Egypt’s top cleric calls polygamy ‘injustice,’ draws debate
AP NewsSheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb said that the practice of polygamy comes from a misunderstanding of Qur’anic tradition, and is a restricted exception to the rule of monogamy in Islam.
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Pakistan & Saudi Arabia Throw China's Muslims Under The Bus
Bridge InitiativeThe leaders of two of the world’s most important Muslim majority countries recently refused to condemn the Chinese government, which continues to pump billions of dollars into their economies, for its ongoing practice of anti-Muslim ethnic cleansing.
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Why Muslim and Arab Countries Are Working So Hard to Win Over U.S. Evangelicals
HaaretzThe visit by a group of American pastors to Azerbaijan this week is the latest instance of outreach from the Muslim world, following prior visits to Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia — and it is not all about gaining access to the Trump administration
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Fifth food drive in honor of killed Muslim students brings in more donations than ever
The News & ObserverMembers of Muslim, Christian and Jewish congregations from across North Carolina’s Research Triangle region gathered at the Islamic Association of Raleigh on Saturday to pack and sort thousands of pounds of donated food in honor of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, who were shot and killed four years ago.
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We need to stop pretending there’s no Islamophobia crisis in Canada
THISBrigitte Pawliw-Fry examines how Canadians view themselves through the lens of national massacres.
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CVE Is A Flawed and Ineffective Program, And More Evaluation Won’t Fix It
Take CareNabihah Maqbool and Sirine Shebaya of the national civil rights group Muslim Advocates enumerate the fatal flaws in the government’s “combating violent extremism” policy.
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Why It’s Time for Hollywood to Recognize the Muslim Community’s Diversity (Guest Column)
VarietySue Obeidi director of the Muslim Political Action Committee’s Hollywood bureau writes that the very recent inclusion of American Muslims doesn’t erase the years of vilification we have endured in Hollywood. Mahershala Ali’s success is a step in the right direction, but there is a long way to go.
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Exclusive: Ilhan Omar Speaks Out On Her Twitter Scandal, Anti-Semitism, And A Progressive Foreign Policy
The InterceptOn his ‘Deconstructed’ Podcast, journalist Mehdi Hassan of The Intercept speaks to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in her first national interview since her twitter scandal.
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Muslim inmates sue over combined faith services in Arkansas prisons
Religion News ServiceCAIR has filed a lawsuit against the Arkansas Department of Corrections on behalf of three prisoners who are being forced to attend the same Friday prayer service as members of the Nation of Islam and the Nation of Gods and Earths.
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Kazakhs Won’t Be Silenced on China’s Internment Camps
Foreign PolicyActivists are speaking out for those imprisoned in Xinjiang—even if their own government doesn’t like it.
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Islamic council rejects Israeli court closure at holy site
AP NewsThe Islamic authority that oversees Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem has rejected an Israeli court order to close a religious hall that has ignited tension between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police in recent weeks.
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Far right ‘infiltrating children’s charities with anti-Islam agenda’
The GuardianRight-wing groups including the UK Independence Party are attempting to “infiltrate” child protection charities to further an anti-Islam agenda, officials from the government’s counter-extremism programme believe.
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New Pakistani leader’s education aims may include reining in religious schools
Religion News ServiceLike several Pakistani leaders before him, Prime Minister Imran Khan came into office vowing to reform the country’s 38,000 madrassas — the Islamic seminaries that for decades have educated the poor. Some have contributed to sectarianism and extremism.
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Tories suspend 14 members over alleged Islamophobia
The GuardianBritian’s Conservative party has suspended 14 members for allegedly making Islamophobic comments after a string of abusive posts were uncovered on social media.
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Islamic council rejects Israeli court closure at holy site
AP NewsThe Iranian government has approved a generous plan to facilitate participation in the hajj, offering Saudi-bound travelers the opportunity to pay for the voyage — estimated to cost over $3,000 — in local currency at rates far below the open market.
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Britain needs a full inquiry into the poison of Islamophobia inside the Conservative Party
Middle East EyeSomething has gone hideously wrong with the modern Conservative Party and Theresa May is incapable of dealing with it, writes Peter Oborne.
