[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.]
January 15-21
Islam Teaches Us That Life Is a Test. So Is This President.
The New York TimesOne year after President Trump’s inauguration, Sheikh Mustafa Umar of Los Angeles reflects on the hardships and struggles of Muslims living in the U.S.
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The Influential Network for a New Generation of American Muslim Leaders
Religion and Politics
Seeing their membership at prominent events, such as the Women’s March, The American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, or AMCLI, is a resource for American Muslims looking to enact and carry out change for their communities.
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The Lingering Dream of an Islamic State
The New York Times
Clouded by an ugly connotation, the idea of an Islamic State, which has been horribly misguided by the reality of ISIS, is explored by author Azadeh Moaveni who questions the future of broad political Islam.
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Schools Urged To Help Tackle Islamophobia
BBC News
The Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, is working to provide resources and assistance to students affected by Islamophobia and racism.
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Mohammed Most Popular Name For Newborn Boys In The Netherlands For Second Year In A Row
Voice of Europe
A Dutch journalist finds that Mohammed, including all spelling variations, is the most popular name for newborn boys in the Netherlands in this past year.
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Southern Poverty Law Center
Phillip Parrish, a Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, told a Muslim community leader, ‘Islam is ultimately not a faith, in a broader email condemning the religion and Sharia.
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Netanyahu Warns Against Challenges of Radical Islam
The Times of India
Warning against the threat of radical Islam which is challenging “our way of life”, Israeli PM Netanyahu called for an ‘alliance of democracies’ and strengthening of Indo-Israel ties to face up to the threats.
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Closer Ties Between India and Israel Must Not Become An Anti-Muslim Alliance
Haaretz
There are many good reasons for Modi and Netanyahu to celebrate warming relations. But if they exploit that closeness to boost a shared narrative of extreme nationalism, exclusion and defining Muslims as the enemy – must be discredited.
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Pakistan: In Islam, Punishment is Awarded By State Only: Ahsan Iqbal
Daily Times Pakistan
At a public ceremony to condemn terrorism and extremism, Pakistani state official Ahsan Iqbal commented on how the dream of a united Pakistan has still not yet been realized.
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Northern League Leader Says Italian Society Threatened By Islam
Reuters
Italian culture and society risk being eradicated by Islam, Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, said on Monday as he vowed to halt a migrant ‘invasion.’
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Uzbekistan Plans 'Mini-Mosques' To Help Muslims Pray
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
To help boost Muslim tourism, Uzbekistan is planning the construction of several mosques along roads and highways along with other amenities for Muslim tourists.
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Roundup: Iran Urges Muslims States To Prioritize Palestine Issue
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Palestine should be the at the forefront of issues in the Muslim world, calling on Muslim states to condemn and denounce Israel.
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The 10-Minute Mecca Stampede That Made History
Vanity Fair
Investigating the most lethal in a long history of Mecca disasters—in 2015, when some Two-thousand pilgrims were crushed or trampled to death on their way to the holy city—William Langewiesche reveals the cause: not ‘God’s will,’ as the authorities claim, but the arrogance and dishonesty of the Saudi regime.
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Iran's Leader Accuses Saudis of 'treason' Against Muslims
Reuters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei accused Saudi rulers of committing ‘treason’ against Muslims by aligning themselves with the U.S. and Israel.
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Pakistan Clerics Issue Fatwa Against Suicide Bombings
Reuters
In a nation plagued with Islamist violence, over One thousand Pakistani Muslim clerics have issued an Islamic directive, or fatwa, forbidding suicide bombings, in a book unveiled by the government.
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Orientalism after Edward Said
TRT World
In his new book, Professor Wael Hallaq of Columbia University explores and critiques the field of Orientalism in a post-Said world, using frames such as liberal thought and the pre-modern Islamic history.
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Quebec City Muslims Alarmed By Increasingly Public Displays of Racism One Year After Mosque Shooting
CBC News
Expressing regret on coming to Quebec, former president of an Islamic cultural center Rachid Raffa talks about some of the aggressions Muslims in Quebec face one year after a mosque shooting.
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January 1-7
Terror or Entrapment?
East Bay Express
Five recent Bay Area terrorism cases by the FBI raise questions as to whether the bureau has enticed young, troubled Muslim men to attempt acts they wouldn’t have otherwise committed.
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Muslim-Americans Face Challenges When Confronting Leader's Misconduct
NPR
A prominent Dallas-based Muslim preacher has been caught up in allegations of sexual harassment. Clerics are looking into it and a greater look at the greater implications for women’s advocates.
