Islam in Media Roundup | March 16 – March 22

International

Congress Addresses Forced Labor of Uyghurs, Other Groups in China

Sojourners

American companies would be prohibited from importing goods produced in Xinjiang, China, because they likely are made using the forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and others under a bill introduced last week by several Republican and Democratic members of Congress.
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Coronavirus in Gulf States: No Warm Greetings, No Mosque Prayers

Aljazeera

Life turns upside down in the Gulf region as more than 870 COVID-19 cases are recorded across six GCC nations.
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Ice Is Shipping Ohio's Mauritanians Back to Slavery's Last Stronghold in Northwest Africa

Clevescene

Seyni Malick Diagne is a native of Mauritania, an Islamic republic on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Northwest Africa. But the 64-year-old is also an Ohioan. From 2001 until June of last year, Diagne lived in Columbus, where he was part of the nation’s largest community of Mauritanian refugees and immigrants.
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'Somewhere Like Home': Uighur Kids Find a Haven at Boarding School in Turkey

NPR News

Ten-year-old Nurzat climbs out of his bunk bed, tiptoes across the room that he shares with three other boys and opens his locker. It holds his most prized possession: a framed photograph of his father.
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'I Thought It Would Be Safe': Uighurs In Turkey Now Fear China's Long Arm

NPR News

Abdurehim Imin Parach often looks over his shoulder when he walks around Istanbul. He worries that he is being followed, just as he was last year when two Turkish plainclothes policemen escorted him out of a restaurant in the city and told him he was under arrest.
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What Coronavirus Is Changing for Muslims

The Africa Report

Closed mosques, canceled pilgrimages, suspended gatherings… faced with the spread of COVID-19 and despite a certain amount of reluctance, Muslim religious leaders are left with no other choice but to adapt.
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Drawing Near to God Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

ABC Religion & Ethics

In many religious traditions, there are two relational axes along which our lives are understood. The first is vertical, between the created and the Creator; the second is the horizontal, among the created and with the rest of creation. Islam has those two aspects as well, with the latter relationship always being viewed through the lens of the former. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a marked effect on the latter relationship, changing the nature of ritual worship in many ways. And at the same time, Muslim sages and scholars have reminded their flocks that the former relationship, between the Divine and those who beseech Him, remains constant and consistent.
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Iran

Mullahs & COVID-19: Iran’s Failing Response Reflects Regime’s Priorities

The Jerusalem Post

The Iranian regime’s response to the coronavirus crisis has been erratic and flailing.
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Persian New Year Traditions Transformed by Coronavirus in Iran

CNN

The Persian New Year, or Nowruz, is a time of coming together in Iran. Alongside family, friends and strangers, Iranians take part in two weeks of rituals that include the spring equinox. Poetry is read and loved ones join one another in dance. Locals jump over bonfires to ward away sickness. Homes are cleaned, tables are symbolically rearranged. It’s part of a string of customs to herald the spring and celebrate rebirth.
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What Is Nowruz? the Persian New Year Explained

Middle East Eye

More than 300 million people celebrate Nowruz every year. When is it celebrated and how will it be affected by the coronavirus pandemic?
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New Zealand

Survivors of the Christchurch Terror Attack Talk to Mee About the Memories of the Event That Ripped Their Small Community Open

The Middle East Eye

Sheikh Hasan Rubel wakes up in the morning feeling like himself again. The sun shines through the large window pane in his living room. His two-year-old daughter hovers in and out, playing with toys that are sprawled across the floor, bathed in the late summer glow.
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Far-Right Terrorists Relying on Conspiracy Theories to Justify Anti-Muslim Hate, Research Finds

The National

Tell MAMA watchdog reported a surge in Islamophobic incidents following Christchurch mosque attacks.
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United States

Coronavirus: US Mosques Cancel Friday Prayers, Cite Responsibility to Save Lives

The Middle East Eye

Muslim communities faced a tough choice in canceling services with Ramadan only month away.
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'We See This as Our Responsibility': Muslims Fundraise for Americans Impacted by Coronavirus

The Middle East Eye

Several organizations have begun distributing groceries and money to families financially impacted by coronavirus.
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Imam Misses Nathaniel Woods' Execution After Stay Confusion

