Featured Stories
Ukraine: Civilian Casualties Surge Amid Intensifying Explosive Weapon Attacks
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Nov. 11 [Category: Health Care] -- Humanity and Inclusion issued the following news release:
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Ukraine: Civilian Casualties Surge Amid Intensifying Explosive Weapon Attacks
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Now in the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, civilians continue to endure the catastrophic impact of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA), facing destruction, displacement, and long-term humanitarian consequences. Between July and September 2026, Ukraine experienced some of the highest recorded civilian casualty levels since the beginning of the war, with 8,330
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Nov. 11 [Category: Health Care] -- Humanity and Inclusion issued the following news release:
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Ukraine: Civilian Casualties Surge Amid Intensifying Explosive Weapon Attacks
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Now in the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, civilians continue to endure the catastrophic impact of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA), facing destruction, displacement, and long-term humanitarian consequences. Between July and September 2026, Ukraine experienced some of the highest recorded civilian casualty levels since the beginning of the war, with 8,330casualties and a 90% rise compared to the same period last year, driven by intensifying missile strikes, long-range drones, glide bombs, artillery shelling, and short-range FPV drone attacks. During the same period, Ukraine also ramped up its deep strike operations against targets inside Russian territory, which were accompanied by reported civilian casualties.
Recent months have been among the deadliest for civilians, bringing immense loss and suffering.
Between July and September 2026, the UN documented unrelenting civilian harm in Ukraine.
In July alone, 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured, making it the deadliest month since May 2022. Overall, during the first eight months of 2026, more civilians were killed and injured across Ukraine than in the entire year of 2025, underscoring the severe deterioration in civilian protection and the mounting human cost of the war.
Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian territory have also caused civilian casualties; from January to July 2026, at least 327 civilians were killed in Russia. These figures come solely from official Russian sources and have not been independently verified by international observers or monitoring missions; therefore, they must be treated with caution.
Inna, an HI finance officer, says,
"Life in Kyiv is constant uncertainty: you don't know if you will wake up alive in the morning or reach work safely when there are no shelters nearby, and the power plant next to the metro station is under repeated attack. It is reading Harry Potter with your child in the evening, only to be interrupted by ballistic explosions outside the window and a rush to the corridor. It is watching a high-rise burn just a kilometer away, consoling yourself only with the thought that the playground beneath did not claim children's lives. It is seeing the tears of fear in your child's eyes every day. Life in Kyiv is no longer life; it is survival."
Russian forces' use of explosive weapons continues to generate a consistent pattern of civilian harm. Ukrainian forces have also conducted strikes using drones and missiles, including on Russian territory, raising concerns about the protection of civilians.
Long-Range Drones (Shahed-136/131; Geran-3, Geran-4, Geran-5; Italmas and Gerbera strike drones)
Russia has sharply escalated its use of jet-powered Geran drones against Ukraine, launching heavy-warhead systems deliberately targeting Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and residential areas. Daily attacks in August and September saw hundreds deployed, with some assaults killing civilians in Kyiv and other cities.
Between July and September 2026, Russian forces launched 16,086 long-range drones across Ukraine, marking one of the most intense periods of drone warfare in the conflict. The sheer scale of these attacks had horrific consequences for civilians, with widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, and disruption of daily life.
On July 2, Russia launched 496 Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas strike drones in a combined attack on Kyiv, one of the largest episodes of the month; the strikes killed at least 30 civilians, injured more than 97, and caused severe destruction to residential buildings, a hospital, a humanitarian warehouse, and critical city infrastructure.
Short-Range Drones (FPV, Lancet-type, Hornet)
Russian forces continued to use FPV drones that target evacuation buses, humanitarian workers, and frontline towns. July saw the highest monthly civilian casualty toll from short-range drones since the start of the full-scale war: 111 people killed and 710 injured, nearly one in four of the month's civilian casualties. These systems not only strike people, but they can also hunt them: OHCHR has documented drone operators targeting civilians in cars and buses, people evacuating, and clearly marked ambulances, and in July an FPV drone destroyed a Red Cross emergency-response van moments after its crew arrived to treat casualties in Vilniansk, with deaths recorded among humanitarian workers and persons with disabilities, who remain unable to safely relocate in time without proper support.
Russia's use of glide bombs remained at record levels, devastating residential areas in Kharkiv, Sumy and Donetsk. In July 2026, civilian casualties from aerial bombardments rose 143% compared to June, reaching 105 killed and 753 injured.
