International
The Hajj Pilgrimage Is Canceled, and Grief Rocks the Muslim World
The Washington PostThe coronavirus pandemic upended the plans of millions of Muslims, for whom the once-in-a-lifetime trip is a sacred milestone.
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Why Does Islamophobia Exist in Muslim-Majority Countries?
TRTGrowing Islamophobia is not just a phenomenon in Western Europe, in the Balkans where the continents largest number of Muslims are, it’s also a problem.
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Social Media Helps Reveal People's Racist Views–So Why Don't Tech Firms Do More to Stop Hate Speech?
Tech ExploreA few years ago, I conducted research on online Islamophobia following the 2013 Woolwich terror attack, identifying eight types of offenders on Twitter who could be classed as racist. Most were not members of a far-right group.
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Al-Biruni, the Golden Age of Islam’s ‘Universal Genius’
TRTCalculating the radius of the earth over a thousand years ago required a lot of imagination. It was Abu Reyhan Al-Biruni, the 10th century Islamic mathematical genius, who combined trigonometry and algebra to achieve this very numerical feat.
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Letter: How Islamophobic is it to Ban Muslim Face Coverings Now?
Mercury NewsEven with orders to wear face masks during COVID-19, Muslim women can be punished for wearing Islamic veils.
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Exclusive: Trump Held off on Xinjiang Sanctions for China Trade Deal
AxiosIn an Oval Office interview on Friday afternoon, President Trump told me that he held off on imposing Treasury sanctions against Chinese officials involved with the Xinjiang mass detention camps because doing so would have interfered with his trade deal with Beijing.
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Don't Blame Sharia for Islamic Extremism -- Blame Colonialism
YahooIn the 1950s and 1960s, when Great Britain, France and other European powers relinquished their colonies in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, leaders of newly sovereign Muslim-majority countries faced a decision of enormous consequence: Should they build their governments on Islamic religious values or embrace the European laws inherited from colonial rule?
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Shatila The Novel: Refugee Authors Find Their Voice on the Page
Middle East EyeA collaborative effort at a writing workshop in the camp are interwoven into Shatila Stories, a novel that goes ‘straight to the heart’.
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Five Books to Read on the History of Black Muslims
Middle East EyeFrom writers and scholars, to activists and community organisers, artists and musicians, Black Muslims have played an integral role in fighting for Black people, even while in bondage.
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New Book Explores Intertwined Histories of Islam and Asia
Cornell NewsThe complex relationships and dynamics of influence in the development of global Islam and Asian history over 13 centuries are revealed in “Islam and Asia: A History,” the new book by Chiara Formichi, associate professor of Asian studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Australia
Reports Melbourne Coronavirus Cluster Originated at Eid Party Could Stoke Islamophobia, Muslim Leaders Say
The GuardianMedia reports are ‘unfairly stigmatising the Muslim community’, vice- president of Islamic Council of Victoria says.
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New Zealand
Mosque Gunman's Interview 'Needs to Be Shared With the Wider Public'
Star NewsMuslim leaders are calling for an interview with the man convicted of killing 51 members of their community to be made public. The Royal Commission into the Attack on the Christchurch Mosques set up to find answers about the attack announced yesterday it had spoken to the shooter as part of its inquiries.
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India
A Legal Breakdown of the BJP’s Four Controversial Arguments in Defence of CAA
The PrintIn his paper ‘Making Sense of India’s Citizenship Act 2019’, Hilal Ahmed analyses the legal frameworks behind BJP’s arguments for the CAA.
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Modi's India Should be on the US's Religious Freedom Blacklist
Al JazeeraOnly strong pressure from the US can stop the Indian government from further eroding religious freedom in the country.
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Why Rohingya Refugees Are an Easy Target for the Fake News Factory
The QuintWith an estimated population of around 40,000 stateless Rohingya refugees living in India after fleeing from Myanmar in 2017, the fake news cycle targeting the community has refused to die down. Inflammatory posts coupled with disinformation have led to widespread anger against the community.
