International
Four Ramadan Songs
Al JazeeraMusicians and singers tell stories of the Arab world’s best-loved songs and chants for the holy month.
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How Are You Observing Ramadan in Lockdown?
The GuardianWe’d like to hear from Muslims in the UK about how they are observing Ramadan during the coronavirus crisis.
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Ramadan and Coronavirus: 10 Life Hacks for Healthy Eating During Holy Month
Middle East EyeAs the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the world, Muslims face hard food choices ahead of Ramadan. Food blogger Amira Ibrahim explains how to indulge and stay healthy.
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Will China Replace Islam as the West's New Enemy?
Middle East EyeChina is being presented as the new existential enemy, just as Islam was 20 years ago.
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Ramadan TV Dramas Signal Shift in Arab-Israeli Relations
The GuardianTwo popular Middle Eastern series stir surprise with pro-Israel messages backed by Saudi Arabia.
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In Pictures: Some of the First Coins Used by Muslims in 7th Century Arabia
Middle East EyeFive rare coins tell the history of Islam’s expansion from the Arabian Peninsula and provide vital historic evidence for the birth of a purely Islamic coinage.
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Luxury Dresses Criticised for 'Culturally Appropriating' North African Design
Middle East EyeTory Burch and Harvey Nichols slammed for selling traditional embroidered clothes at high prices and without acknowledgment of their Maghreb roots.
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India Should Be Placed on Religious Freedom Blacklist: US Panel
Al JazeeraIndia protests as the US Commission on International Religious Freedom puts it on ‘countries of particular concern’ list.
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US: Activists Decry Threat Against Muslim Congressional Candidate
Al JazeeraAmani Al-Khatahtbeh is the first Muslim woman to run for federal office in the US state of New Jersey.
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Asia's Mosques Deserted as Coronavirus Keeps Ramadan Faithful Away
ReutersIt is a Ramadan like never before for Muslims across Asia as mosques that would normally be packed for prayers are deserted and in some places locked up as governments enforced measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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“All the Earth Is a Mosque”: Why It’s Time to Virtualise Muslim Mass Prayers
ABC Religion & EthicThe Prophet Muhammad placed great emphasis on communal worship. To hold his community together, especially in times of need, he would have used whatever tools he had — both physical and virtual.
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We Are All Niqabis Now: Coronavirus Masks Reveal Hypocrisy of Face Covering Bans
The ConversationIs a face mask used to help block coronavirus really that different from a niqab?
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United States
Ramadan Lights Brighten Spirits for Michigan Muslims Under Lockdown
Middle East EyeHomes across the city of Dearborn are putting on light displays to mark the Muslim holy month amid the coronavirus crisis.
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A California Prison or an Istanbul Mosque? Why the Media Links Coronavirus to Muslims
Middle East EyeVarious news outlets have deployed irrelevant Islam-related images in the context of the pandemic.
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US Prison Denies Some Inmates From Fasting During Ramadan, Rights Groups Say
Middle East EyeSome Muslim inmates in Virginia were not able to receive meals before sunrise or at sunset, three rights groups said.
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As Muslims Go Digital Amid Pandemic, Far-Right Groups Are 'Zoombombing' Faith-Based Meetings
Middle East EyeMuslim groups in US report increase in targeted harassment, as ‘Zoombombings’ turn into a coordinated effort by far-right.
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In US, a Virus-Era Ramadan Presents Obstacles, Opportunities
ABC NewsFor Muslims in the United States, there is no other time more centered around gathering in the congregation than the holy month of Ramadan.
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For My First Ramadan as a Muslim, I Am Filling My Home With New Life
The Washington PostWith mosques shuttered, community gatherings banned and the holy sites of Mecca and Medina closed, the world’s almost 2 billion Muslims are celebrating Ramadan in isolation for the first time. Here in Queens, N.Y., the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, I, too, am experiencing a Ramadan first. This year, I am fasting, praying, and celebrating Ramadan with my Muslim family as a new convert to Islam.