Cruise and Ballistic Missiles (Iskander-M, S-400/KN-23, Zircon/Onyx anti-ship missiles; Kh-101, Kalibr).
Russia intensified missile attacks in July, with 429 missiles launched. Civilian casualties from missiles and loitering munitions accounted for 38% of all harm (183 killed; 967 injured).
The combined use of cruise and ballistic missiles, glide bombs, Shahed/Geran loitering munitions, and FPV drones by Russian forces has had a devastating impact on civilians. These weapons disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups - children, persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly- causing extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and medical facilities, and severely restricting access to essential services. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is likely to result in international humanitarian law violations regarding fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions.
Long-Range Drones (UAVs and naval drones)
Between July and September 2026, Ukraine intensified its long-range strike drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, striking major refineries including Omsk, TANECO, Saratov, Ryazan, and Perm, and warehouse facilities; these operations caused shutdowns, fires, and widespread fuel shortages across Russia, reducing refining output to its lowest level in two decades.
Cruise and Ballistic Missiles (Neptune, Flamingo cruise missile; FP-7 ballistic missile)
Between July-September 2026, Ukrainian forces escalated long-range strikes on Russia using Neptune cruise missiles, Flamingo cruise missiles, and possibly FP-7 ballistic missiles. Targets included oil refineries (Gazpromneft Moscow, Novoshakhtinsk), UAV factories (Atlant-Aero), electronics plants (Karachev Elektrodetal), ports, and Russian Navy vessels. These attacks disrupted Russia's energy infrastructure, forced refinery shutdowns, and weakened its Black Sea Fleet presence, with civilian casualties reported.
The following chronology highlights the most devastating attacks in Ukraine and Russia or territories under Russian control impacting civilians from July to September, underscoring urgent protection needs and accountability gaps.
The vast majority of casualties reported between July and September 2026 occurred in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine. Civilians were killed or injured across 14 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.
Humanity & Inclusion (HI) strongly denounces the devastating harm inflicted on civilians by the bombing and shelling of towns and cities in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. HI calls on all parties to respect IHL and its principles to protect civilians and humanitarian and health workers at all times.
HI calls on all governments to urgently endorse and fully implement the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, and to uphold their commitments to restrict and refrain from such use when civilian harm is foreseeable.
We further urge the international community to condemn and investigate IHL violations, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and ensure survivor-centered assistance, including mental health support and inclusive rehabilitation services. Protecting civilians and safeguarding essential services must remain a global priority, and states that have already signed the Declaration should lead by example, sharing concrete measures taken to implement its commitments and demonstrating genuine action to reduce civilian harm.
Humanity & Inclusion emphasizes that the use of EWIPA not only causes civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure but also leads to long-term contamination of land with explosive remnants of war. This contamination prevents safe returns, blocks access to housing, schools, medical facilities, and livelihoods. HI calls on governments and the international community to prioritize land clearance from ERW as an essential component of civilian protection, recovery, and sustainable development, ensuring compliance with International Mine Action Standards and inclusive principles in program planning and implementation.
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Original text here: https://www.hi-us.org/en/ukraine-civilian-toll-rises-from-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas
Plastic Pollution Coalition: Why Your Baby's Diaper Might Outlive You - Solving Potty Training's Plastic Problem
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The Plastic Pollution Coalition issued the following news:
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Why Your Baby's Diaper Might Outlive You: Solving Potty Training's Plastic Problem
November 06, 2026
Guest author: Elena Ducoin is the co-owner of My Bee Bear, reusable 3-in-1 potty training and bedwetting underwear.
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Half a million African elephants. Six Burj Khalifas. More than 14,000 of the world's tallest trees. Nearly 300 Eiffel Towers.
That's roughly what 3.3 million U.S. tons of disposable diaper waste weighs, the amount the EPA estimated was sent to U.S. landfills in 2018 alone, the latest year
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The Plastic Pollution Coalition issued the following news:
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Why Your Baby's Diaper Might Outlive You: Solving Potty Training's Plastic Problem
November 06, 2026
Guest author: Elena Ducoin is the co-owner of My Bee Bear, reusable 3-in-1 potty training and bedwetting underwear.
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Half a million African elephants. Six Burj Khalifas. More than 14,000 of the world's tallest trees. Nearly 300 Eiffel Towers.
That's roughly what 3.3 million U.S. tons of disposable diaper waste weighs, the amount the EPA estimated was sent to U.S. landfills in 2018 alone, the latest yearfor which data is available.
