International
LIVE: Middle East Prepares Further Lockdowns as Ramadan Nears End
Arab NewsSaudi Arabia announced on Tuesday a 24-hour curfew will be imposed across the Kingdom during the five-day Eid Al-Fitr holiday (May 23 to 27).
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Epidemics, War Have Impacted Muslim Worship Throughout History
Al JazeeraCoronavirus affects Ramadan on an unprecedented scale, but it is not the first time Muslim traditions have had to adapt.
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Disinformation: The Spreading Of Islamophobia – Analysis
Eurasia ReviewCOVID-19-related disinformation campaigns designed to stoke Islamophobic sentiment are fuelling an uptick in hate attacks targeting Muslims in some countries. The unprecedented conditions created by the ongoing pandemic offer fresh opportunities for extremists to exploit, and require timely interventions.
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As Mosques Reopen in West Africa, COVID-19 Fears Grow
ABC NewsA growing number of mosques are reopening across West Africa as governments find it increasingly difficult to keep them closed during the holy month of Ramadan.
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Nigeria
'Lockdown Made Everything Gloomy': Ramadan in Nigeria's Kano
Al JazeeraResidents are largely restricted to their homes, with mosques shut and festival marking the end of Ramadan likely canceled.
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Sudan
Poetry of Protest: The Award-Winning Photo That Captured Sudan's Revolution
Middle East EyeAn image of Sudanese student Mohamed Youssef chanting revolutionary verse has become an iconic symbol of the country’s protest movement.
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Somalia
Somalia's Coronavirus Khat Bans Leaves Chewers in a Stew
BBC NewsThe stimulant is especially popular in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, where it has also been temporarily banned because of coronavirus. The authorities say it makes social distancing impossible and that they will reassess the situation after the Islamic holy month Ramadan.
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Uganda
Itkaaf: Muslim Tradition Erased by Lockdown
Daily MonitorItkaaf is only done at mosques, but Sheikh Yahya Kakungulu, director of Sharia at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, advises Muwonge and others that if you cannot have something, do not lose it entirely. “If you can isolate yourself in a room at your home, do that, so that you don’t miss out on the immense rewards,” he says.
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United Kingdom
Tories Will Not Face Islamophobia Probe By Equalities Watchdog
Huff PostThe Equality and Human Rights Commission will not investigate after the Conservative party launched its own independent probe.
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Conservative Party Probe an Attempt to 'Deflect' Attention From Islamophobia: MCB
Middle East EyeTories will not face an investigation by the equalities watchdog after they launched their own independent examination.
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Far Right ‘Posed as Journalists to Spread Anti-Muslim Lies’
Arab NewsFar-right activists in the UK are posing as journalists to spread fake news about Muslims breaking coronavirus lockdown restrictions during Ramadan, a prominent British imam has said.
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UK Watchdog Drops Plan to Probe Conservative Party Islamophobia
Al JazeeraAnti-racism and Muslim groups slam decision by Equality and Human Rights Commission to abandon inquiry.
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UK Muslim Charity Calls for End to Inquiry After Police Return Seized Funds
Middle East EyeCharity Commission asked to end the probe into Human Aid UK after donations seized by police are confirmed as legitimate.
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Italy
Freed Italian Aid Worker Target of Hate Campaign After Conversion
Al JazeeraAisha Romano, formerly known as Silvia, converted to Islam while held in captivity by al-Shabab in Somalia.
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Italy Moves to Reopen Mosques After Historic Deal
Arab NewsThe Italian government has signed a landmark agreement with leading Muslim organizations that will allow mosques and Islamic centers to reopen as part of an easing of the country’s coronavirus lockdown.
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Kosovo
Kosovo Families Seek Answers 21 Years After Serb Conflict
AP NewsHalil Hasani is convinced his four sons are alive and imprisoned somewhere in Serbia more than two decades after police and paramilitary forces took them from a village in Kosovo.
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Germany
A Ramadan and Eid in Isolation
The AtlanticIn this way, the days have passed, but I still haven’t let go of my dread, because I know my family will feel the disruption of this pandemic most acutely on Eid, the end-of-Ramadan celebration.
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The United States
Muslims Struggle to Honor Funeral Rituals During the Coronavirus Crisis
Huff PostMuslims are being forced to mourn alone as the pandemic upends the tradition of community funerals.
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How National Black Muslim COVID Coalition Serves Communities During the Pandemic
The Philadelphia InquireMargari Hill, co-director of National Black Muslim COVID Coalition, which hosted this talk Saturday afternoon, explained that at a time like this, it can be hard to plan for one’s wellness.
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For Philadelphia-Area Muslims, Breaking their Daily Fast Brings a Mix of Emotions
The Philadelphia InquirerThere’s been a mix of emotions for many area Muslims. Some say, even through the pandemic’s limitations, it is still a time to reflect and give back, even if that means going without a community feast. Here are glimpses of what this Ramadan has been like for Muslim families in the Philadelphia area.
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Opinion | The Silver Lining of Being Quarantined During Ramadan
The New York TimesBeing at home with the family has made observing Islam’s holiest month a richer and deeper spiritual experience.
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Spirit of Generosity Guides Ramadan for Washington State’s Muslim Community, Despite Coronavirus Lockdown
The Seattle TimesAs the sun cast a soft glow over a mostly boarded-up mosque on a recent Thursday evening, Muslims observing Ramadan arrived to break theirs over 15-hour fast.
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How Mosques—Usually Shoulder to Shoulder, Toe to Toe—Are Already Reopening
SlateThis article is part of Reopenings, a series about how businesses are operating during the pandemic.
