is the only religion to decline in population during this period.
Muslims worldwide celebrated Eid al-Fitr with prayers and festivities, but the holiday was overshadowed by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where a six-month war has caused suffering. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for Gaza, calling it a "bleeding wound on the conscience of humanity." Despite the conflict, Muslims in various countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, and Malaysia, gathered for prayers and celebrations, with some expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza. In Malaysia, a recent controversy over socks printed with the word "Allah" sparked a call for unity and reconciliation from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
President Biden met with a small group of Muslims at the White House, but one doctor walked out of the meeting in protest, citing the need for more action to end the war in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid. Another doctor felt Biden was dismissive when shown photos of suffering in Gaza. The meeting was held ahead of a scaled-down iftar, as some Muslim leaders expressed discomfort with the original plans. Critics feel the White House is not genuinely listening to Muslim and Palestinian perspectives, while the White House says it is pushing back and has urged Israel to do more to prevent civilian deaths in Gaza.
Despite the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP's historically hostile stance towards Muslims, some Shiite Muslims in India, who have long seen the country as a refuge from persecution by Sunni Muslims, are supporting the party. They credit the BJP with lifting a ban on a ritual important to their faith and identity. While this support is not universal and many Muslims still feel the party is against them, the BJP courts Shiite votes for propaganda value and to signal that they are not against the Muslim community, even though they do not necessarily need Muslim votes to win seats due to strong support among Hindus.
The UK has introduced a new definition of extremism in response to a surge in hate crimes against Jews and Muslims following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The new definition aims to combat the promotion of ideologies based on violence, hatred, or intolerance that seek to undermine fundamental rights and freedoms or replace the UK's liberal parliamentary democracy. Critics have raised concerns about potential infringement on freedom of speech and the risk of inadvertently targeting individuals who should not be classified as extremists.
India's government is set to implement a citizenship law that excludes Muslims from a fast track to naturalization, sparking protests and deadly riots. The law, passed in 2019, provides a path to Indian citizenship for non-Muslims from neighboring countries, but not for Muslims. Critics argue that the law violates the secularism embraced by the country's founders and fear it could lead to a broader effort to strip citizenship from Muslims. The move comes ahead of a national election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a third term, and has drawn criticism for being divisive and appealing to Hindu voters.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has announced the implementation of a 2019 citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for religious minorities from neighboring countries, excluding Muslims. The law has sparked protests and criticism, with opponents arguing that it undermines India's secular foundation and could be used to marginalize Muslims. Critics also accuse Modi of enabling anti-Muslim violence through his silence and mixing religion with politics. With Modi seeking a third term in office, the timing of the law's implementation has raised concerns about polarization ahead of the upcoming elections.
India has implemented a controversial citizenship law that excludes Muslims, providing a fast track to naturalization for migrants from South Asian faiths other than Islam. Critics argue that the law is evidence of the government's attempt to reshape the country into a Hindu state and marginalize its 200 million Muslims. The law has sparked deadly protests and drawn criticism for violating the secular principles enshrined in the constitution, with concerns that it could be used to marginalize Muslims and erode the country's secular foundation.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has announced rules to implement a 2019 citizenship law that excludes Muslims, providing a fast track to naturalization for religious minorities from neighboring countries. Critics argue that the law is discriminatory and undermines India's secular foundation, while human rights groups have condemned it as legitimizing religious-based discrimination. With the law's implementation weeks before Modi seeks a third term, concerns about marginalizing Muslims and polarizing the upcoming elections have been raised.
India has announced rules to implement a controversial citizenship bill that excludes Muslims, providing a fast-track to citizenship for immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, but not for Muslims. The bill, originally passed in 2019, has been heavily protested by opposition parties, claiming it marginalizes India's 200-million Muslim population. Critics argue that it reflects the Hindu nationalist agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, leading to religious divisions and persecution of minorities in the country.