[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.]
Islamic Countries Call Rohingya Crisis ‘ethnic cleansing’
AP News
A grouping of Islamic countries said Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims is a ‘serious and blatant violation of international law’ and it is calling for international support in solving the crisis.
Shooter of Pakistan's Ahsan Iqbal Linked To Tehreek-e-Labbaik
AlJazeera
A suspect arrested for an assassination attempt on Pakistan’s interior minister says he is a member of a far-right religious organisation that has previously accused members of the government of committing blasphemy
Jakarta Court Rejects Attempt By Hizb ut-Tahrir To Reverse Its Ban
The Guardian
A legal attempt by the Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir to overturn a decision that saw it outlawed in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country has been rejected by an Indonesian court.
Croatia: Fourth Mosque Opens In Croatia
the dubrovnik times
A village in Croatia opens the country’s fourth mosque, in a country where over sixty-thousand people are Muslims.
LACMA Explores Iranian Art, Past and Present, in New Exhibition
ArtFixDaily
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents ‘In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art,’ to showcase the use of metaphors in Iranian artistic expression.
‘Islam is the problem!’ French Mayor Says Government Plan To Tackle Poverty Ignores Root Of Crisis
RT
In an interview, the right-wing mayor of a Southern French town calls out Islam as the root of poverty for the homelessness and worsening conditions for hundreds of migrants.
Most Saudi Arabians Embrace Coexistence, A New Study Shows
About Her
A new research titled ‘Coexistence in Saudi Society,’ conducted by the Department of Studies and Research at the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, has revealed some exciting results: Saudis today embrace religious diversity and coexistence in society.
Kenya: Scholars Distance Islam From Practice of Female Genital Mutilation
Capital News
Muslim leaders have delinked the islamic religion from female genital mutilation saying the act is not only criminal but also sinful according to Islamic laws.
Erdogan Slams French Personalities Over Statement On Quran
AP News
President Erdogan has reacted angrily to a group of well-known French personalities who urged prominent Muslims to denounce anti-Jewish and anti-Christian references in the Quran.
Malaysia's Ruling Coalition Losing Ground, But Could Still Win: Survey
Reuters
Malaysian PM Razak’s ruling coalition has lost more ground in the lead-up to the general election, but it could still win enough parliamentary seats to cling on to power, a survey by an independent polling firm said.
Hezbollah, Allies Score Major Gains In Lebanon Election
AP News
The leader of Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah group declared ‘mission accomplished’ after scoring major gains in parliamentary elections, as the main Western-backed faction headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri lost a third of its seats.
Parents Are Pulling Children From RE Lessons – So They Don’t Learn About Islam
The Conversation
A study has found that in England, parents are increasingly withdrawing their children from religious education classes, resulting in a disconnect in education and knowledge of Islam in the UK.
France: Islamic Scholar Tariq Ramadan To Remain Jailed In France Ahead Of Rape Trial
France 24
Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, who is being held in France over rape allegations by three women, has lost his bid for early release ahead of trial.
What Drives Young Men To Embrace Religious Extremism In Pakistan?
New International
In an interview with Pakistani intellectual Pervez Hoodbhoy, the structural and social factors influencing the popularity of Islamist extremism in Pakistan are explored.
Dubai To Open ‘Quran Park’ Showcasing Miracles of Islam
Al Arabiya English
Dubai is set to open a ‘Quran Park’ that will display plants mentioned in the holy book, as well as the miracles mentioned in the Islamic scripts.
Al-Mudawwanah Al-Jami’ah: The History And Methodology of The Hadith Encyclopedia
Muslim Matters
A formal introduction and translation to one of the most prominent hadith encyclopedias has been produced, providing a valuable English language resource for Muslims.
Muslim Minority Communities Meet In UAE To Talk Challenges
AP News
Several hundred people attended the forum in the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi to network and discuss challenges around issues of Islamophobia, integration, and extremism in Muslim minority countries.
