Yemen's Houthis deny targeting Mecca with ballistic missiles
ReutersHouthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea denied Saudi media reports on Monday that his militia had fired a ballistic missile toward Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Gulf Arab states allied to Washington.
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Iraqi Shiite figures warn US-Iran war could ‘burn’ Iraq
AP NewsIraqi Shiite leaders warned Monday against attempts to pull their country into a war between the U.S. and Iran, saying it would turn Iraq into a battlefield yet again, just as it is on the path to recovery.
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The British Victorians who became Muslims
BBC NewsAt the height of the British Empire, a few brave pioneer converts embraced Islam in defiance of Victorian norms at a time when Christianity was the bedrock of British identity.
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Ramadan becomes a struggle in cyclone-hit northern Mozambique
AljazeeraMuslims spend Ramadan trying to rebuild their lives in the midst of food shortage and heavily damaged mosques.
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'No social backlash to anyone that holds Islamophobic views'
AljazeeraFrench activists and academics say Islamophobia starts with the state and it’s not been treated seriously.
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Ramadan: how a new generation of British Muslims are becoming more green
The ConversationMuslims worldwide are about to enter the second half of Ramadan. However, growing concerns around the environmental crisis and social struggles across the globe have to lead them to consider its deeper meaning.
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In an Indian village, Muslims talk of leaving as divide with Hindus widens
ReutersMuslims are reflecting on the seemingly far off time when their children played with Hindu kids, and people from both faiths chatted when they frequented each other’s shops and went to festivals together.
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Muslim Lawmakers Host Ramadan Feast At Capitol
NPRIn speeches from the podium and in conversations over ice-cream sundaes, guests at an iftar in the Capitol repeated two main themes: pride in having their faith reflected in Congress and dismay at the ferocity of the criticism leveled at the Muslim representatives.
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Saudi Arabia to execute three prominent moderate scholars after Ramadan
Middle East EyeSalman al-Ouda and two other prominent Saudi scholars, convicted on multiple charges of “terrorism” will be sentenced to death and executed shortly after Ramadan, according to two government sources and one of the men’s relatives.
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What happened when I met my Islamophobic troll
The GuardianA Muslim man recalls the time when he began getting regular messages from an anonymous Twitter user telling him that his religion was ‘evil’. Which led him to break his silence then later led to a face to face meeting.
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Indonesia frees ethnic Chinese woman jailed for blasphemy
AljazeeraAn Indonesian woman who belongs to the ethnic Chinese minority, sentenced to 18 months in prison last year on blasphemy charges, has been released on parole.
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China’s Orwellian War on Religion
The New York TimesAt times under Communist Party rule, repression of faith has eased, but now it is unmistakably worsening. China is engaging in internment, monitoring or persecution of Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists on a scale almost unparalleled by a major nation in three-quarters of a century.
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Focusing on faith: Ramadan and the student-athlete
Daily RecordFor student-athletes, Ramadan brings unique challenges. While abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk, they must maintain the same level of focus on both academics and sports.
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Arab states waste heaps of food during Ramadan
The EconomistArab states waste a lot of food. A 2016 study by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that Saudi Arabia bins 427 kg per person annually, triple the average in Europe and North America.
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New Haven mosque struggles to resume Ramadan rituals after arson attack
Religion News ServiceA week after an arson attack left the imposing Diyanet Mosque of New Haven, CT uninhabitable, nearly three dozen members of this Muslim community gathered in front of the building for what should have been a familiar Ramadan ritual — a community iftar, or the breaking of the day’s fast.
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The UN comically subverts 'the fast life' in glitzy Ramadan campaign
The DrumThe United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) has launched a digital campaign for ShareTheMeal – its mobile fundraising app – to engage Muslim audiences this Ramadan.
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More Than 500 Attacks on Muslims in America This Year
Daily BeastMosques in California, Connecticut, and Queens have been the targets of arson and graffiti, including an act by an alleged synagogue shooter that foreshadowed his rampage.
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Malaysia sends out 'Ramadan police' in disguise to bust non-fasting Muslims
The New ArabMalaysian officials are disguising themselves as cooks and waiters to catch Muslims who don’t fast during Ramadan, prompting a rights group on Thursday to blast the campaign as a”disgraceful act of spying”.
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Female Israeli soldiers want to wish you a Happy Ramadan...from occupied Palestine
The New ArabAn Israeli army brigade stationed in the Palestinian city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank released a video on Thursday wishing Muslims a Happy Ramadan.
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Reps. Tlaib and Omar challenge the trope of modest Muslim women
The Washington PostThe two embattled Muslim Congresswomen are “refusing to play by mainstream rules” and breaking barriers. Their outspoken views, “appalling and toxic to many, novel to others,” were not aired openly before, and are opening important new debates.
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Islamophobia helps jihadists recruit, says UK playwright
ReutersYoung Muslims face rising racism and Islamophobia that leaves them more vulnerable to radicalization, according to the author of a new play about a teenage girl recruited by Islamic State.
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Brunei's sultan returns Oxford degree after gay sex death penalty backlash
ReutersBrunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has returned an honorary degree awarded by Oxford University after a global backlash led by celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John against his country’s new harsh stance on sexual “crimes”.
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The history of China’s Muslims and what’s behind their persecution
The ConversationUighur leaders and experts located outside China have warned that the situation could worsen, and “mass murder” could not be ruled out. With upwards of ten percent of the Uighurs being held against their will, in what is being called the worst and the most neglected humanitarian crisis of the past in over a decade.
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China’s alarming AI surveillance of Muslims should wake us up
The Washington PostTight control of civilian populations is the cardinal rule of authoritarian regimes, yet the sheer scale and complexity of those populations make control difficult. Now, artificial intelligence has made civilian surveillance far easier, and more invasive. AI is rapidly becoming the new best friend of dictators everywhere.
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Bomb in Afghan mosque kills senior cleric during Friday prayers
ReutersA bomb exploded at a mosque in the Afghan capital, Kabul, during Friday prayers, officials said, killing three people including a senior preacher and wounding at least 20 men who had gathered for worship.
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Groups, mosques rally around Muslim foster children in Ramadan
AljazeeraIn a bid to preserve their identity, British Muslim children in foster care are being given gift packages with books, food, and decorations in celebration of Ramadan. The gift boxes are designed to “aid in understanding the needs of a Muslim foster child and increase the bonds between a foster child and their carer.”
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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!