United States
Guantanamo: An Enduring Symbol of US Islamophobia
Middle East EyeTo Muslim Americans, the military prison, now eighteen years old, is evidence of a skewed justice system based on the identity of the accused.
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Architect of C.I.A. Interrogation Program Testifies at Guantánamo Bay
The New York TimesAppearing for the first time at the military war court, James Mitchell was defiant, saying he was there for the benefit of the victims of the 9/11 attacks and their families.
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Fighting the Muslim Ban: Three Years and Counting
Brennan Center for JusticeThe lawsuits against Trump’s unconstitutional travel ban are still going strong. Next stop: federal appeals court in Virginia.
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Iranian Student With Valid Visa Facing Deportation From US ‘Without Explanation’
The IndependentLawyers allege attempted removal ‘a result of additional scrutiny targeting Iranians.’
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Muslim Millennial’s Site Aims to Dispel Stereotypes for Millions
LA TimesToday she travels the world, attends a red-carpet movie premiere and sits on panels with astronauts, former presidents and feminist icons. But in the years after 9/11, Amani Khatahtbeh was just a New Jersey teenager, writing a blog from her bedroom. She used the blog to connect with other young Muslim girls and defy stereotypes.
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Hundreds show up for Muslim Day at the Capitol in Frankfort
Wave 3The goal of Muslim Day was to encourage people to get to know their lawmakers, tour the Capitol and voice their opinions on topics important to them.
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Muslim Athletes Share Stories About Discrimination
Toledo BladeFor this kind of discrimination to affect three different athletes in three different sports shows that it’s more prevalent than people believe, Miss Abukaram said. That’s why it’s important for athletes to tell their stories and encourage dialogue, especially with people who haven’t had the same experiences and might not understand.
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Delta Fined $50,000 for Removing Muslim Passengers from Flights
SlateDelta Airlines has been fined $50,000 for discriminatory actions stemming from two different instances in 2016 in which Muslim passengers were reported by other passengers for looking suspicious. In both those cases, Delta crews had the Muslim passengers removed even after their own security confirmed that they posed no security threat.
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Canada
Vancouver City Council Passes Motion to Mark Quebec Mosque Massacre
Daily HiveOn Tuesday afternoon, Vancouver city council approved a motion to designate January 29 as a Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia.
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Niger
Niger Violence: Rising Death Toll and Affected Families
Al JazeeraCivil society organisations in Niger have called for protests to demand action against increased attacks by armed groups in the Sahel region.
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The Gambia
Rohingya Crisis: The Gambian Who Took Aung San Suu Kyi to the World Court
BBCGambian Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou’s actions brought Aung San Suu Kyi to The Hague to deny that her country’s military was committing a genocide. As the UN’s highest court orders measures to prevent further mass killings, Anna Holligan takes a look at the man taking on the Nobel laureate.
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Myanmar
Myanmar Must End ‘Genocide’ Campaign Against Rohingya Muslims, ICJ Rules
IndependentOrder ‘creates international legal obligations’ to preserve any evidence of crimes.
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Myanmar Inquiry Into Treatment of Rohingya Condemned as 'Cover-Up'
The GuardianA Myanmar government-backed inquiry that dismissed allegations of genocide against the Rohingya has been condemned as a deeply flawed cover-up, after it failed to interview a single victim of rape.
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India
Protesting Women in India are Uniting Muslims, Hindus and Religious Minorities
The HillSince Dec. 15, hundreds of Muslim women have been camping at a crossroads near New Delhi known as Shaheen Bagh. They have braved the frigid winter temperatures, the coldest in more than a century, to protest a law they believe discriminates against them as a minority in Hindu-majority India.
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India's Supreme Court Fails to Strike Down 'Anti-Muslim' Citizenship Law
Al ArabyIndia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected demands to suspend the implementation of a new citizenship law widely condemned as discriminatory against the country’s 200 million-strong Muslim minority.
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From Threats of Gang Rape to Islamophobic Badgering, Indian Women Politicians Face High Levels of Online Abuse, Says Report
TimeWhile women around the world face sexist abuse online, Indian female leaders deal with nearly twice as much harassment than their counterparts in the U.K. or the U.S., according to the report.
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India’s Muslims Are Fighting for Their Religion. Should They Display It, Too?
Foreign PolicyAs secular Indians protest a controversial new citizenship law, some debate whether they should demonstrate as Muslims first or as Indians who happen to be Muslim.
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Kyrgyzstan
Why is Kyrgyzstan Being Suggested for Trump’s Next Travel Ban?