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Man Charged With Hate Crime in Suspected Arson at Islamic Center
The New York TimesNicholas Proffitt pleaded guilty to a hate crime after throwing rocks at the Islamic center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., in 2009. Eleven years later he returned to set the building on fire, the police say.
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As Muslims Go Digital Amid Pandemic, Far-Right Groups Are 'Zoombombing' Faith-Based Meetings
Middle East EyeMuslim groups in US report increase in targeted harassment, as ‘Zoombombings’ turn into a coordinated effort by far-right.
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Missouri Man Charged With Hate Crime After Alleged Attempted Arson at Islamic Center During Ramadan
The HillA 42-year-old Missouri man was charged with a federal hate crime this week after allegedly attempting to set fire to an Islamic center during Ramadan.
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How a Stars and Stripes Hijab on ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ Reveals America’s Troubling Relationship to Gender, Ethnicity and ‘That’ Religion
Religion DispatchesHonestly, we blame ourselves.We should have known that releasing an episode of Keeping It 101 (A Killjoy’s Introduction to Religion Podcast) about religion and RuPaul this past Wednesday meant we were in for some goopery when the next episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race aired two days later.
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United Kingdom
Exclusive: HSBC to Block Donations to Palestinian Aid Charity Interpal
Middle East EyeBritish bank will no longer process standing orders, in Ramadan blow for one of UK’s leading pro-Palestinian aid organizations.
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Ramadan: British MP Fasting for a Week Alongside Muslim Constituents
Middle East EyePaul Bristow, Conservative MP for Peterborough, is fasting for a week during Ramadan and documenting his experience on social media.He says he wants to have a better understanding of the practice observed by many Muslims in his constituency and around the world.
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Coronavirus: Medics Criticise Trevor Phillips' Role in Investigating UK Ethnic Minority Deaths
Middle East EyeJoint letter was sent by 16 BAME medical organizations that represent tens of thousands of medics in the UK.
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UK Government Under Legal Pressure Over Delays to Prevent Review
Middle East EyeCampaign group expresses frustration over time taken to hire an independent reviewer, following Lord Carlile’s step down.
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The UK Government Is Using Coronavirus to Attack Our Civil Liberties
Middle East EyeMany of the powers extended to the state amid the pandemic feel reminiscent of deeply problematic counterterrorism policies.
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London Mayor Urges Muslims to Spend #Ramadanathome
Al JazeeraLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan promotes #RamadanAtHome campaign amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Challenges and Stigma: Observing Ramadan in a UK Prison
Al JazeeraEx-prisoners remember difficulties when fasting as study highlights dangers of a system that views Muslims with suspicion.
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Germany
Iftar-To-Go: German Mosque Delivers Ramadan Meals to Needy Non-Muslims
ReutersA mosque in the western German city of Wuppertal is delivering meals to elderly Muslims unable to break the fast with their families due to lockdown as well as to non-Muslims struggling to make ends meet.
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Bosnia
Bosnia Reports Sharp Rise in Coronavirus Cases After Relaxing Lockdown
ReutersBosnia reported on Wednesday its sharpest daily rise in new coronavirus infections this month after its two autonomous regions had gradually begun to ease lockdowns.
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What Coronavirus Looks Like at the Bosnian-Croatian Frontier for Europe’s Unwanted Migrants
The ConversationAlthough different countries around the world have taken largely similar approaches to facing the coronavirus pandemic by aiming to reduce human contact, it has become clear that their decisions have different consequences for different groups of people.
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Kuwait
Kuwait Appeals to Muslim World Body to Tackle Islamophobia in India
Middle East EyeThe emirate calls on the Organisation of International Cooperation to take ‘urgent measures’ to preserve rights of Indian Muslims.
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Saudi Arabia
Jailed Saudi Princess Asks Crown Prince and King for Mercy During Ramadan
Middle East EyePrincess Basmah bint Saud, who disappeared a year ago and is a critic of the kingdom, says her health is in a ‘very critical’ state.