And the numbers don't tell the whole story. A single plastic disposable diaper is not designed to decompose. It's built to last: a plastic outer shell, a super-absorbent polymer core, a design engineered to survive hours of moisture without leaking. There's a real chance the first plastic disposable diaper ever mass-produced, back in the 1960s, is still in a landfill somewhere.
Why Recycling Diapers Is Not the Answer
The obvious question: why isn't this a solved problem? Plastic is not designed to be recycled, and most of it ends up in landfills and the environment. That's especially true for diapers, for obvious reasons....
Interestingly, in 2013, the UK company Knowaste built a diaper recycling plant capable of processing 36,000 tonnes a year, shredding and sterilizing diapers to separate the plastic (pelletized for reuse) from the fiber (used in things like roofing and pet litter). It closed within two years, due to a variety of factors, including high operating costs and logistical hurdles. Procter & Gamble, makers of Pampers and Luvs, ran its own pilot and, by its own account, proved the process could work technically but still couldn't make the economics work.
Small pilot programs have shown diaper recycling is technically possible--but it's not a solution. Three things keep it from scaling: diapers arrive contaminated and need costly sterilization, they're a bonded multi-material product that's genuinely hard to cleanly separate, and the recovered materials haven't historically been worth enough to cover the cost. These problems will continue to crop up, because disposable diapers, like most plastics, are not designed to be recycled.
So, if recycling is not the answer we must seek another solution: Let's look upstream.
The Trend Nobody's Connecting to the Waste Problem
Here's what makes the pile bigger than the birth rate alone would predict: kids are staying in diapers longer than they used to. That means the waste grows per child, not just per birth.
A recent investigation in The Atlantic laid out numbers worth sitting with. In the 1950s, 80% of children completed toilet training by 24 months, and only 5% were still working on it past 34 months. Even under Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's more permissive, child-led approach, the one most modern pediatric guidance is still based on, 98% of kids were daytime trained by age 3.
Now, only about 21% of kids begin potty training before age 2, and roughly a quarter don't start until after they turn 3.
So what changed? The Atlantic's reporting points to overuse of disposables as one likely driver, not the only one, but a significant one. Modern diapers are engineered to pull moisture away from skin, so a wet diaper doesn't feel wet. A child wearing one "mostly carries on playing," because there's no physical discomfort prompting them to notice or care. The sensory cue that teaches a toddler's brain to connect "I feel wet" with "I should do something about that" has effectively been engineered out of the product.
That's a compelling correlation: the same design feature that makes diapers so convenient (and so hard to recycle, and impossible to benignly break down) may also be quietly extending how long kids stay in them. Every extra month in diapers is another month feeding that 3.3-million-ton pile. The waste problem and the training-delay problem start to look like the same feedback loop: better absorbency delays training, delayed training means more diapers per child, more diapers per child means more waste.
What's more, research shows that children are especially vulnerable to the health harms of plastics. Disposable plastic diapers are one major source of exposure for many children. Luckily, there are things you can do to reduce or eliminate your child's exposure to disposable diapers.
What Actually Moves the Needle: Reusables
Two things help, and neither requires going all-in on cloth diapers if you're not able to do that.
Cut disposables where they're not necessary. Use cloth at home or during the summer, and cellulose-based disposables (as opposed to plastic-based disposables) for travel and nighttime. Every disposable plastic diaper that gets swapped out is one less in the landfill. Hiro Diapers is one company making healthier and Earth-friendlier alternatives to the conventional plastic disposable diaper; and offers free potty training classes.
Start potty training earlier. In 2024, the UK updated its official potty training guidance, moving away from the "wait until they're ready" doctrine toward earlier, gentler introduction. The new guidelines recommend starting body-awareness groundwork as early as 6 to 9 months, with independent learning encouraged between 18 and 30 months.
Where Training Underwear Fits
Starting earlier means giving a child a way to feel wetness again, without turning every accident into a cleanup project. That's the gap training underwear is built to fill: a garment that looks and moves like real underwear but has a removable absorbent insert, so a child gets the sensory feedback a diaper is designed to block, while parents still have a buffer for accidents.
This is why Elena Ducoin created MyBeeBear underwear with insertable absorbency. In 2023, when she was trying to potty train her then 2-year-old daughter. The underwear features a hidden pocket at the crotch area, one or several reusable absorbent pads can be moved in and out to adapt to the child's needs (daytime training, naps, outings or overnight protection). And after a child is out of diapers the same reusable underwear eventually becomes just underwear once training is done. No separate product for every stage.
