The release of a new FX Networks series about an Arab Muslim who returns to his home country with his American wife and children after 20 years in the US has sparked concerns of US Muslims, expressed worries about potential Islamophobic stereotyping of the whole Muslim world.

“In the pilot of FX’s ‘Tyrant,’ Arab Muslim culture is devoid of any redeeming qualities and is represented by terrorists, murderous children, rapists, corrupt billionaires, and powerless female victims,” Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said in a statement obtained by OnIslam.net.

Hooper, who attended Wednesday night’s screening, added: “In ‘Tryant,’ even the ‘good’ Arab Muslims are bad.”

Continue reading →

Sara Korvel has a lot to offer prospective employers: a recent graduate of a major university, she made the dean’s list in seven of eight semesters and belongs to the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. Fluent in four languages, she landed prestigious internships at an international bank and a state public broadcaster, and held down a job as a Starbucks shift manager for most of her college career.

Sara has one significant factor working against her as she searches for her first post-college job, though: she’s a Muslim.

A pair of studies by University of Connecticut researchers have discovered that employers are demonstrably less likely to respond to a job application if that resume includes evidence of membership in a faith group. And far and away, the faith group employers least want to engage is Islam.

“What we found is that, when applying for a job, it’s better not to mention religion at all – but employers really don’t want you to mention being a Muslim,” said professor of sociology Michael Wallace, who conducted the studies along with Bradley Wright, an associate professor in the sociology department.

Continue reading →

A Philadelphia man says his request for religious accommodations led to open hostility from his co-workers and his eventual termination from a local Whole Foods grocery store, according to a federal suit filed June 13 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Philadelphia.

Robert Greene seeks punitive and compensatory damages for alleged violations of his civil rights, including discrimination, retaliatory practices and refusal to accommodate. The plaintiff also seeks an injunction against Whole Foods for condoning such actions.

Continue reading →

When a husband and wife allegedly murdered two police officers and a bystander in Las Vegas, the story received a lot of coverage. But it was coverage that mostly failed to call the crimes “terrorism,” despite the alleged killers leaving behind a note that said, “The revolution is beginning,” and a Revolutionary-era “Don’t Tread on Me” flag closely associated with both the Patriot and Tea Party movements (Hatewatch, 6/9/14). The couple, both white, were also associated with far-right causes and had expressed extreme hostility toward authorities.

When the Washington Post‘s Paul Farhi asked about this media omission in a trenchant report (6/10/14) headlined, “In the News Media, Are Muslims the Only ‘Terrorists’?,” he got some interesting answers . The Associated Press‘ Paul Colford told him the AP shied away from the using the “terrorist” term unless someone has been “listed or labeled as such by someone else, such as the FBI or another government entity.”

Farhi also cited the Reuters style book which, he reported, tells journalists to

use the terms “terrorism” and “terrorist” only when attributing them to a specific source. “Aim for a dispassionate use of language so that individuals, organizations and governments can make their own judgment on the basis of facts.”

It doesn’t say much for journalists making independent judgments. But as Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American Islamic Relations told the Post:

Without a doubt, if these individuals had been Muslim, it not only would be called “terrorism” but it would have made national and international headlines for weeks…. It was an act of terror, but when it’s not associated with Muslims, it’s just a day story that comes and goes.

Continue reading →