Myanmar’s Buddhists block Rohingya Muslims from blood supplies, report says
Washington PostAs Buddhists insist that their blood go only to other Buddhists, Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar are cut off from the central blood bank in Rakhine province, adding to the challenges the persecuted minority faces.
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New York Muslims have a new security patrol group
NY PostFollowing the lead of the Jewish enclave’s Shomrim and the Brooklyn Asian Safety Patrol, New York’s Muslim community now has the Muslim Community Patrol.
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Christmas in Lebanon: ‘Jesus Isn’t Only for the Christians’
NY TimesIn Lebanon, Christmas is a multi-faith celebration, as Christians and Muslims both celebrate Jesus’ birth.
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India’s lower house OKs end to instant divorce for Muslims
AP NewsFollowing a court ruling finding instant divorce unconstitutional, India’s lower house passed a bill banning instant divorce and carrying a three-year jail sentence for violators.
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Illuminating Islam’s Peaceful Origins
NY TimesWriting for the New York Times, Mustafa Aykol reviews two recent mass market books on Islam, God in the Qur’an by Jack Miles and Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires by Juan Cole.
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German politicians propose a ‘religion tax’ for Muslims to counter extremism
Washington PostIn an effort to promote “moderate” Islam, German politicians are pushing a ‘religion tax’ for Muslims, a policy that currently applies to Catholic and Protestant Christians.
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Saudi women step on face veils in social media protest
ReutersUse of the hashtag “the niqab under my foot” has increased in Saudi Arabia in recent days, as women protest against strict dress codes in the Kingdom.
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Hui poet fears for his people as China ‘Sinicizes’ religion
AP NewsA member of the Hui Muslim minority, Poet Cui Haoxin has become an increasingly open critic of the Chinese government, as the previously tolerated minority population witnesses repressive measures more commonly used against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province.
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Iraq's grand Sunni mufti forbids participation in New Year's celebrations
Al MonitorSheikh Mahdi al-Sumaidaie, the Sunni grand mufti of Iraq, issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from participating in New Year’s celebrations; the fatwa generated a backlash from a number of Iraqis, including Christians, secularists, and more moderate Muslim clerics.
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Marketing the Muslim Woman: Hijabs and Modest Fashion Are the New Corporate Trend in the Trump Era
The InterceptA wave of clothing corporations have entered the modest fashion market for the first time, each looking to profit from the growing Muslim population; however, the fashion industry focuses on only a portion of the Muslim American population, reducing a diverse population’s needs to the hijab and their identity to ” an over-filtered, hot, bourgeois, fair-skinned hijabi woman.”
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Glorified and Vilified, Representative-Elect Ilhan Omar Tells Critics: ‘Just Deal’
NY TimesRepresentative-elect Ilhan Omar’s policy positions and identity have received more attention than most other members of the incoming House Democratic majority, creating both strong supporters and strong detractors.
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Young Muslims find meaning and inspiration in science fiction novels
USA TodayMuslim writers and readers in the US and globally have grown the audience for science fiction, as Muslim characters have increasingly moved from side or secondary to primary characters in recent publications.
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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!