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For the love of Mary and hymn: Muslim singer perks up ears
Al-MonitorDalia Ihab Younis shrugs off critics who find it odd or somehow unacceptable that a Muslim woman in a hijab sings hymns venerating the Virgin Mary.
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Want to combat hate? Stop the hazing of Ilhan Omar and start listening.
The Washington PostDespite the clear double standards being employed against Omar, most certainly because of her religion, one thing is certain: Different communities hear words differently and we all need to listen, engage and communicate with one another to understand why.
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New play ‘American Griot’ explores blues music’s Muslim and African roots
Religion News Service“Something that was embedded in my mind from schooling was that Western music was the pinnacle of all music,” said Malley, a Palestinian-American Muslim living in Chicago. “And that was difficult for me to digest. Because, well, music has been around for a very long time.”
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Crisis? What crisis? Senior Tories shrug off Islamophobia warning
The GuardianConservatives remain largely silent as Lady Warsi says the party has an institutional problem.
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Amid Halal Grocers and a ‘Bangladesh Avenue,’ a Polish Pastry Is a Beloved Tradition
The New York TimesHamtramck Michigan’s transformation in recent decades is well documented and obvious. Storefronts now display signs in Arabic or Bengali. The main road was given an honorary name, “Bangladesh Avenue.” And after the 2015 election, the City Council became the country’s first with a Muslim majority, but traditional Polish pastries still draw a crowd.
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The Violent Toll of Hindu Nationalism in India
The New YorkerA populist Prime Minister has legitimized India’s more militant groups, and targeted attacks against religious minorities are on the rise.
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Jewish and Muslim activists express support for Ilhan Omar
Middle East EyeCongresswoman Omar’s criticism of AIPAC and Israel is not anti-Semitic, Semitic activists say.
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Pakistan seizes religious schools in intensified crackdown on militants
ReutersPakistan intensified its crackdown against Islamist militants on Thursday, with the government announced it had taken control of 182 religious schools and detained more than 100 people as part of its push against banned groups.
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The Tories’ Islamophobia will not be stopped from within
The GuardianAs Fiyaz Mughal observes, anti-Muslim hate has flourished in sections of the party. Help from outside is the only way to root it out.
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US House Democrats delay anti-Semitic resolution amid pressure
Al JazeeraDemocrats are delaying a vote rebuking Ilhan Omar as pressure mounts to include broad language condemning other bigotry.
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Trump Cited a Letter Against Ilhan Omar Signed by Far-Right, Anti-Muslim Groups
The InterceptThe groups that signed the letter have themselves been repeatedly and credibly accused of harboring biases of their own — against American Muslims.
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Al-Aqsa compound 'calm' for Friday prayers amid tensions
Al JazeeraMore than 40,000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers inside Al-Aqsa compound amid Israeli-issued bans on 140 others.
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House infighting: Does Pelosi have a tea party problem?
AP NewsEmboldened by their ability to seize the spotlight and shape the national debate, a core group of high-profile freshmen Democrats are driving an agenda that could define the party for years to come.
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Child marriage in Niger is a cultural issue, not an Islamic one
The GuardianModel and activist Mariah Idrissi writes that a visit to the world’s fifth poorest country has shown her that battling early and forced marriage begins with communities. Islam, for her, is the “core of her world” and a source of encouragement for who she wants to be as a Muslim woman.
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Noura Bendali: The Muslim Dane fighting against Islamophobia
Al JazeeraAfter her child was bullied, Noura Bendali is attempting to fight Islamophobia in Denmark by entering politics.
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Mahathir meets Philippine Muslim rebel chief-turned-governor
AP NewsMalaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday met a Filipino Muslim rebel leader who has become a regional governor under a Malaysian-brokered peace deal, telling him while it’s easier to shoot and kill than to develop a nation, prosperity can only happen in the absence of war.
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Maydan editors selected some of the most thought-provoking news items on issues around Islam, religion and public-life for you. Let us know what you have been reading. Drop us a line at mediaroundups@themaydan.com!