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Muslim Bloc to Address Situation in Kashmir
Anadolu News AgencyVirtual meeting to be held Monday on joint actions within OIC concerning ongoing problems in Kashmir.
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Kashmir Muslims Fear Demographic Shift as Thousands get Residency
Al JazeeraUp to 25,000 people granted domicile certificates raising fears of the beginning of demographic change in Kashmir.
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Bringing the Israeli Model to Kashmir
Al JazeeraThe gradual encroachment on Kashmiri rights and growing prospect of colonisation could set the region on fire.
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China
History Repeats Itself: Chinese State Terror and the Dismantling of Uyghur Neo-Jadidism
Global VoicesDuring the period between 1930-40 known as the “white terror”, these religious and cultural reformers—called Jadidists across Central Asia—were driven out, imprisoned and massacred by the various representatives of Chinese colonial power.
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Being Muslim Means You're Never Safe From China
The HillThe Chinese government’s persecution of its Muslim population is unique not just because of its scale and ruthlessness, but also because of the lengths to which it goes to pursue Muslims outside its borders. The government has submitted extradition requests to Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and other countries for Muslims who fled China.
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Myanmar
More Children Getting 'Killed, Maimed' in Myanmar Conflict
Al JazeeraThe escalation in fighting between Myanmar’s military and ethnic Rakhine rebels in recent months has triggered a surge in violence against children and left some villagers facing starvation.
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Activists Demand End to Year-Long Internet Disruption in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin States
Global VoicesA year has passed since the Myanmar government restricted mobile internet networks in eight townships of Rakhine and Chin States. More than 1.4 million people are suffering from this shutdown and are unable to access vital information about the escalating conflict in the region and the COVID-19 situation in the country.
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Indonesia
Indonesian Villagers Defy Covid-19 Warnings to Rescue Rohingya Refugees
The GuardianGovernments across south-east Asia are turning away boats but Aceh locals took matters into their own hands.
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Iran
Shafei Jameh Mosque: A Place of Worship Notable for Atmospheric Interior Design
Tehran TimesThe mosque was completed in 1945 under the auspices of Sunni benefactors. In fact, its interior design is in some ways like its Turkish counterparts. Verses of the Holy Quran have been inscribed on the stucco.
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Turkey
Restoration in Historical Mosque Raises Eyebrows
Hurriyet DailyThe whitewashing of some artworks and the removal of boards with rear examples of calligraphy inside the Nasrullah Kadi Mosque, which was built in 1506 in the northern province of Kastamonu, as a result of a restoration has raised eyebrows. As the restoration of the mosque was completed in 2016, photos recently shared on social media showing the old and new versions of the mosque triggered a public debate.
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United Kingdom
Why the UK Government Should Not Be Allowed to Define Islamophobia
Middle East EyeA government that enshrines a double standard of suspicion against Islam in its legislation should not be trusted to protect this religion through a legal definition.
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Muslims, Jews have Higher COVID Death Rate, UK Figures Indicate
ReutersThe death rate from COVID-19 in England and Wales is higher among people who identify as Muslims, Jews, Hindus or Sikh than Christians or those with no stated religion, Britain’s statistics office said on Friday.
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Muslim Males Have 'Highest' COVID-19 Mortality Rates in England and Wales
Middle East EyeFigures released by UK’s Office for National Statistics reinforce concerns over inequalities among religious and ethnic groups.
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Boris Johnson Slammed for Saying Muslims ‘Weren’t Exactly Angels’ in Unearthed Article
Metro UKThe Prime Minister has been slammed for an article he wrote more than 20 years ago about the Srebrenica genocide. Boris Johnson wrote in the Daily Telegraph in 1997: ‘All right, I say, the fate of the Srebrenica was appalling. But they weren’t exactly angels, these Muslims.’
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The Syrian Refugee on the UK's Coronavirus Front Lines
Al JazeeraHassan Akkad, a BAFTA-winning filmmaker who was tortured in Syria, now cleans COVID-19 wards in a busy London hospital.
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France
In France, Protesters Want to Talk About Race. The Establishment Disapproves.
