All articles tagged with #islam
Monty Python star John Cleese has refused to back down after activists filed a formal complaint with the UK’s Prevent counter-radicalization program, alleging his social media posts promote anti-Muslim hate. Cleese, 86, dismissed the referral as 'comedy material' and labeled himself an 'Islamosceptic,' arguing that Islam deserves the same scrutiny Christianity received in his 1979 satire 'Life of Brian.'
John Cleese has been referred to the UK's Prevent counter-radicalization program following a months-long series of social media posts critical of Islam. The 86-year-old Monty Python star has responded with defiance, calling the referral 'comedy material.'
At the Texas Republican convention, Sen. Ted Cruz warns of a “red-green alliance” between leftist and Islamist groups, while Gov. Greg Abbott pledges to “fully ban Sharia law in Texas.” The article notes Sharia is a broad, non-universal set of Islamic principles and cannot override U.S. or Texas law, outlines existing Texas rules on foreign law, and points out there is no evidence Democrats support replacing state or federal law with Sharia.
Jonathan Majors headlines Run Hide Fight: Infidels, a Daily Wire thriller in which his character, a retired Delta Force officer, delivers an anti-Islam monologue about Western values being challenged by Islam. The scene has sparked accusations of Islamophobia from prominent Muslim advocacy groups, who criticize the depiction as propaganda, while Daily Wire defends the project as provocative. The film streams Sept. 16 on Daily Wire+, with campus screenings, and marks Majors’ continuing career comeback after his 2023 legal issues.
As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, George W. Bush recalls visiting a mosque six days after the attacks to reassure Muslim Americans they were not to blame and to emphasize that Islam is peace, noting concerns about harassment of Muslim women and the need to distinguish Islam from terrorism, in conversation with Condoleezza Rice at his Dallas center.
The Texas State Board of Education approved a new high school social studies curriculum, prompting backlash over how Islam and Christianity are portrayed—including language describing early Islamic campaigns and the framing of 9/11—while critics from CAIR and others urge a more nuanced approach. The board notes changes will roll out as part of a phased introduction by the 2030-31 school year, with districts implementing guidelines under state oversight.
A 17-year-old North Carolina student, Sarah Lindsey Santiago, has been identified as an accomplice in the deadly May 18 attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego. She has been indicted on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy after prosecutors say she watched the livestream of the shooting, recorded the gunmen’s writings, and disseminated the material and manifesto; investigators indicate she also planned to livestream the massacre. The attack left three people dead; the two gunmen, Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, died at the scene. The case highlights the role of online dissemination in mass violence and the possibility of prosecuting accomplices even if they did not pull the trigger.
California is nearing final passage of AB 2017 to designate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official state holidays, allowing state workers to use holiday credits on those days and enabling public schools and community colleges to recognize and teach about the holidays; the bill has bipartisan backing and could join other recognized holidays like Diwali and Lunar New Year before the current legislative session ends and the governor signs it.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a long‑time advocate of strict migration rules, argues that Europe faces an internal threat from individuals with Islamic backgrounds alongside external pressures, criticizing Spain's immigration approach during the Ceuta crisis and joining other EU leaders in urging tighter border controls and limits on mass crossings.
After Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination, conservative commentators sharpened attacks on his Muslim identity, with Sen. Tommy Tuberville calling him a “TERRORIST” and “RADICAL ISLAMIST” on social media, illustrating how faith became a central political weapon and fueling a wave of online anti-Muslim rhetoric that the Washington Post analyzes in depth.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott escalated his campaign against Muslim ablution stations at Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental airports, asking the Justice Department to investigate the facilities as discriminatory and pressing the Department of Transportation to withhold grants until they’re closed. Airport officials paused or halted expansion plans amid the controversy, while Muslim leaders and legal scholars accuse the move of targeting Muslims and see it as part of a broader pattern of anti-Islam rhetoric in Texas ahead of his reelection.
Portugal approved a public-face-covering ban, often called the 'burqa law,' prohibiting coverings that hide a person's face in public with carve-outs for health, work, artistic or weather-related needs, and for locations such as places of worship, diplomatic missions, or aboard planes; fines range from €150 to €3,000 (~$175–$3,500). Supporters say the measure promotes social trust and security consistent with European human rights principles.
On the Club Random podcast, Bill Maher said he’s invited Ben Affleck to return to Real Time every year since their tense 2014 on-air clash over Islam, but Affleck hasn’t appeared. Maher suggests there could be a middle ground, while recalling Affleck calling Maher’s Islam remarks “gross and racist.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to claw back state and federal funding from Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston airports after plans for ablution facilities used for Muslim prayer surfaced; he sent letters to airport chiefs and to the U.S. Transportation Secretary seeking investigations, arguing the facilities discriminate based on religion. DFW canceled its planned station, while Houston’s facility has existed since 2024. The move fits a pattern of anti-Islam rhetoric in Texas GOP politics, with Abbott spotlighting funding leverage to press issues favored by his base.
Abdul El-Sayed achieves a historic political breakthrough, but faces a surge of anti-Muslim vitriol across multiple fronts, highlighting the tense climate around Muslim candidates and minority representation in American politics.