Montgomery Advertiser

When the state of Alabama executed Nathaniel Woods this month, he wanted his imam to witness it. But his imam wasn’t there.
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Bernie Sanders Endorsed Former Head of Controversial State Counterterrorism Program

The Chicago Reporter

Junaid Afeef, who directed Illinois’ Countering Violent Extremism program, is running for Kane County state’s attorney and has gotten support from progressive criminal justice reform groups.
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White Nationalist Groups Surge as They Move Online: Report

Aljazeera

Number of white nationalist groups in the US increased in 2019, while the overall number of hate groups declined, SPLC finds.
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The Year in Hate and Extremism 2019:Extremist Hate Threatens Pluralistic Democracy

Southern Poverty Law Center

In 2019, the third year of the Trump presidency, data gathered by the Intelligence Project of the SPLC documents a continued and rising threat to inclusive democracy: a surging white nationalist movement that has been linked to a series of racist and antisemitic terror attacks and has coincided with an increase in hate crime.
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How Social Distancing Could Lead to a Spike in White Nationalism

Rolling Stone

“We are seeing a huge uptick” in rhetoric from hate groups during the pandemic, said one expert on a call with the SPLC.
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Canada

Man Filmed Screaming Islamophobic Abuse at Woman on Canadian Subway

Indy 100 from Independent

A horrifying video has emerged of a man yelling Islamophobic abuse at a woman wearing a niqab on a Canadian subway.
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Malaysia

Made in Malaysia: How Mosque Event Spread Virus to SE Asia

Aljazeera

Out of Malaysia’s 673 confirmed infections, nearly two-thirds are linked to the four-day meeting outside Kuala Lumpur.
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Indonesia

Istiqlal Mosque to Hold Friday Mass Prayer Despite COVID-19 Warning

The Jakarta Post

The Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta will still hold Friday prayers despite warnings to restrict public gatherings to contain the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The mosque’s management says it is following a decision made by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
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China

Are Uyghur Muslim Organs Being Illegally Removed to Save China's Coronavirus Patients?

Byline Times

CJ Werleman reports on how China is meeting organ transplant demand when the country has a voluntary donor rate of only one for every two million citizens.
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Pakistan

Pakistan's Silence on China's Uighur Muslims Is Betraying Its National Character

The National Interest

Khan has been cowed by Chinese pressure to the point that he must turn a blind eye to the greatest repression of Muslims in the twenty-first century.
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India

Journalism in Kashmir in 'State of Repression': Media Watchdog

Aljazeera

International Press Institute says media freedom in India-administered Kashmir is under threat, charge officials deny.
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Hundreds of Women in India Brave Virus Threat to Protest Citizenship Law

The New Arab

Hundreds of women took to the streets in the Indian capital New Delhi on Tuesday, in defiance of the government’s orders against mass gatherings, to continue protesting against the new citizenship law.
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A Spirit of Protest: How Indians Are Uniting in Punjab

Aljazeera

In a Punjabi town, known as an ‘oasis of tolerance’, demonstrators use history to give substance to solidarity.
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Shaheen Bagh: New Coronavirus Restrictions May Halt India Citizenship Protests

BBC News

The state government in India’s capital Delhi has halted large gatherings as part of a measure to halt the spread of the coronavirus in the city.
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Rohingya Refugees Sketch Their Stories Through 'Grassroot Comics’

Aljazeera

The Muslim refugees in India can now document their life stories in a comic book, thanks to two Delhi-based non-profits.
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Singapore

Coronavirus: New Measures at Mosques in Singapore When They Reopen

The Straits Times

The Muslim community in Singapore supports the decision to close all mosques in the country in a move to stop the spread of the coronavirus, said Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli on Monday (Mar 16), when elaborating on the additional preventive steps that are being taken.
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Kenya

Biggest East Africa Mosque Closes Over Coronavirus

Anadolu Agency

Jamia Mosque in Kenyan capital suspends congregational prayers.
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Sudan

Sudan Opens Airspace to Allow Direct Flights From Latin America to Israel

The Middle East Eye

The move follows last month’s decision to let Israeli civilian aircraft fly over Sudanese territory for the first time.
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Malcolm X and the Sudanese

Aljazeera

Sudan and Sudanese people left a deep imprint on Malcolm X and his activism.
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Somalia

