The Electronic Intifada Weekly Podcast featuring Zahra Billoo on the rise of Islamophobia in the US

Islamophobia, government surveillance and violence against Muslims, Arabs and people of South Asian descent is on the rise in the US.
Justin Lane Newscom

Download podcast_8-17-12mp3.mp3 (25.94 MB)

“Last night [in Illinois] … vandals had drawn graffiti all over headstones at a Muslim graveyard, [and had] written things like ‘raghead,’ ‘terrorist,’ et cetera.” - Zahra Billoo, on this week’s podcast

This week on The Electronic Intifada podcast:

Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the San Francisco Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, will join us to talk about rising Islamophobia and hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims and South Asians in the US, as Chicago-area Islamic centers are attacked after a Congressman says radical Muslims are “trying to kill Americans every week”;
A US federal court upholds the state secrets privilege, foregoing the rights of Muslim citizens;
Bus ads in San Francisco call Palestinians “savages”;
Also, an Israeli high court decision enables the widespread torture of Palestinian detainees;
The Israeli army sentences a soldier to just 45 days in prison for his killing of a Palestinian mother and her daughter in Gaza, who were shot while waving white flags during Israel’s attacks in 2008-2009;
The Guardian (UK) has hired a new contributor who openly called on the Israeli army to kill Americans sailing to Gaza, including Pulitzer prize-winning author Alice Walker and Kindertransport refugee Hedy Epstein;
Palestinian refugees forced out of Iraq feared lost at sea en route to Australia;
A South African government official tells citizens not to visit Israel because it mistreats Palestinians.

Unknown activists in San Francisco revised the racist ad on city buses by adding a wheatpasted image, appropriately labeling this incident of hate speech. (Photographer unknown)

Comments

Islamiphobia

Permalink Martin Young replied on Sun, 08/19/2012 - 22:26

Just so you know the majority of Americans are not Islamaphobic. Unfortunately we have our 40% Republicans and Our southern and western rednecks. They are dislike anyone,poor,black, brown,yellow,Hindu's,Devotees of Islam and generally anyone that does not look, think and act like them. Based out of a longstanding fear of the unknown. We have many for their own gain are willing to use that. I am a 60 year old Carpenter from Ct. USA and I myself celebrate diversity. We are all the same in the eyes of God. It will be a while before we are all the same in the eyes of all men. I hope in my lifetime Palestinians receive their due. Freedom,peace and security. Take care, Martin Young