The Wall Street JournalDemonstrations have roiled a country that has long refused to recognize race as anything but a social construct.
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Germany
The Women-Run Berlin Mosque Changing the Status-Quo
RudawThe Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque was opened in 2017 by Seyran Ates, a renowned laywer born to a Kurdish father in Istanbul. It is open to LGBTQ individuals, where there are free to discuss their identity
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Netherlands
Netherlands Isn’t Required to Repatriate Islamic State Families in Syria, Court Rules
Al MonitorThe Supreme Court in the Netherlands ruled Friday that the state is not legally obliged to repatriate Dutch women and children of Islamic State (IS) fighters held in Syria.
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Belgium
Belgium Strips Islamic State Returnee of Belgian Nationality
Brussels TimesAn Antwerp court has stripped an Islamic State supporter of her Belgian nationality and sentenced her to five years in prison. The 32-year-old woman, identified as Rahma B., was also fined €8,000 as part of her conviction for participating in the activities of a terrorist organisation.
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Greece
Greece: Muslim Prayer Hall Ordered Shut
Anadolu News AgencyMuslim group criticizes government for closing one of oldest Muslim prayer halls in greater Athens metropolitan area.
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Coronavirus Delays Athens Mosque Opening
Arab NewsA long-delayed mosque in Athens will open later this year as the coronavirus pandemic impeded preparations, officials said this week. The mosque project began in 2007 in the face of strong opposition from the influential Orthodox Church of Greece and nationalist sentiment against neighbouring majority-Muslim Turkey.
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Russia
‘Where Is the Center of the Story?': Revisiting the Traditional View of Russia's Muslim Communities
Global VoicesMuslims account for 10 percent of Russia’s population, making their religion the second largest behind the Russian Orthodox Church. They have been part of Russian history for centuries and inhabit the entire Russian Federation: from Siberia to the North Caucasus, in large cities such as Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.
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Chechnya Is Trying to Exterminate Gay People. Our Silence Only Emboldens Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov
The Intercept“Welcome to Chechnya” follows Isteev, emergency program coordinator for the Russian LGBT Network, and his fellow activists as they risk their lives trying to protect gay Chechens from being targeted both by the authorities and their own families.
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South Africa
S. Africans Reluctant to Return to Places of Worship Despite Lockdown Easing
The Jakarta PostNigeria
In Nigeria, an Islamic State-Linked Group Steps up Attacks
WTOPAn Islamic State-linked group appears to be regaining strength in northeastern Nigeria and is now warning it will target civilians who help the military or even humanitarian organizations.
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How Africa Islamic Economic Foundation Is Supporting Development In the Region
Pro ShareThe Islamic economic theory by its principles has the potential to achieve sustainable development and wealth for Nigeria and African nations.
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Libya
The Libyan Puzzle Is Cursed by Contradictions Despite Calls for Ceasefire
The NationalRussia, Egypt and France all object to Turkey’s intervention, but the prospect of a three-way deal is riddled with complications.
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UN Warns of Risk to Civilians in Libya
Voice of AmericaIn recent days, the risk of the Libyan crisis turning into a regional conflict has reportedly increased with neighboring Egypt threatening to use military force to prevent the GNA from crossing a “redline” by pushing to retake Sirte.
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At Least Six Migrants Died, 93 Rescued off Libya's Coast
Al JazeeraThe UN says rescued migrants, including one woman who gave birth on a rubber dinghy, were brought back to Libya.
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Egypt
Covid-19: Rejoicing as Mosques Reopen in Egypt
Gulf NewsFriday prayers remain suspended to curb coronavirus.
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Israel/Palestine
30,000 Muslims Pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque While Sticking to Social Distancing
Arab NewsSheikh Azzam Khatib, director general of the Jordanian Waqf Department in Jerusalem, said that the stricter conditions were brought in because of the uptick in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Jerusalem and in other Palestinian towns.
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Jaffa Protests Continue Against Demolition of Muslim Burial Site
HaaretzProtest is part of a number of rallies that have taken place in June over Tel Aviv municipality’s plan to build on the site.