Reusable training underwear is not a fix for the diaper waste stream on its own--a bigger systemic shift is needed to cut wastefulness on a societal scale. But every family that swaps disposables for something reusable, every child who starts and finishes potty training earlier, also prevents diapers from entering that 3.3-million-ton pile of disposable plastic diapers in the first place--and a kid getting the sensory feedback they need to finish training sooner. Which shortens the whole window this problem lives in.
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Original text here: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2026/11/5/why-your-babys-diaper-might-outlive-you-solving-potty-trainings-plastic-problem
[Category: Industrial Materials]
New Framework Maps How Consumers Spend Their Free Time, Revealing Unmet Needs and Brands' Hidden Competitors
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 [Category: Business] -- The Insights Association posted the following news:
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New Framework Maps How Consumers Spend Their Free Time, Revealing Unmet Needs and Brands' Hidden Competitors
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PSB Insights has released The Attention Economy, a new report that shows exactly where consumers' free time goes and where brands are losing ground without knowing it. The findings show that consumers are regretting how they spend time with brands, and many brands don't realize that their real competition may sit outside their category.
Key findings:
* Connection is consumers' biggest
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 [Category: Business] -- The Insights Association posted the following news:
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New Framework Maps How Consumers Spend Their Free Time, Revealing Unmet Needs and Brands' Hidden Competitors
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PSB Insights has released The Attention Economy, a new report that shows exactly where consumers' free time goes and where brands are losing ground without knowing it. The findings show that consumers are regretting how they spend time with brands, and many brands don't realize that their real competition may sit outside their category.
Key findings:
* Connection is consumers' biggestunmet need. Consumers want nearly twice as much time for Connection, and no brands are delivering it adequately. This is the clearest growth opportunity uncovered in the study.
* Consumers don't choose brands. They choose feelings. How people want to feel from moment to moment dictates where their attention goes, making any brand that fulfills that emotional need a competitor.
* Brands compete across seven attention states, not in one category. Every brand in the study registers across all seven daily attention states we identified. Managing for your primary category means brands are playing one game while consumers are scoring them on seven.
* More time spent with a brand can result in regret, not affinity. Escape (streaming, scrolling, passive consumption) dominates free time, yet consumers want double-digit points less of it. Brands living in this space risk being resented.
The learnings challenge several assumptions that brands make about their audiences. Consumers do not choose brands first. They choose how they want to feel moment to moment, and that feeling decides where their limited attention goes. Brands aren't just competing within sectors. They're competing within each moment of consumers' free time.
PSB Insights CEO Christopher Frank adds, "The Attention Economy tackles an essential question - how can brands pivot from capturing attention to creating connection? We are living through an attention crisis where consumers are seeking connection and meaning. The study unpacks seven core attention states mapping where consumers spend their time versus what they actually desire. It identifies clear white space for CMOs and brand strategists to explore. It is a fascinating read about consumers, attention and brands."
Seven Attention States Expose Clear Gaps
The study used PSB's pioneering Narrative Intelligence(tm) methodology to reveal consumers' seven daily attention states. Escape--streaming, scrolling, and passive consumption--captures the largest share of free time at 32 percent, yet consumers say they want less of it. Connection is the largest unmet need in the study, with consumers spending 13 percent of their free time on it but desiring nearly double that. While every brand mentioned registered across seven states, none were closely associated with Movement, Order, or Expression, where consumers spend nearly a quarter of their free time.
The report brings into focus four questions that every brand team must answer: Which attention states are we actually hired to fulfill? Who is really competing for that state? Are we sticky by desire or sticky by default? And what unmet desire are our users leaving with?
From Messy Conversations to a Measurable Framework
Narrative Intelligence (tm) uncovered the Attention Economy framework through AI probing with real respondents, asking them how they spent their most recent free time and why they chose it. From thousands of rich, conversational responses, it turned them into hard metrics that most researchers are used to only seeing from vast quantitative examinations. While the rigidity of scales can force respondents into boxes, conversational surveys at scale capture authentically human contradictions that represent more valuable data.
The full study is available at psbinsights.com.