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PM Modi Wants to Abolish All Muslim Personal Laws: Owaisi
ANI News
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi discussed PM Modi’s intentions to abolish and rework India’s marriage laws for their Muslim population.
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MURIC Demands Holiday For Islamic Year
Daily Post Nigeria
Feeling marginalized by their Federal Government, The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for a public holiday to mark the celebration of 1st day of Islamic year.
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German Police Accuse AfD Lawmaker of Incitement Over Anti-Muslim Tweet
Reuters
German police have asked prosecutors to investigate a far-right lawmaker for possible incitement to hatred after she criticized a police force for tweeting in Arabic ‘to appease the barbaric, Muslim, rapist hordes of men.’
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Who Is Jan Morgan? After Declaring Her Gun Range A ‘Muslim Free Zone,’ Arkansas Woman Is Running For Governor
Newsweek
A sharp critic of Islam, famous for her discrimination against Muslim patrons at her gun range,Republican Jan Morgan announced her candidacy for governor of Arkansas.
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New Estimates Show U.S. Muslim Population Continues To Grow
Pew Research Center
A new publication from the Pew Research Center finds more accurate, up-to-date estimates and figures of Muslims in America and their demographic makeup.
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Turkish Child Marriage Religious Document Sparks Anger
BBC News
Turkey’s main opposition party has called for a parliamentary inquiry after the Diyanet said that, under Islamic law, girls as young as nine could marry.
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First Muslim Woman To Run In Russia’s Presidential Election
Daily Sabah
The head of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate (MSD) of Russia’s Dagestan, Ayna Gamzatova, has formally registered to run against Vladimir Putin for the office of Russian president in March 2018.
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Did the New Bible Museum Copy This Muslim Artist’s Award-Winning Work? It Depends On Who You Ask.
The Lily
At the New Bible Museum, Pakistani-American artist Anila Agha feels shock and dismay over a display originally inspired by Islamic mosque architecture that was refashioned to fit the Museum, without any credit to Agha.
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What's Driving the Protests in Iran?
AlJazeera
Under crippling social, economic, and political circumstances, thousands of working class Iranians, even initial supporters of the Revolution, are protesting the Islamic Republic for corruption and inefficiency.
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Keith Ellison's 'ANTIFA' Tweet Spurs Anti-Muslim And Racist Backlash
Newsweek
With comments ranging from anti-Islam to pro-white nationalism, Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison received widespread criticism and controversy for posting a picture with an ‘Antifa’ titled book.
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Saudi Arabia’s VAT to Make Haj, Umrah More Costly
The Jakarta Post
Saudi Arabian authorities have added a value-added tax on goods and services in the Kingdom. Travel agencies and the government are expecting a consequential rise in the costs of the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages.
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Fire and Fury: New Donald Trump Book Claims Steve Bannon Calculated the Muslim Ban to Enrage People
The Independent UK
Planned down to the weekend to pass the legislation, Michael Wolff writes that Steve Bannon and President Trump intended the Muslim Travel Ban bill to be divisive and disruptive.
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Muslim Body Slams Darul Uloom's Fatwa Against Marrying bankers, Says It Will Create Rift Among Muslims
Zeenews India
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday condemned the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom new fatwa directing Muslims not to marry into families earning money through banking and related jobs drawing income from interests.
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Muslims Call on Irish People to Resist Blaming Islam For Attacks
The Irish Times
In light of recent attacks, Muslim community leaders ask the Irish public to refrain from stereotyping Muslims and Islam and to prevent harmful backlashes.
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'There's a lot of repenting': Why Australian Prisoners Are Converting To Islam
The Guardian UK
From a series of interviews and discussions with inmates, anecdotal evidence suggests that conversion to Islam is frequent, and that isolation from outside forces prevents the threat of radicalisation.
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Muslim Scholars Advocate Fair Representation of Islam in Nigerian Media
Vanguard Nigeria
Feeling overlooked, ome Muslim scholars urge media organizations in Nigeria to ensure fair reportage of issues that concern Islam and Muslims in the country.
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Muslims 2nd Largest Religious Group in US by 2040
Mehr News Agency
Due to a variety of social, economic, and demographic factors, projections find that Muslims will become the second largest religious group in the U.S. by 2040.
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'We're not Muslim enough' Fear Turkish Cypriots As Poll Looms
The Guardian UK
In their coming election, Turkish Cypriots worry over their islands future as Turkey is increasing pressure on the island to become more religious through financing mosques and providing religious education seminars.
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