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Israel
Parking Lot Prayers: Muslims in Jaffa and Jerusalem Improvise for Ramadan
ReutersShortly after sunset, Muslims in the ancient Israeli port city of Jaffa filed quietly into an empty parking lot for Ramadan prayers, after the coronavirus outbreak forced mosques to close in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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Iran
Coronavirus: Iran Set to Reopen Mosques in Low-Risk Areas
Al JazeeraPresident says restrictions to be lifted ‘calmly, gradually’ but warns Iranians should also prepare for ‘bad scenarios’.
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Share on Twitter Share via Email Print this page VOA News on Iran Iran Accused of Drowning Dozens Afghan Refugees
VOA NewsAfghanistan is investigating allegations Iran has tortured and thrown nearly 60 Afghan immigrants into the river to prevent their illegal entry into the country.
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Iraqi Shia Leader Sistani Moves to Break Iran's Grip Over Militia Movement
Middle East EyeBrigades loyal to Najaf cleric split from Popular Mobilisation Forces after efforts to wrest control from Iran-backed commanders fail.
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China
This Ramadan, Muslims Should Spare a Thought for Uighurs in Xinjiang
Middle East EyeDetained in camps and stripped of their religious rights, Uighur Muslims in China need the world’s help.
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India
'Do Not Buy From Muslims': BJP Leader in India Calls for Boycott
Al JazeeraGoverning party reprimands Uttar Pradesh legislator for accusing Muslim vendors of ‘infecting vegetables with saliva’.
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No Proper Suhoor, Iftar: Ramadan Inside Delhi Quarantine Centres
Al JazeeraMany Tablighi Jamaat members say they have been quarantined for a month inside centers with poor conditions.
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Why Arabs Are Speaking out Against Islamophobia in India
Al JazeeraAnger in the Gulf region as right-wing Hindus target Muslims, accusing them of a ‘conspiracy’ to spread coronavirus.
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The Pandemic and Rising Islamophobia Mar Ramadan in India
ABC NewsRamadan in India, which began April 25 in the country, has been marred by the rising Islamophobia following accusations that a surge in infections was tied to a three-day meeting in March in New Delhi of an Islamic missionary group, the Tablighi Jamaat.
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Bangladesh
UN Rights Chief Urges Bangladesh to Accept Rohingya Boats
Al JazeeraAppeal made to Bangladesh after its FM said the South Asian country would not accept the boats.
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Malaysia
Malaysia Should Not Let a Virus Kill Its Humanity
Arab NewsIn the darkness that is the Rohingya crisis, Malaysia has stood as a ray of light and hope — a true example of Muslim solidarity when there is so little in the world today. But now it seems that this is changing, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is being cynically used by disgraced politicians to play a sinister, nationalist tune, banking on people’s fears.
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South Africa
S Africa: Apology Issued for 'Blasphemous' Remark in Mosque Raid
Al JazeeraVideo shows police entering a room where about 20 Muslims were praying during coronavirus restrictions.
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Nigeria
Fears for Nigerian Humanist Held for Blasphemy in Sharia State
The GuardianMubarak Bala, head of the humanist association, taken to Kano after Facebook posts criticizing Islam.
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Cameroon
Cameroon Police Clash With Muslims at Ramadan
VOA NewsCameroonian police used force to disperse Muslims praying at mosques at the start of the holy month of Ramadan Friday for violating government orders not to gather because of the coronavirus. Cameroon has confirmed at least 1,300 COVID-19 infections and 43 deaths, the hardest-hit country in central Africa.
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Sudan
In a Victory for Women in Sudan, Female Genital Mutilation Is Outlawed
The New York TimesA new law criminalizes genital cutting, a harmful practice that nine in 10 Sudanese women are said to have endured. But some warned laws alone cannot eliminate the practice.
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Jump in Sudan Coronavirus Cases Prompts Total Lockdown
VOA NewsAfter a steep jump in confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, Sudan’s transitional government has imposed a nationwide lockdown to try to stop the spread of the virus.
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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!