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Original text here: https://www.insightsassociation.org/News/Industry-News/ArticleID/2726/New-Framework-Maps-How-Consumers-Spend-Their-Free-Time-Revealing-Unmet-Needs-and-Brands-39-Hidden-Competitors (TNSmrp)
National Wildlife Federation Cannot Support Permitting Package in its Current Form
MERRIFIELD, Virginia, Nov. 8 [Category: Environment] -- The National Wildlife Federation posted the following news release:
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National Wildlife Federation Cannot Support Permitting Package in its Current Form
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Adverse Impacts on Nature, Wildlife Should Not Be Traded Away for Uncertain Climate Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Wildlife Federation issued the following statement on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act and the substitute amendment proposed by the bill's sponsors:
"The National Wildlife Federation has great respect for the lead negotiators of the Bipartisan
... Show Full Article
MERRIFIELD, Virginia, Nov. 8 [Category: Environment] -- The National Wildlife Federation posted the following news release:
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National Wildlife Federation Cannot Support Permitting Package in its Current Form
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Adverse Impacts on Nature, Wildlife Should Not Be Traded Away for Uncertain Climate Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Wildlife Federation issued the following statement on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act and the substitute amendment proposed by the bill's sponsors:
"The National Wildlife Federation has great respect for the lead negotiators of the BipartisanAmerican Affordability and Jobs Act and is grateful for their willingness to consider input and improvements," said Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "We share their urgency in the need to reduce climate pollution by modernizing our grid and deploying more clean energy. We particularly appreciate the efforts to maximize the capacity of the existing transmission system through grid-enhancing technologies, responsibly site infrastructure in existing degraded rights-of-way rather than disturbing intact greenfields and wildlife habitat, and improve interregional and offshore transmission planning, as well as fund abandoned hardrock mine cleanup and coastal resilience.
"However, first and foremost, the National Wildlife Federation is a conservation organization dedicated to ensuring wildlife and people thrive in our rapidly changing world. The greatest threats to wildlife include habitat loss, invasive species, disease, and pollution, all of which are exacerbated by climate change. While wildlife survival urgently requires accelerating emission reductions, those gains are not guaranteed under this bill. Meanwhile, adverse impacts to wildlife, waters, Tribal lands, public lands, and communities will result from the package's statutory concessions affecting the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act, as well as from restrictions on judicial remedies and the ability to revisit ecologically harmful decisions. These certain impacts on nature and wildlife should not be traded away for uncertain climate benefits.
"After closely evaluating the full bill and the newly released substitute amendment alongside our state and territorial affiliates, Tribal partners, environmental justice partners, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation partners, water coalition partners, and other conservation partners, we have concluded we cannot support the legislation in its current form.
"We believe that the significance of the proposed revisions to our nation's bedrock environmental laws and the numerous concerns raised about impacts on natural resources and communities warrant more deliberation than is possible during a truncated lame-duck session. It would be prudent for the incoming Congress to work collaboratively with states, Tribes, and the administration to deliver durable reforms that accelerate responsible energy development and reduce pollution, while conserving our waters, lands, and wildlife, upholding Tribal sovereignty and Treaty Rights, and ensuring meaningful community engagement."
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Original text here: https://www.nwf.org/Home/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2026/11-8-26-Permitting-Statement
California Voters Reject Polluters-Backed Proposition 45
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
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California Voters Reject Polluters-Backed Proposition 45
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.-- California voters have rejected Proposition 45, the ballot initiative that would have weakened the state's environmental protection law for a wide category of polluting projects. With about 76% of the votes counted from the Nov. 3 election, roughly 56% of voters opposed the measure, ahead by 1.1 million votes.
"This strong rejection of Prop. 45 shows that Californians are willing to fight to keep
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
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California Voters Reject Polluters-Backed Proposition 45
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.-- California voters have rejected Proposition 45, the ballot initiative that would have weakened the state's environmental protection law for a wide category of polluting projects. With about 76% of the votes counted from the Nov. 3 election, roughly 56% of voters opposed the measure, ahead by 1.1 million votes.
"This strong rejection of Prop. 45 shows that Californians are willing to fight to keepour air and water clean," said Aruna Prabhala, senior attorney and urban wildlands director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "When we can't rely on the federal government to protect our communities and the environment, we need strong state laws to keep us safe. I hope developers heard us loud and clear. We're not interested in giving polluting projects a free pass."
Today's latest Prop. 45 results were released as Democrats across the country celebrate sweeping wins in Congress and governorships.
The Center for Biological Diversity was part of a coalition of more than 600 groups -- including healthcare workers, labor unions and environmental justice organizations -- opposing Prop. 45.
