Just 22 mosques given funding for hate crime security last year
The GuardianWidespread distrust of the Home Office’s counter-extremism strategy by British Muslims has been cited as one of the obstacles to mosques using a government scheme to protect places of worship from hate crime, after figures showed just 22 received funding last year.
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Mohammed bin Salman Is Making Muslims Boycott Mecca
Foreign PolicyThe Saudi crown prince’s regional aggression and disdain for human rights have prompted religious scholars and pious pilgrims to refuse to go on the hajj.
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Saudi scholar Alaoudh: 'MBS is not Saudi Arabia'
Al JazeeraThe son of jailed Muslim cleric Salman al-Awdah talks to Al Jazeera on Khashoggi’s murder and the erosion of rights and liberties under crown prince Mohammad bin Salman.
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Women discuss what it’s like to wear a hijab
The Detroit NewsFive American women share their feelings and experiences on wearing the hijab. “Hijab is part of me, a part of who I am, something I can call basically home,” said Saeda Sulieman, a college student. “If I don’t wear the hijab, I feel less secure, less powerful.”
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Daughter of Islamic scholar al-Qaradawi remanded in Egypt again
Al JazeeraOla al-Qaradawi was arrested hours after her release in a previous case and now faces charges of ‘joining a terrorist group’.
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Halal holidays: Sun, sea and seclusion appeal to women
Middle East EyeIslamic resorts have proven popular, promising high-end comfort, seclusion and destinations where Muslims are unlikely to face racism and discrimination. Resorts are expected to adhere to Islamic values, including prayer facilities and alcohol-free zones.
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Malaysian children in practice run for Muslim hajj
France 24Thousands of Malaysian children took part in a practice run Thursday of the Muslim hajj pilgrimage, marching around a model of the holy Kaaba, Islam’s most sacred site.
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Tunisia bans face veils in public institutions after bombing
Al JazeeraTunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has banned the wearing of the niqab – a full-face veil – in public institutions with immediate effect, citing security reasons.
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Wahhabism confronted: Sri Lanka curbs Saudi influence after bombings
ReutersSri Lanka is moving to curtail Saudi Arabian influence, after some politicians and Buddhist monks blamed the spread of the kingdom’s ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam for planting the seeds of militancy that culminated in deadly Easter bomb attacks.
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Muslims in Sri Lankan highlands to down shutters as hardline Buddhists meet
ReutersShops owned by Muslim traders in the Sri Lankan central highlands district of Kandy will remain closed on Sunday as thousands of hardline Buddhist monks gather to decide who to back in the country’s upcoming presidential elections.
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After Sri Lankan attacks, Muslims face boycotts and violence
The Washington PostSri Lankan Muslims are a religious minority in a predominantly Buddhist country. In the wake of the devastating April attacks — carried out by local Islamist extremists — the entire community has braced itself for retaliation.
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Netflix and the Middle East: How Jinn became a nightmare
Middle East EyeJinn, a Jordanian production, has been greeted with near-unanimous negative reviews and widespread censure from public institutions and Islamic groups in the kingdom since its release in June, chiefly for a tame kiss and overt foul language which many believe presents an unrepresentative view of society.
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Rami Malek: Bond terrorist 'not driven by religion'
BBC NewsEgyptian-American actor Rami Malek has revealed he only agreed to play a James Bond villain after he was assured the character would have no religious or ideological affiliations
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Man Is Charged in Twitter Threat to Lynch Muslim Lawyer
The New York TimesQasim Rashid, who is running for a seat in Virginia’s State Senate, said, “As a person of color, as an immigrant and as a Muslim, to speak publicly about your faith and to receive death threats is not uncommon.”
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Gay, Muslim, Thai: artist caught in tug of war
Reuters“Being queer is part of my identity; being Muslim is also part of my identity.” Artist Samak Kosem says, “But many Muslim LGBT+ people feel conflicted because of their religion, family, and society’s expectations of what it means to be Muslim.”
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Indonesian women who brought dog into mosque faces blasphemy case
The New ArabAn Indonesian women who brought a dog into a mosque is being accused of blasphemy, a criminal offence in Indonesia with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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Under Modi, Hindus Find Hope for a Temple on Disputed Speck of Land
The New York TimesIn 1992, Hindu activists demolished a 16th-century mosque, the Babri Masjid, a reminder of India’s history under Mughal rule. They were spurred by the belief that Ram, a widely revered deity, was born thousands of years ago on the same spot.
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Hindutva Ignores the Impact Dharma and Islam Had on Each Other in India
The WirePrem Shankar Jha points out the selective memory of Hindu nationalist movements. Their followers harp endlessly about the damage the Muslim invaders did to the Hindu polity and society, but they choose to ignore the fact that the same Muslim dynasties saved India from the greatest scourge of the Middle Ages – the Mongol invasions that ravaged Europe.
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Indian actress draws fire for quitting over Islamic faith
ReutersMuslim Bollywood actress Zaira Wasim, 18, who is best known for her role as a wrestler in the 2016 film Dangal, announced her “disassociation” from acting on Sunday.
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Zaira Wasim's decision to quit Bollywood 'for faith' stirs debate
Al JazeeraThe Kashmiri teenager’s decision to stop acting in films since it clashes with her Islamic faith has sparked a massive debate on social media.
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What the Zaira Wasim controversy reveals about contemporary India
Al JazeeraThe teenage Muslim actress’s decision to quit Bollywood for her faith reasons brought India’s Islamophobia to the fore.
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In Turkey, demography is a brake on Islamisation
The EconomistTurkey’s government has made no secret of its desire to encourage more piety, especially among young people, but why have the efforts to build a more devout society failed?
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Turkey's President Erdogan claims Muslim Uighur minority 'live happily' in China, despite abuse reports
The New ArabTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping that ethnic minorities live happily in Xinjiang, in what would be a stark reversal of Ankara’s past criticism of Beijing’s crackdown in the region.
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China accused of rapid campaign to take Muslim children from their families
The GuardianChina is reportedly separating Muslim children from their families, religion and language, and is engaged in a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools for them.
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China denies Muslim separation campaign in Xinjiang
BBC NewsA BBC report found that hundreds of children from the Uighur minority ethnic group had had both parents detained, either in camps or in prison. But China’s ambassador to the UK has denied that Muslim children in western Xinjiang are being systematically separated from their parents.
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Reporter on China's treatment of Uighur Muslims: 'This is absolute Orwellian style surveillance'
CBS NewsA new documentary by VICE News correspondent Isobel Yeung sheds light on this draconian policy instituted by the Chinese government. Yeung talked to CBS News on Wednesday about her experience in China.
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China locks down Xinjiang a decade after deadly ethnic riots
APA decade after deadly riots tore through his hometown, Kamilane Abudushalamu still vividly recalls the violence that left him an exile.
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Prevent is stopping free speech on campus and demonizing Muslims
The GuardianMany staff and students at universities across Britain have welcomed condemnation of the chilling effect the government’s counter-terrorism strategy is having on free speech on campuses.
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Conservative Party is in complete denial about its Islamophobia problem – just look at Boris Johnson if you need proof
The ConversationAs Rashida Bibi explains, Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to become the UK’s next Prime Minister, has downgraded his promise to hold an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tory party if elected as leader. This will now be just a “general investigation”. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.
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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!