From Mahometan to Kiwi Muslim: history of NZ’s Muslim population
The ConversationThis piece chronicles the history of Muslim involvement in New Zealand society from the mid 19th century to the present.
Read More
Is it terrorism? Post NZ attack, Muslims see double standard
AP NewsBy immediately labeling the attacks in Christchurch as acts of terrorism, New Zealand’s Prime Minister expanded the definition of terrorism beyond acts carried out by Muslim attackers to include attacks made by white nationalists and anti-immigrant extremists.
Read More
In India's Assam, Muslim families evicted weeks before elections
Al JazeeraState authorities have evicted more than 600 families from their homes, accusing them of illegally occupying government land.
Read More
We need to stop conflating Islam with terrorism
The ConversationThis editorial stresses that Islam cannot be reduced to a single idea or expressed as a monolith, that Muslims are often the primary victims of extremism perpetrated in the name of Islam, and that the extreme right reinforces that extremism. The only solution is for the West to reassess its narrative about Islam.
Read More
Iraq’s religious leaders join hands to promote peaceful coexistence
Al-MonitorReligious leaders from all major faiths are holding meetings across Iraq to join in promoting peace.
Read More
Erdogan proposal to make Hagia Sophia a mosque irks Greece
AP NewsThe Greek government voiced opposition Monday to the suggestion from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia — a Byzantine-era cathedral that now serves as a museum — could be reconverted into a mosque.
Read More
French Muslim group sue Facebook, YouTube over footage of Christchurch massacre
ReutersThe suit filed by the French Council of the Islamic Faith alleges that the companies incited violence by allowing the streaming of footage of the Christchurch massacre on their platforms, and disseminate material that encouraged terrorism and harmed the dignity of human beings.
Read More
Israeli court closes holy site flashpoint, goads Jordan to respond
Al-MonitorThe Israeli courts have been brought into the ongoing pre-election tensions over access to a site within Al-Haram al-Sharif/Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The Israeli prosecution has asked the courts to help resolve the conflict that has left the Old City of Jerusalem in constant tension ever since Muslim worshipers decided they are not obliged to accept the unilateral Israeli ban on using the site.
Read More
Democrats, Muslim lawmaker decry opening prayer as divisive
AP NewsThe first female Muslim member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives said Tuesday she was offended by a colleague’s decision to open a voting session with a prayer a day earlier that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.”
Read More
Pakistan orders custody for Hindu girls at center of quarrel with India
ReutersA court in Pakistan on Tuesday ordered the government to take custody of two Hindu sisters allegedly kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam, police said, a case that triggered a quarrel with Hindu-majority neighbor India.
Read More
Xinjiang crackdown must continue, top China leader says
The GuardianTreatment of Uighur minority has been heavily criticized in the west but Wang Yang says ‘high pressure’ must be maintained
Read More
Who speaks for Islam in the Middle East, the new study asks
Middle East EyeA Rice University study hopes to address extremism and violence by mapping religious authority across the region.
Read More
Chinese Muslims are struggling to follow their faith amid a growing crackdown.
Foreign PolicyChinese Muslims are struggling to follow their faith amid a growing crackdown.
Read More
Islam Helped Me Find My Path as a Queer Sex Educator
BroadlyWazina Zondon, a co-creator of the storytelling performance Coming Out Muslim, discusses finding clarity and joy in her sexuality through religion.
Read More
'I feel caught in the middle': queer Muslims on the LGBTQ lessons row
The GuardianParents have been protesting over relationship education, saying it is incompatible with their religious values. Where does the row leave gay Muslims?
Read More
Amnesty slams Brunei’s new ‘vicious’ Islamic criminal laws
AP NewsAmnesty International on Wednesday slammed plans by Brunei to implement what the rights group called “vicious” Islamic criminal laws such as stoning to death for gay sex and amputation for theft.
Read More
Without papers, Uighurs fear for their future in Turkey
ReutersWithout work or residency permits in Turkey and unable to renew their Chinese passports, Qurbanjan Nourmuhammed and his family live in uncertainty in Istanbul, cut off from their son who returned to Xinjiang three years ago.
Read More
Graffiti Citing New Zealand Attack Is Found After Mosque Fire in California
The New York TimesMuslims in San Diego County, CA and around the US have seen expressions of the “same hatred” that motivated the New Zealand attacks. They continue to seek support from friends and neighbors both inside and outside Islam.
Read More
'To use Jesus as a weapon is not OK': Lawmaker slammed for prayer before Muslim woman sworn in
USA TodayA Republican state lawmaker faces criticism for a Christian prayer she delivered in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday, the same day the body swore in its first female Muslim member.
Read More
America’s Islamophobia Is Forged at the Pulpit
Foreign PolicyResearcher Christopher Stroop examines how White evangelicals’ apocalyptic fantasies are driving U.S. policy.
Read More
Islamophobia kills. I watched this with my own eyes when I helped bury New Zealand victims.
The Washington PostSheikh Omar Suleiman joined volunteers to help bury the victims of the Christchurch attacks. He writes about his experiences here.
Read More
Egyptian seminary renews its claim as arbiter of Islam’s true meaning
Religion News Service“Al-Azhar, which has for hundreds of years managed to preserve and promote Islam’s real values of tolerance, moderation, and knowledge, will have again to step up to shoulder its responsibility in the face of extremist currents that distort our image and refute their false claim to be acting in our traditions and interests,” says the University’s Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb.
Read More
Bosnians deported from Croatia for 'refusing to spy on Muslims'
Al JazeeraCitizens and politicians say Croatian intelligence label Bosnians who do not collaborate as national security threats.
Read More
In Iraqi Kurdistan, a robe for religious coexistence
France 24Iraqi Kurdish artist Shanaz Jamal has spent five months working to stitch together symbols representing the main religious communities in Kurdistan and Iraq. Her work which includes embroidery of over 3,000 beads and semiprecious stones, is set to be displayed at the Vatican.
Read More
‘It doesn’t open’: Mosque survivors describe terror at door
AP NewsSurvivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room. At least fifteen people were killed near it.
Read More
Quebec Proposes Bill Barring Public Employees From Wearing Head Scarves at Work
The New York TimesOn Thursday the Quebec government proposed a bill barring public school teachers, judges, police officers, and other public employees from wearing religious symbols including Muslim headscarves while working, a move that could aggravate simmering cultural tensions in the province.
Read More
How new role models are inspiring young Muslim women to reimagine their lives
Religion News ServiceThe authors of this piece conducted interviews with six women who lead Muslim Student Associations on campuses around the country about how new high profile Muslim women are inspiring them.
Read More
One Family's Story of Survival and Loss in New Zealand
The New York TimesAtta Elayyan is remembered by his loved ones as a son, father, husband, and brother.
Read More
Christchurch attacks strike at the heart of Muslims’ safe places from Islamophobia
The ConversationThe terror attacks at the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch send a message to Muslims: there is no safe space from Islamophobia. The attacks have made it more difficult for Muslims in Western cities to find places where they feel safe.
Read More
Hating Muslims, loving Zionists: Israel as a far-right model
Al JazeeraWidely admired by the far right, Israel has joined a global movement to promote far-right politics and anti-Muslim hate, argues Ramzy Baroud and Romana Rubeo.
Read More
Muslims in Quebec decry proposed law banning 'religious symbols' in public sector
Middle East EyeA new Quebec law would bar teachers, lawyers, and other state employees from wearing hijab, kippahs or turbans.
Read More
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!