[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.]
Reporter`s Notebook: What It Was Like As A Muslim To Cover The Election: Asma Khalid, an NPR who reported on the intersection of demographics and politics during the 2016 presidential election, shares her experience on the campaign trail.
Muslim divorce practice ‘unconstitutional’ says Indian court: An Indian court has ruled that the traditional Muslim divorce practice ‘triple talaq’ is unconstitutional because “no personal law is above the Constitution.”
If the U.S. had 100 people: Charting Americans’ religious beliefs and practices: PEW Research Center analyzes the United States religious beliefs if it were only 100 people.
Casey report criticised for focus on UK Muslim communities: Muslim groups in the UK are raising questions about the government’s government’s community cohesion report. They argue it focuses too much on the Muslim community and that it confuses the different between race, religion, and immigration.
Tracking Hate: Islam and Race After the Presidential Election: UVM Professor of Religion, Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, discusses the ‘racialization’ of Muslims in America after the election.
Nearly 300 Muslim leaders pen letter to Trump calling on him to protect Muslims amid violence: 300 Muslim leaders wrote to President-elect Trump to “express serious concerns” about specific policies that Trump and his administration have proposed.
Open Letter: From American Muslim Leaders to President-Elect Trump: Text of the letter sent to Trump and his administration.
Angela Merkel calls for widespread ban on ‘full veil’ Islamic coverings: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has joined a growing right-wing conservative call to ban various forms of veiling by Muslim women in Germany. Some suspect this is a ploy to appease far-right parties in Germany before the upcoming election.
Germany’s potential burqa ban has a problem: Where are the burqas?: Adam Taylor calls for a semantic turn in analyzing the politics of Germany’s proposed “burka ban”. He ask “what are the different types of coverings Muslim women wear?” and “who will be affected by this ban?”
Merkel Advocates for Partial Ban on Full Face-Covering Veils: Conversation on the context of Germany’s conservative call for ‘partial ban’ on full-face coverings with Meredith Carden, Rim-Sarah Alouane, and Wajahat Ali.
Obama, The Democratic Party, and Islamophobia: Mohammad Fadel discusses the Obama administration’s approach to counter-terrorism & foreign policy alongside the Democratic Party’s failure to combat Islamophobia - all contributing factors leading to Donald Trump’s rise.
What message was the U.S. government trying to send when it detained me at the border?: Khaled Abou El Fadl shares his experience being detained at by U.S. Homeland Security at the American-Canadian border.
Why We Need Revolutionary Poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz More Than Ever: Rajat Singh details Poet Faiz Ahmed’s poetry and relates it to the current state of politics.
How a Lebanese immigrant helped pave the way for the study of Islam and Muslim culture in the US: Philip K. Hitti, a Lebanese immigrant, started what became the first Near Eastern Studies program in the country and paved the way for the study of Islam in the U.S.
Japanese-Americans stand with Muslims in wake of attacks: A group of around 200 Japanese Americans marched in Little Tokyo in LA in solidarity with Muslim Americans who have faced a wave of hate crimes recently.
There already is a Muslim registry, and we must dismantle it before January 20: The CCR calls on President Obama to dismantle NSEERS, a program that requires immigrants from Muslim majority countries to register with the U.S. government.
More Americans support torture than Afghans, Iraqis and South Sudanese. Why?: According to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, more Americans support torture than any other member of the UN Security Council.
`Make Canada great again` flyers with anti-Muslim, anti-gay imagery alarm McGill University community: Within the last week, flyers with anti-Muslim and anti-gay sentiments were posted around McGill University and have been raising concerns over the safety of minorities on campus.
Japanese-Americans Imprisoned For Ethnicity Speak Out In Defense Of Muslims: Many Japanese-Americans who were wrongfully imprisoned after the Pearl Harbor attacks have been outspoken in defense of Muslims recently after a spike in hate crimes against Muslims.
Geert Wilders, Dutch Far-Right Leader, Is Convicted of Inciting Discrimination: Geert Wilders, who is seen as a top contender for Prime Minister of the Netherlands next year, was convicted last week on charges of “inciting discrimination and of insulting a group for saying that the Netherlands would be safer with fewer Moroccans.”
Ibn Khaldun has a message for us: Ibrahim Kalın, scholar of Islamic philosophy and Assistant to the President of Turkey, argues for a return to the social thought of the 14th century Muslim philosopher and sociologist, Ibn Khaldun, as a way to understand contemporary issues.
How Islamic will Erdogan’s presidential system be?: Mustafa Akyol discusses some Muslim intellectuals’ responses to Turkey’s President Erdoğan’s bid for a presidential system. Akyol suggests it might be liberal principles like “separation of powers” that are at stake, not secularism itself.