[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating about Islam and reflects a wide variety of opinions and approaches. It does not reflect the views of the Critical Currents in Islam page or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to cci@jadaliyya.com by Saturday night of every week.]
Ahed Tamimi's trial gets under way behind closed doors
AlJazeera
Bethlehem, occupied West Bank - The trials of a prominent Palestinian teen activist and her mother have begun behind closed doors after an Israeli military judge banned media from entering the court.
Hey Muslims, Let’s Join the NRA. We Could Help Solve Gun Violence
The Intercept
Columnist Mehdi Hasan offers a solution to gun violence in America.
'You don't sound American', TV Host Tells Muslim Blogger from Oklahoma
The Guardian
A Fashin blogger receives odd questions from TV hosts.
Muslim, millennial and single: A Generation Struggles to Find Love
The Washington Post
The Washington Post examines the love and marriage crisis within American Muslim community.
Giving Up Control of Brussels Mosque, Saudi Arabia Sends a Signal
Reuters
Saudi Arabia has agreed to give up control of Belgium’s largest mosque in a sign that the kingdom is trying to shed its reputation as a global exporter of an ultra-conservative brand of Islam.
The Female Quran Experts Fighting Radical Islam in Morocco
The Atlantic
‘I’ll tell you frankly, the women scholars here are even more important than men,’ remarks the program director of a rigorous Islamic institute in Morocco, a place where young adults learn to combat extremism through religious teaching.
‘I feel trapped’: Violence Fuels Fear Among Myanmar Muslims
AP News
Myanmar’s state-run newspapers publishes special supplements showing Rohingya Muslims accused of being terrorists, one act among many that has paralyzed Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in fear of detention.
Blockchain Venture Aims to Modernize Islamic Endowments
Reuters
Singapore-based financial technology company Finterra aims to use blockchain technology to modernize the management and investments of Islamic charitable endowments.
Muslims Like Me Don’t Have Theological Beef With Evangelicals. It’s The Prejudice Against Us That’s The Problem.
The Washington Post
If not for the political sentiments against Muslims at large, Evangelicals and conservative Muslims might find themselves being allied together in common social beliefs
Ireland: Islamic Centre of Ireland Issues Fatwa Against FGM
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
The Head Imam of the Islamic Centre of Ireland said female circumcision is forbidden and sinful and that any Muslims aware of it taking place in Ireland should stop it and report it to authorities.
No Mothers, No Muslims: The New US Immigration System
AlJazeera
n a breakdown of the Trump Administration’s new immigration legislation, we find that two groups are now under an alarming level of scrutiny: Sunni Muslims and Mothers.
France: More and More French Believe Islam Is Compatible With Society
The Local
A new survey showed that fifty-six percent of French people believe Islam to be compatible with the values of French society compared to two years ago when the same percentage believed the opposite to be true.
AZERBAIJAN: State's Theological Review Bans Book on Islam
Forum18
The State Committee for Work With Religious Organisations – which implements the state’s prior compulsory censorship of all religious literature – banned a book on Islam by Muslim theologian Elshad Miri. An official deemed it “unsuitable for publication” because he disagreed with it theologically.
Ukip MEP Who Labelled Islam A 'death cult' Emerges As Leadership Favourite If Henry Bolton Loses Crunch No-Confidence Vote
The Telegraph UK
Gerard Batten, a staunch Islamophobe is emerging to potentially be the next UKIP leader in the case that current leader Henry Bolton loses the tight vote of no confidence.
FOIA Documents Reveal How Anti-Muslim Groups Use Idaho State Representative Eric Redman To Sound The False Alarm On ‘sharia law’
Southern Poverty Law Center
To create both divisive language and tension between Muslims and legislations across the country, Anti-Muslim groups aid in the publication of many ‘anti-sharia’ laws.
Japan: University of Tokyo Offers Halal Chocolates Ahead of Valentine’s Day
The Japan Times
The University of Tokyo is selling halal chocolates online for Valentine’s Day to raise public awareness of foods that are prepared according to Muslim standards.
Erasing The Red Lines Between Muslims and Jews in America
The Jerusalem Post
The Muslim Leadership Initiative, run by the Shalom Hartman Institute, is reshaping the way in which American Muslims engage with their Jewish counterparts.
Macron Under Fire Over Plans To Reform Islam in France
Express UK
Emmanuel Macron has come under fire for his Islam reform plans as the French far-left say the proposals “call into question” the state’s religious neutrality.