Coronavirus Pandemic: Experts Say Somalia Risk Greater Than China

Aljazeera

Outbreak could be worse in Somalia than anywhere else if nothing is done before it spreads, medical experts warn.
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‘I Feel Strong and Free’: Running Takes Hold Among Women in Somaliland

New York Times

In a traditional, conservative society, more female athletes are participating in an annual running event, a sign life may be changing here for women.
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Yemen

Yemen’s Health Care System, Battered by War, Braces for Coronavirus

The Intercept

Organization has yet to announce a case of Covid-19 in Yemen, but a new report sheds light on how years of attacks, many targeting hospitals and clinics, have helped push the country’s health system past the breaking point.
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Egypt

Rehab Egypt: Edge of Addiction

Aljazeera

At a rehabilitation center in Egypt, men with drug and alcohol addictions embark on a road to recovery.
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Denial, Fear and Dictatorship: Egypt's Coronavirus Disaster

Aljazeera

Coronavirus is spreading in Egypt, whether the authorities deny it or not.
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Dispute at Al-Azhar's 'International Conference on the Renewal of Islamic Thought' Reflects Institution's Long-Standing Rejection of Religious Reforms in Egypt

MEMRI

In January 2020, Al-Azhar held an International Conference on the Renewal of Islamic Thought, under the sponsorship of President ‘Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi. The conference dealt, inter alia, with the renewal of religious discourse, an initiative that Al-Sisi’s regime has been trying to promote for years as part of its efforts to combat terror and extremism in the country.
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Israel/Palestine

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque Shut as Precaution Against Coronavirus

Aljazeera

Holy mosque and Dome of the Rock have closed, but Muslim prayer will still be held outdoors in the Al-Aqsa compound.
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Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa While Palestinians Are Restricted Amid Coronavirus Spread

The Middle East Eye

Israeli settlers storm al-Aqsa mosque while Palestinian entry has been restricted due to coronavirus containment measures.Local authorities in charge of al-Aqsa had closed the buildings inside the compound and advised people to pray in the open yards instead.
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Coronavirus: As Israel Shuts Down, Authorities Destroy Bedouin Crops

The Middle East Eye

Government activities slowed this week to stop the virus spreading, but the department overseeing Negev still razed hundreds of hectares of vital land.
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Syria

In pictures: Nine years of Syria's war

The Middle East Eye

Middle East Eye takes a look back at the key events that shaped the Syrian civil war as it enters its tenth year.
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Saudi Arabia

MBS-MBZ: A Special Bond Between Two Gulf Princes

Aljazeera

While UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed drives the relationship, Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed bin Salman shares his vision for the region.
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Backlash in Iran After Singers Perform at Saudi Arabia Festival

The Middle East Eye

The group of self-exiled musicians took to the stage at Tantora – but fellow Iranians say some are now ‘dead to them’.
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Libya

Ghosts of Lockerbie Stirred With Prospect of Posthumous Appeal

Aljazeera

Legal team for Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and even some relatives of victims welcome decision that could pave the way for appeal.
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United Kingdom

Muslim Students Less Likely to Be Awarded Top Class Degrees

The Guardian

Only 18% of Muslims were awarded the top classification, a lower proportion than in any other religious group.
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NHS Officials Told Me Muslim Households Are Particularly Vulnerable to Coronavirus – It’s Important to Understand Why

The Independent

As the crisis develops, it’s likely that trauma will spread through communities whose shared culture is built around precisely the things the government has advised against.
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Germany

Germany 'Must Do More' to Fight Racism: Council of Europe

DW Akademie

A European anti-racism commission has detected “high levels of Islamophobia” and said that public discourse in Germany is increasingly xenophobic. “Blatant” racism from certain quarters has impacted mainstream politics.
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France

France's War on Islamism: Forcing Muslims to 'Live Like Us'

The Middle East Eye

Emmanuel Macron’s announced crackdown on ‘Islamist separatism’ is yet another attack on secularism and Islam.
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Armenia

In Albania, Iranian Dissidents Plot a Revolution

Yahoo

In a gleaming compound built from scratch on an Albanian hillside, thousands of Iranians dedicate their waking hours to toppling the regime in Tehran 3,000 kilometers away.
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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!