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How a U.S. Jewish Group’s Leadership Race Became Mired in Islamophobia
+972 MagazineAn umbrella organization’s heated election shows how right-wing, bigoted assessments of ‘Jewishness’ are becoming normalized in our community.
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‘Justice Is Indivisible’: Placing Palestine Back at the Center of Muslim Discourse in the West
Counter PunchIt was nearly twenty years ago at a Muslim conference in Washington D.C. that I heard the distressing argument that Palestine should not be made a central topic in the American Muslim political agenda.
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Ramy Youssef Isn't Joking
GQRamy Youssef is a Muslim American stand-up comic with his own raunchy HBO special, a Golden Globe-winning TV show, and a new production deal with A24. And it turns out that the road to his barrier-shattering success all started with a surprising case of Bell’s palsy.
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Anti-War Groups Press Joe Biden: Leverage Aid to Israel, End Yemen War
Middle East EyeMore than 50 organizations call on presidential candidates to close Guantanamo, prioritize diplomacy and advance human rights.
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Biden's Plan for Muslim Americans: A 'Good Start' but Missing Policy Details
Middle East EyeActivists call for more specifics from Biden’s campaign and urge direct engagement with the Muslim community.
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Senate Approves Uyghur Human Rights Bill
CNNThe Senate on Thursday afternoon approved a bill to sanction Chinese government officials responsible for forced labor camps in the region of Xinjiang, where up to 2 million ethnic Muslims have been forcibly detained, in the latest congressional move to strengthen the US stance toward China.
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Canada
Islamic Call to Prayer is Being Heard for the First Time Across Canada
The Globe and MailThe Al Rashid Mosque has stood in Edmonton since 1938, but no one there today can remember ever hearing the daily call to prayer ring out through the loudspeakers.
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Myanmar
The Fabricated Threat Driving Genocide in Myanmar
Arab NewsWhen the most recent and dramatic stage of the genocide against the Rohingya started with Myanmar’s “clearance operations” in August 2017, the immediate trigger was an attack against a military border post by a previously insignificant insurgent group that called itself the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).
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India
Gujarat’s Muslims Fight Islamophobia, Hatemongers Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
Two Circles NetAmid the ongoing battle against the deadly COVID-19, Muslims in the state of Gujarat is not just fighting the disease but the rising hate and Islamophobia.
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India Coronavirus: Pregnant Student Safoora Zargar at Risk in Jail
BBCIt was 2:30 in the afternoon when a group of policemen arrived at Safoora Zargar’s home in south-east Delhi.
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Singapore
Singapore's Muslims to Skip Hajj Pilgrimage this Year
Anadolu AgencyDecision taken due to coronavirus pandemic, registration of 900 pilgrims deferred to 2021.
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China
How Has Coronavirus Pandemic Affected China's Concentration Camps?
Fox NewsThe coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 4.1 million people globally and killed some 285,500 people since it first emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
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Malaysia
Malaysia Urged to End Violent Threats Against Rohingya Refugees
Al JazeeraRights groups call on Malaysia to act after prominent Rohingya activists threatened with murder and sexual violence.
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Indonesia
Indonesia, Australia Explore Solution to Rohingya Refugee Crisis Under Bali Process
The Jakarta PostAmid pressure from humanitarian organizations, Indonesia and Australia have moved to follow-up talks under the Bali Process framework to prepare for the possibility of another refugee crisis in the Andaman Sea, where hundreds of asylum seekers died in 2015.
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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Muslims Face Extra Threat as Coronavirus Stirs Hate
Al JazeeraSri Lanka makes cremations compulsory for COVID-19 victims, but Muslims and activists urge authorities to allow burials.
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Compulsory Cremation: A Nightmare for Sri Lanka's Muslims
TRT WorldThe World Health Organization says burials are safe for Covid-19 victims. So why is Sri Lanka’s government insisting on cremating all bodies?
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Sri Lanka: Facebook Apologises for Role in 2018 Anti-Muslim Riots
Al JazeeraAn investigation found that incendiary content on the social media platform may have led to the deadly violence.
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New Zealand
Prince William Reconnects with New Zealand Muslim Community a Year after Mosque Attacks
Sky NewsThe royal joins in on a video call with survivors he met when visiting New Zealand in the aftermath of the 2019 mosque attacks.
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Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to Enforce Coronavirus Curfew During Eid
Al JazeeraNationwide 24-hour curfew will be imposed from May 23 to 27 following the end of Ramadan as COVID-19 cases rise.
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Iran
Iran to Reopen Mosques on Tuesday Despite Uptick in Coronavirus Cases
Middle East EyeAuthorities say mosques will reopen for the last 10 days of Ramadan, despite new lockdown measures in Abadan county.
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Yemen
Tawakkol Karman Faces Targeted Gulf Criticism for New Facebook Role
Middle East EyeThe Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner has recently been appointed to the social media giant’s oversight board to tackle hate speech.
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Israel/Palestine
Nakba Day: For Palestinians, not Just an Historical Event
Al JazeeraMay 15, 1948, is a date inked in infamy for generations of Palestinians who know it as the Nakba, or “the catastrophe”, after the declaration of the state of Israel in Palestine.
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In Jerusalem, Ramadan Restrictions Last Seen During the Crusades Return
The New York TimesThe restricted entry to the compound is only one example of how the pandemic has radically transformed the way Muslims in Israel and the Palestinian territories have experienced the sacred fasting month of Ramadan as they cope with government social distancing measures.
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Algeria
Controversial Humour in Algerian TV: Ramadan Comedies and the Limits of Laughter
JadaliyyaRamadan in Algeria, like in most Arab countries, is more than a month of fasting and feasting. It is the prime season during which TV programmes compete and thrive. Each year, TV channels offer an abundance of exclusive and newly released programs.
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