Muslim Leader Urges Macron Not To Meddle Too Much In French Islam
Reuters
A leading representative of French Muslims urged Emmanuel Macron not to meddle in the organization of France’s second-largest religion, in response to the president said he would try to redefine relations between Islam and the state.
U.S. Court Says Trump Travel Ban Unlawfully Discriminates Against Muslims
Reuters
President Donald Trump’s travel ban violates the U.S. Constitution by discriminating on the basis of religion, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday in another legal setback for the policy.
The Trump Administration Should Do More To Prevent The Alienation of Muslim Communities
The Hill
Under the harsh social and political climate pushed by the Trump administration, particularly for Muslims, the alienation of people from Muslim communities will continue to increase and further the divide between American and Islamic communities.
French Muslims Urge Macron Not To Interfere In Islam
AlJazeera
The French Council of the Muslim Faiths Leader, Ahmet Ogras, spoke on the importance of the French state not meddling with Muslims and Islam after President Macron announced a plan to ‘reorganize’ Islam.
Goodbye To Romance: Indonesian Cities Ban Valentine's Day
The Straits Times
Valentine’s Day was banned in some Indonesian cities Wednesday (Feb 14) as police rounded up amorous couples, giving the official kiss-off to a tradition which critics say does not deserve any love in the Muslim-majority nation.
Indonesia: Indonesia, Philippines Move Forward With Cooperation in Islamic Education
Jakarta Globe
Indonesia and the Philippines held a workshop in Jakarta, as both countries seek to advance cooperation in furthering Islamic education as part of an effort to prevent the spread of radicalism.
Year of the Dog Exposes Growth of Islamic Conservatism in Malaysia
CNN
In Malaysia, where people of ethnic Chinese descent make up almost a quarter of the population, images of the dog have been omitted from Lunar New Year decorations and merchandise for fear of offending the country’s Muslim majority.
In Pakistan, Valentine's Day Brings Out Roses And Culture Wars
NPR
Valentine’s Day brings about a clash of culture in Pakistan- where young couples are frowned upon for their expressions of romance in the deeply conservative, Islamic nation.
Kazakhstan Steps Up Campaign Against Ultra-Orthodox Islam
Euraianet
Followers of ultra-orthodox currents of Islam are incensed by plans to strictly regulate the minutiae of their daily life, down to what they wear and talk about, by Kazakh authorities.
The Legacy of Asma Jahangir
The Nation
In remembering the activist work of the late Asma Jahangir, taking a look at her work as a legal voice for women’s rights in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan is a necessary to understand the struggles she faced for the causes she stood for.
Saudi Religious Leader Says Muslims Can Celebrate Valentine's Day
Reuters
Sheikh Ahmad al-Ghamdi told a newspaper on Thursday celebrating Valentine’s Day did not contradict Islamic teachings, defying the hardline position of the kingdom’s religious police on the holiday.
In France, Furor Over a Muslim Reality Show Star Reveals Deeper Tensions
Tablet Magazine
Forced to leave a popular singing contest after her controversial tweets resurfaced, Mennel Ibstissem is dividing a nation still grappling with questions of terrorism, immigration, and identity.
Macy's Decision To Sell Hijabs Sparks Debate Among Muslim Women
CNN
American department store Macy’s sparked a fierce debate when it launched a line of “modest clothing” that featured hijabs, drawing in a diverse pool of opinions and discussion on the corporate decision.
Rape-Accused Tariq Ramadan’s Lawyers Request Release, Claim Health Reasons
Al Arabiya English
Rape-accused Tariq Ramadan's lawyers have claimed that the Swiss Islamist scholar was suffering from multiple sclerosis and have therefore requested his release under bail.
Ukip's Gerard Batten Reiterates His Belief That Islam Is A 'death cult'
The Guardian UK
Ukip’s interim leader, Gerard Batten, has reiterated his belief that Islam is a ‘death cult’ and called for Muslims to be asked to sign a document renouncing parts of the Qur’an, in remarks that risk pushing the beleaguered party even further from the mainstream.
Jeremy Corbyn Attacks Islamophobia During Mosque Visit
The Guardian UK
In a visit to a mosque to help bridge rifts between communities, the Head of the Labour Party calls out the rampant racism, anti-semitism, and Islamophobia he’s heard through witnesses and stories.
China’s Hui Muslims fearful Chinese New Year education ban a sign of curbs to come
Reuters
Local education officials in Guanghe county have banned schoolchildren from attending religious education during the Lunar New Year holiday, stoking fears of increased interference in the religious life of Hui Muslims.