[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.]
Muslim Women Start Organization to Provide Sex Education
Teen Vogue
Using religious-based knowledge, Muslim women in Minnesota are working to demystify sexist values that have been misinterpreted from the religion by supporting their teachings with passages from the Quran and research from Muslim scholars.
Islamic Health Clinic In Northeast Philly Isn't Letting Intolerance Stop It From Opening
The Inquirer
A free health clinic whose Islamic affiliation stoked fear and skepticism among some Northeast Philadelphia residents when it was announced last year is set to open this April.
It’s ‘Punish a Muslim Day.’ Or, as We Muslims Call It, Every Day.
The Daily Beast
In light of flyers spread across the U.K. to encourage violence against Muslims, the prejudices behind ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ will continue well beyond the day.
EU Official: Islam Is Part of Our History, Present, and Future
PJ Media
European Commission First VP Frans Timmermans hosted a roundtable with imams from several European countries and gave them the message that Islam is a well-established part of Europe’s identity.
Malaysia Intercepts Boat Carrying Rohingya Refugees
AP News
Malaysian authorities intercepted a boat carrying people believed to be Muslim Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar, and brought the vessel and its passengers to shore.
Punish a Muslim Day Respond With Love a Muslim Day on 20th April
The Siasat Daily
In response to the ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ efforts to harm and discriminate against Muslims, social media users have launched #LoveAMuslimDay for April 20th.
Austria's Government Aims To Ban Headscarves In Kindergarten
Reuters
Austria’s right-wing government announced plans to ban girls from wearing headscarves in kindergarten and primary schools to combat what it sees as a threat to Austrian mainstream culture from some Muslims.
Suspects In Mosque Bombing Indicted on Weapons Charge
MPRNews
A federal jury returned an indictment against four central Illinois men on charges of possessing a machine gun. Three of the men are suspected of bombing a mosque in Bloomington last summer.
Muslims Accused of Plotting Violence Get Seven Times More Media Attention and Four Times Longer Sentences
The Intercept
A new study find that among perpetrators of ideologically motivated violent plots, those who were perceived to be Muslim received sentences that were four times longer than non-Muslims involved in similar cases.
Islamic Groups Report Indonesian Politician For Reciting 'blasphemous' Poem
Reuters
Hardline Islamic groups filed a blasphemy complaint against a daughter of Indonesia’s first president, accusing her of reciting a poem insulting Islam.
Indonesia: Indonesia’s Islamic Books Have Potential To Be Sold In int’l Market, Says Culture Director-General
Salaam Gateway
Looking towards a cultural diplomacy, the Indonesian production on Islamic books is reaching out to international exhibitions and markets.
The ISIS Files
The New York Times
Digging through the remnants of ISIS’ presence in Iraq, volumes of paperwork and files point towards the effective bureaucracy of the caliphate as a government over the territory it once controlled.
You Might Be Eating Halal Meat And Not Even Know It
NPR
Fearing backlash for using the ‘halal’ label, some U.S. butchers and meat suppliers often produce halal meat without labelling it as such.
Too Radical for France, a Muslim Clergyman Faces Deportation
The New York Times
In a landmark effort against radical Islam, French authorities seek to deport one of France’s biggest preachers of fundamentalist Islam.
Settlement Will Prevent Illegal NYPD Surveillance of Muslims
Religion News Service
The New York Police Department has agreed not to conduct surveillance based on religion or ethnicity and to listen to Muslims as it develops new training materials as part of a deal to settle claims it illegally spied on Muslims for years after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Trump's National Security And State Department Picks Alarm American Muslims
NPR
Both outspoken Islamophobes and infamous for their rhetoric towards Muslims, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo’s selection for high-ranking positions worries several Muslim-American groups.
Pompeo and Bolton Appointments Raise Alarm Over Ties to Anti-Islam Groups
The New York Times
Once announced as appointments for important national security positions, Mike Pompeo and John Bolton’s connections and activity with anti-Islamic institutions and groups prompted a response from Muslim-American leaders.
What Most Americans Get Wrong About Islamophobia
Vox News
In an interview with Khalid Beydoun, the complex political and social dynamics of Islamophobia are discussed, and how to combat, as is explained his new book.
Is There Room For Critical Thinking In Islam
AlJazeera
In a review of Islamic doctrine on knowledge and investigation, professor Ian Almond claims: ‘to be Muslim, in other words, is not to be politically asleep, or passively receptive to a divine will, but rather to be in a permanent state of critique.’
Halal 'Backlash’' Fears Prompt U.S. Grocers To Not Label Meat With Islamic Insignia
Newsweek
According to a report by Harvest Public Media, some retailers buy halal meat but don’t label it as such, as they’re concerned that Islamophobic sentiments might drive down sales.
Trump Backer Robert Mercer Helped Fund Anti-Muslim Ads In 2016, New Documents Show
Detroit Free Press
Robert Mercer, a billionaire supporter of President Trump, spent $2 million to help target voters in swing states with anti-Muslim advertising ahead of the 2016 election, according to documents by a nonpartisan watchdog group.
MPR Board Member Donated To Right-Wing Group That Placed Anti-Islam Ads
MPR News
Minnesota Public Radio board member and former Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson has confirmed he contributed $25,000 in 2016 to a right-wing group. Anderson says he does not stand by inflammatory anti-Muslim videos the group distributed over social media.
Nigeria: Bangladesh Builds Billion-Dollar Model Mosques to Counter Radical Islam
Punchng
Bangladesh has launched a billion-dollar campaign to build hundreds of “model mosques”, partly with Saudi funding, to try to counter radical Islam in the Muslim-majority country, officials said.
For Perpetrators, Ramifications Are Different If You’re Muslim, New Study Shows
Think Progress
Perpetrators viewed as Muslim disproportionately suffer the brunt of legal and media bias, according to a new study examining the varying reactions to violence and extremism in the United States.
‘We Needed More Time to Verify People’: Interview With Myanmar’s Win Myat Aye
Radio Free Asia
In an interview with Myanmar’s minister for social welfare, he states plans to discuss the repatriation of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.
Egypt: Cryptocurrency Traders Use Old Gold In Drive To Draw Islamic Investors
Egypt Today
OneGram, a local startup, is issuing a gold-backed cryptocurrency — part of efforts to convince Muslims that investing in cryptocurrencies complies with their faith.