The California measure would have allowed projects like freeway expansions, dams and data centers to bypass a thorough environmental review and limit the power of courts to weigh in. The initiative, backed by the California Chamber of Commerce, data center developers and the state's largest utilities, would also hand more power to the developers of those projects by making it easier for them to sue agencies that push back.
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Original text here: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/california-voters-reject-polluters-backed-proposition-45-2026-11-04/
CAIR-WA Condemns Racist Disruption of Seattle Diwali Celebration by Far-Right Activists
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR-WA Condemns Racist Disruption of Seattle Diwali Celebration by Far-Right Activists
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The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), a chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a racist, xenophobic and anti-Hindu disruption of by far-right activists of a community Diwali celebration at the Seattle Center Armory.
The far-right activists stormed the cultural gathering carrying
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR-WA Condemns Racist Disruption of Seattle Diwali Celebration by Far-Right Activists
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The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), a chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a racist, xenophobic and anti-Hindu disruption of by far-right activists of a community Diwali celebration at the Seattle Center Armory.
The far-right activists stormed the cultural gathering carryinghateful placards bearing explicit racial slurs and xenophobic conspiracy theories, including signs reading "Deport All Dot Heads" and "Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) denounced the incident, posted on X:
"I am beyond disgusted by this vile and racist display. Diwali is an important holiday and our community should feel safe to celebrate it. This hateful display has no place in our city or this country."
In a statement, Imraan Siddiqi, CAIR-WA's Executive Director, said:
"Hate speech, xenophobic harassment, and targeting of minority religious groups run counter to the fundamental values of our region and nation. We urge community members to remain vigilant against the rising bigotry targeting minority communities we are witnessing nationwide and reaffirm our shared commitment to standing united against racism, bigotry, and hate in all its forms."
He noted that earlier this month, CAIR decried white supremacist rhetorical and financial support for a Montana man accused of targeting a man of Indian (South Asian) descent in a biased-motivated assault in downtown Helena.
Washington, D.C.-based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La mision de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprension del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-wa-condemns-racist-disruption-of-seattle-diwali-celebration-by-far-right-activists/
B'nai B'rith Condemns Antisemitic "Boycott Ride" Targeting Jewish-Owned Businesses in Philadelphia
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- B'nai B'rith International issued the following news release:
[Category: Religion]
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B'nai B'rith Condemns Antisemitic "Boycott Ride" Targeting Jewish-Owned Businesses in Philadelphia
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B'nai B'rith President Robert B Spitzer and CEO Evan R. Bernstein have issued the following statement:
B'nai B'rith International condemns today's so-called "boycott ride" in Philadelphia, in which activists cycled through Center City to single out Jewish-owned restaurants and businesses. Organizers had called the owners "disgusting humans" and declared, "these Zionist establishments
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- B'nai B'rith International issued the following news release:
[Category: Religion]
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B'nai B'rith Condemns Antisemitic "Boycott Ride" Targeting Jewish-Owned Businesses in Philadelphia
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B'nai B'rith President Robert B Spitzer and CEO Evan R. Bernstein have issued the following statement:
B'nai B'rith International condemns today's so-called "boycott ride" in Philadelphia, in which activists cycled through Center City to single out Jewish-owned restaurants and businesses. Organizers had called the owners "disgusting humans" and declared, "these Zionist establishmentsmust go."
This was not a protest of policy. It was a public campaign to intimidate Jews and drive them from their livelihoods because of who they are.
If any other community's businesses had been singled out and paraded past by a group demanding they leave, people would be shouting from the rooftops, and rightly so. Why are Jews uniquely acceptable targets?
We have seen this before. On Nov. 9, 1938, 88 years ago tomorrow, mobs smashed the windows of Jewish shops across Germany and Austria during Kristallnacht. The persecution that led there began with boycotts and the singling out of Jewish businesses. We cannot ignore the echoes.
We thank Gov. Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle Parker and Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday for condemning this ride. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle also spoke out. But condemnation cannot fall only to a handful of officials and the Jewish community. Where are the civic leaders, cultural institutions and allies who speak out quickly when other communities are targeted? Silence sends a message, too.
B'nai B'rith stands with Philadelphia's Jewish business owners and their employees. We urge everyone who believes all people should be able to live and work without fear to support them and to say plainly: This is unacceptable.
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Original text here: https://www.bnaibrith.org/condemns-antisemitic-boycott-ride-targeting-jewish-owned-businesses/