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Explainer: Israel's Annexation Plan for Occupied West Bank
Al JazeeraThe West Bank is seen as occupied territory under international law, making the planned annexation illegal.
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Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to Hold 'Very Limited' Hajj Due to Virus
Religion NewsSaudi Arabia said Monday that this year’s hajj will not be canceled but that due to the coronavirus only “very limited numbers” of people will be allowed to perform the major Muslim pilgrimage. The kingdom said that only people of various nationalities already residing in the country would be allowed to perform the hajj.
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Canada
'Blood on their Hands': Canadian Police Kill Muslim Man During Mental Health Check
Middle East Eye62-year-old Ejaz Choudry was shot dead by police just seconds after they entered his home.
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Bloc Québécois MP Who Killed Anti-Racism Motion Promoted Blog Claiming Muslims Invented ‘Islamophobia’
Press ProgressThis week, a motion put forward by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh condemning systemic racism in the RCMP was denied unanimous consent thanks to one dissenting voice: Bloc Québécois House Leader Alain Therrien.
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Prayers Resume — at a Distance — at St. John's Mosque
CBC CanadaServices limited to 50 people, with physically distanced prayers.
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United States
Defunding the Police Must Include Ending the Surveillance of Muslims
The InterceptThe murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, the ensuing uprisings, and the work of Black women abolitionists like Mariame Kaba, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Angela Davis have sparked a global conversation with demands to defund the police.
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FBI Expands Ability to Collect Cell Phone Location Data, Monitor Social Media, Recent Contracts Show
The InterceptOn May 26, as demonstrations around the country erupted over the police killing of George Floyd, the FBI signed an expedited agreement to extend its relationship with Dataminr, a company that monitors social media. A few days later, the agency modified an agreement it signed in February with Venntel, Inc., a Virginia technology firm that maps and sells the movements of millions of Americans.
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'Our Country': Donald Trump Renews Racist Attacks on Ilhan Omar
Middle East EyeTrump tells supporters the Muslim-American congresswoman wants to make ‘our country’ like the place ‘from where she came’.
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Newspaper Apologizes for 'Horrific' Ad that Claims 'Islam' was Going to Bomb Nashville
NBC News“The ad is horrific and is utterly indefensible in all circumstances,” The Tennessean’s editor said.
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Avoid Fanning the Flames of Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Hatred | Opinion
TennesseanIt is good that the ad has been taken down. It is good that the paper is responsive to people’s sensitivities in this way. But it is worth asking just why the ad needed to go. How can an otherwise simply egregious silliness by an oddball religious sect do real harm?
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Texas Mosque Faces Backlash for Hosting Local Police Chief at Anti-Racism Event
Middle East EyeDespite public outcry and petition that garnered hundreds of signatures, East Plano Islamic Center Masjid went ahead with a controversial webinar.
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A Muslim Woman Says Her Headscarf Was Forcibly Removed From Her Head for a Booking Photo After Being Arrested at a Black Lives Matter Protest
CNNAn 18-year-old Muslim woman arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest in Miami says her hijab was forcibly removed from her head for a booking photograph and she was not allowed to put it back on for several hours.
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A Virginia County Enacted New Rules that Seem Intended to Block a Muslim Cemetery
The Washington PostFor about 20 years, the All Muslim Association of America had quietly run a small Islamic cemetery in suburban Stafford County, south of the District, without a hint of controversy. It was only in 2016, after the nonprofit group purchased a new parcel for a larger cemetery — with the first nearly at capacity — that the trouble began. And that trouble has borne a distinct whiff of Islamophobia.
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Must Islam and the West Fight? Religion and Politics Class Tackles Sensitive Topics
Boston University TodayCourse pairs students with religious groups to expand their learning.
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The Beginnings Of The Darul Islam Movement In America
Muslim MattersI was raised in the Darul Islam movement; my father Shaykh Abdu-Karim Ahmad, was one of their Imams for a time in Philly. So was my cousin Shaykh Ali Ahmad. Both who are still alive today. There are many narrations yet to be told, that shed a little light and context, about Muslim America today.
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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!