EurasiaNetAbsent explanation from the Trump administration, there are a number of possible rationalizations, from Islamic State to the glut of fake Kyrgyz passports traveling the world.
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United Arab Emirates
On the Sinister Objectives of Abu Dhabi's 'Crusade' Against Political Islam
Middle East EyeAbu Dhabi’s promotion of Sufism serves as an ideological and religious footing for its aggressive foreign policy in the region.
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Dubai Islamic Bank Becomes One of World’s Largest Islamic Lenders
The Arab WeeklyDubai Islamic Bank said it completed the acquisition of Noor Bank to consolidate its position as the top Islamic lender in the United Arab Emirates.
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Syria
In Syria, Captured Islamic State Fighters, Followers Going Home
Voice of AmericaA growing number of fighters and followers captured during the final battles to defeat the Islamic State terror group’s self-declared caliphate are being released in Syria, with some facing justice and others being given a chance to restart their lives.
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Israel/Palestine
Muslim Mother Also a Holocaust Survivor
Arkansas Online“First, I was persecuted because I was a Jew. And now, I am persecuted because I am a Muslim,” said Jabarin, who has watched the recent rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Islamism with alarm.
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Israeli Court Rules Homeless Shelter, Mall Can Be Built Over Muslim Cemetery
HaaretzJudge rules that interests of the living should take precedence over those of the dead in case of Ottoman-era cemetery in Jaffa.
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Turkey
Erdogan’s Purges Have Replaced One Islamic Sect With Another
Foreign PolicyTurkey expelled alleged sympathizers of Fethullah Gulen from government jobs after the 2016 coup attempt. Other Islamic sects, and one in particular—the Menzil—are now filling the vacuum.
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Albania
The Promise: Why Albanians Saved So Many Jews During World War II
Radio Free EuropeTwo Albanians recall how their families sheltered Jews and how a centuries-old tradition called Besa kept them alive.
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Bosnia
In Bosnia’s First ‘Deradicalised’ Syria Fighter, Limited Lessons
Balkan InsightMunib Ahmetspahic expressed regret for having joined the Islamic State in Syria. A Court declared him “deradicalised”, but experts say his case provides few real lessons for the fight against religious radicalism.
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Russia
Russia: Biggest Pool in Muslim-Majority North Caucasus Bans Women
Al JazeeraActivists angered after swimming pool bans women, but sports centre says decision was based on financial reasons.
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United Kingdom
'Tried and Tested': Muslim Activists Say Left Did Not Heed Prevent Warnings
Middle East EyeCounter-terrorism tactics now being directed at anti-arms trade and environmental campaigners were ‘sharpened on the back of Muslim communities’, activists say.
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Norway
Norway’s Prime Minister Loses Majority After Authorities Repatriate Islamic State Suspect and Her Children From Syria
The Washington PostThe right-wing protest move came in response to the controversial repatriation of a suspected Islamic State member and her children from a Syrian camp.
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International
Islamic Leaders Make ‘Groundbreaking’ Visit to Auschwitz
The Associated PressMuslim religious leaders joined members of a U.S. Jewish group at Auschwitz on Thursday for what organizers described as “the most senior Islamic leadership delegation” to visit the site of a Nazi German death camp. The interfaith visit came four days before the 75th anniversary of the camp’s Jan. 27, 1945 liberation.
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The White Nationalist Fantasy of Ancient Christian-Muslim Conflict Would Get an ‘F’ in History Class
Raw StoryEgged on by Trump’s racializing protectionism, white nationalists continue to commit atrocities against not only people of color but also non-Christians regardless of race. They rely on fake history that’s wrong in its details, narrow in its scope, and susceptible to cherry-picked sources and warped interpretations.
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The War on Muslims
VoxMehdi Hasan discusses the rise of global Islamophobia on The Ezra Klein Show.
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The Muslim World’s Question: ‘What Happened to Us?’
The AtlanticUnderstanding the events of 1979 is crucial for those trying to figure out a better future for today’s Middle East.
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Islamic Fintechs Are on the Rise — but How Viable Is This Tailored Offering?
SiftedIslamic finance is ‘going digital’ to better serve the world’s 1.8bn Muslims. Still, it’s uncertain if religious fintechs can attract a critical mass, and compete with their European secular peers.
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Meet the Muslim Girls Harnessing the Power of Tiktok to Make Fun of Racists
VICE i-DWhen Aaliyah began posting about her personal experiences with her faith, she quickly found herself going viral. “I didn’t really come from an area where many people around me were wearing a headscarf,” she says.
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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!