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Hate Map

Yaqeen Institute

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Known as a voice in discussions around Islam in the United States, the Yaqeen Institute is a Texas-based think tank specializing in religious apologism for the Muslim faith. Immediately following the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel which left more than 1,200 civilians dead, Yaqeen Institute president Omar Suleiman wrote an article in which he defended Hamas’s behavior as a consequence of “the current escalation of Israeli aggression and Palestinian resistance.” The Research Director of Islam and Society at the Yaqeen Institute, Imam Tom Facchine, proclaimed unequivocal support for the terror attacks, stating “We are with the Palestinian resistance 100%, no ifs, no ands, no buts, no equivocations, no apologies, no condemnations.”

Hate Map

The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America

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A special interest organization purportedly founded to promote Islamic jurisprudence, the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA) claims to “lead the Muslim community into a better understanding of the practice of the religion of Islam in Western societies.” The organization refuses to condemn Hamas. In 2009, AMJA issued a fatwa which urged the reader not to criticize Hamas, saying it “is not the time to discuss the errors of Hamas or any other Palestinian groups.” AMJA member Waleed Basyouni taught that Hamas is not a terrorist group.

Hate Map

Imam Tom Facchine

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The Research Director of Islam and Society at the Yaqeen Institute and an active writer within Islamic circles within the United States, in an interview conducted three days after the October 7 Hamas attack that left more than 1,200 Israeli civilians dead, Facchine proclaimed unequivocal support for the terrorist assault, stating, “We are with the Palestinian resistance 100%, no ifs no ands, no buts, no equivocations, no apologies, no condemnations.”

Hate Map

Islamic Circle of North America

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An offshoot of the Southeast Asian Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has been described by the Investigative Project on Terrorism as an “ideological cousin” of the Muslim Brotherhood. Following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that left more than 1,200 Israeli civilians dead, ICNA blamed Israel for the violence while omitting mention of Hamas entirely. In 2010, ICNA published a handbook that quotes the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood and endorses violent jihad against so-called “occupiers” of Muslim land, as well as the institution of Sharia law. The handbook has since been removed from ICNA’s website.

Hate Map

Adalah Justice Project

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A prominent pro-Hamas advocacy group, Abdalah Justice Project (AJP) has elicited controversy for its extremist positions. Following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that left more than 1,200 Israeli civilians dead, AJP posted an image of a bulldozer breaking through the border fence with the caption “No cage goes unchallenged.” AJP executive director Sandra Tamari supported the October 7 attacks on the grounds that it demonstrated “the oppressed rising up.”

Hate Map

Alasna Institute

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A known Islamic apologist group, the Alasna Institute purports to be an academic resource for Muslim research with the goal of providing Muslims “exactly the information and skills they need to be empowered in their faith and dawah.” Following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that left more than 1,200 Israeli civilians dead, Alasna Institute founder Daniel Haqiqatiou wrote, “The recent actions by Hamas are not acts of terrorism; they are acts of resistance.”

Hate Map

Sandra Tamari

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The executive director of the Adalah Justice Project, Tamari described the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 Israeli civilians as an example of “the oppressed rising up,” and said that that “Hamas’s attack was resistance to an intolerable situation that has been taking place in the Gaza Strip.”

Press Releases

New Tolerance Campaign Unveils Report on Presidential “Candidate Hate”

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Washington, DC — Today the New Tolerance Campaign (NTC) unveiled “Candidate Hate,” a report cataloging violent threats and vicious rhetoric targeted at the two major-party candidates for President of the United States in 2024: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. In order to provide a full and balanced perspective, the report also lists hate and threats made against President Joe Biden, who was the presumptive Democratic nominee until July 21, 2024. “NTC intentionally chose not to wade into election politics when we launched HateMap.com in July, but it’s impossible to ignore the prevalence of extreme rhetoric, death threats, and political violence directed at candidates in the 2024 U.S. presidential election,” NTC President Gregory T. Angelo stated. “The NTC ‘Candidate Hate’ report provides elected officials, civil servants, the media, and the public with a raw, unvarnished index of hate and violence directed at President Trump, VP Kamala Harris, and President Biden throughout a heated election cycle in which the GOP nominee was twice targeted for assassination.” The 36-page report is available online here.

Blog

Star Power in Politics: Hot or Not?

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When celebrities weigh in on elections, do they win hearts or lose fans? Pharrell Williams said he “doesn’t really do politics.” The famed musician made the statement during an interview when asked if he would be supporting any candidates in the 2024 election. Williams is fast becoming an outlier among his peers. In recent days, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted events featuring Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, and Lizzo. Pop stars Katy Perry, Jessica Alba, and Taylor Swift have also lent their support. Musician Kid Rock has made no secret of his support for President Trump, even performing a raucous concert at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC). Who’s in the right? Does public support of candidates help or hurt a celebrity’s brand? For Swift, the move seems to have been a net-positive: in the time since publicly endorsing Harris on September 10, the pop singer gained 1.85 million followers on the Spotify music streaming service, 260,000 Instagram followers, and 3.9 million new YouTube subscribers. Fans who disagreed with the endorsement didn’t abandon the songstress, preferring instead to keep dissent within the fanbase: “Swifties for Trump” emerged soon after Swift took a side. Not all celebrities have fared as well. Katy Perry’s most recent album tanked following her Harris endorsement. Jessica Alba faced similar backlash: a YouTube short Alba filmed with Harris shows VP Harris stating Latina small businesses are the fastest growing in the country, to which Alba replies with snapping fingers, “Yes they are! Yes they are!” Fans called the move “super creepy.” Others expressed their disappointment, saying they would unfollow her and stop buying her products because of the endorsement of the Harris/Walz ticket. On the other side of the aisle, stars staking out a spot in the GOP nominee’s corner include Azealia Banks, Hulk Hogan, and Russell Brand. Banks (who was outspoken in her support for Trump in 2016) attended a Trump rally in Florida in July. Hogan made headlines as a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention when he ripped his shirt in two to reveal a Trump-Vance tee underneath. “The Hulkster” told Fox News that he’d seen an “outpouring of support” for the move as he traveled the country in the weeks following. Brand also attended the RNC — and, despite blowback, he’s sticking with his horse in the race. Celebrities bring headlines to campaigns, but do they bring votes? Vote.gov traffic surged after Swift announced her endorsement of Harris on Instagram. Megan Thee Stallion sang and twerked on stage at a Kamala rally in Atlanta urging the estimated 10,000 people in attendance vote to “make history with the first black female president.” Kid Rock was the headlining act at a Log Cabin Republicans “GOP Unity” event on September 29 and hosted a MAGA-centric music festival in August. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker announced his endorsement of Trump at a get-out-the-vote rally in Missouri. And former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was a featured speaker at a Trump campaign event in September. A Harvard study published in August 2024 found that famous endorsers can have a substantial effect on promoting participation in elections, particularly in efforts encouraging voter turnout. “Celebrities have a unique ability to connect with younger generations in ways that mainstream media and other get-out-the-vote efforts may not be able to,” the analysis states. One thing is clear: whenever a celebrity wades into the world of campaigns, they’re putting their brand at risk. It’s why Dolly Parton has steered clear of politics for the entirety of her decades-long career. “I’ve got as many Republican fans as Democrats,” Parton said in a 2017 interview. “And I don’t want to make any of them mad at me, so I don’t play politics.” Advice for celebrities pursuing career longevity: Don’t quit your day job.   [Photo credits: Kid Rock: Rich Girard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped, flipped horizontal). Taylor Swift: Cosmopolitan UK, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)]

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