German Teacher Barred From Wearing Headscarf At Work
Reuters
A German primary school teacher who had wanted to wear her headscarf to work cannot do so, a Berlin court ruled and pointed to a neutrality policy that prohibits civil servants from wearing religious clothing.
Man Pleads Guilty To Vandalizing Tennessee Islamic Center
AP News
A man pleaded guilty to vandalizing a Tennessee Islamic Center last July with profane references to Allah in spray-paint and strips of bacon, federal prosecutors said.
A Muslim Among Israeli Settlers
The Atlantic
Pakistani-American writer and journalist Wajahat Ali travels around Israel, providing insightful and descriptive accounts about his interactions and experiences as a brown Muslim among the Israeli people.
Iraq’s Sunnis Wary But Hopeful About Upcoming Election
AP News
Despite a history of boycotting elections and avoiding elections, many Sunnis in Iraq report optimism and partnering with Shi’a politicians for the upcoming election.
Religious Backlash Loosens Clerics’ Grip On Legacy of 1979 Iranian Revolution
The Conversation
Recent political unrest in the theocratic Iran challenge the clerical domination of both the religious and political landscape of Iran that has guided nearly every development since the Revolution.
A Sudanese Teenager Killed Her Rapist, And Muslim Women Are Fighting For Her Life
The Guardian
'We Don't Want Germany to be Islamic Country in Future' - AfD MP
Sputnik International
In an interview with an AfD leader, German conservatives are making moves to prepare a German-intensive education on values and morals for the refugee children.
The Young Turks Rejecting Islam
BBC News
Within Turkey, a trend seeing many young people leave Islam in favor of Deism is being observed, in what some call a rejection of political reform intended on making the youth ‘more pious.’
The Netherlands: Anti-Islam Pegida to Roast Pigs In Front of Mosques During Ramadan
NLTimes
Anti-Islam movement Pegida is planning to roast pigs on the spit in front of five mosques during the Ramadan evening prayer. The action is planned for mosques across the Netherlands.
Muslim Scholars: Suicide Attacks Violate Islamic Principles
AP News
Muslim scholars from three countries issued an edict Friday saying that violent extremism and terrorism, including suicide attacks, are against Islamic principles, in an effort to convince the Taliban to end their violence.
A Shia Cleric's Radical Vision for Iraq
The Atlantic
Moqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi Shia cleric, has positioned himself as an Iraqi nationalist opposed to US and Iranian interference, and could wield influence in the coalition building likely to follow the Iraqi parliamentary elections.
Why 80% of American Muslims Fast During Ramadan. (It's not about the food.)
CNN
As described Imam Omar Suleiman, the fasting during the holy month of Ramadan provides religious, spiritual, and communal benefits.
First Mosque Opens on Outer Hebrides in Time for Ramadan
The Guardian
The town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, home to a small Muslim population since the 1950s, has witnessed the opening of its first mosque, dedicated in time for Ramadan.
The Coming Storm in Israel
The Atlantic
The overlap of the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, Jerusalem Day, Nakba Day, Israeli Independence Day, and the start of Ramadan, could portend a new round of violence.
Muslim and Fabulous: how the internet changed fashion for Aussie hijabistas
The Guardian
The Internet has created a space for Muslim fashion designers, social media influencers, and entrepreneurs in Australia, filling a need that went unaddressed in pre-Internet days.
The Complicated and Scandalous History of Islamic Wine Poetry
The Daily Beast
Alex Rowell describes the history of wine drinking and early theological arguments for and against the practice.
Republican Activists To Hold Convention At Minnesota Mosque
AP News
Dar al-Farooq mosque, which was damaged by an explosive device that caused no injuries last summer, will host an annual convention of Republican activists, the culmination of an initiative between Abdulahi Farah and Zavier Bicott.
Anti-Semitic Material Used To Train Imams In Belgium: Report
Politico
According to a confidential report by Belgium’s coordination body for threat assessment (OCAM), training manuals used in several Belgian mosques included anti-Semitic and homophobic passages.
Don’t Mess With This Muslim From Texas—He Just Got Elected!
The Daily Beast
Despite Islamophobic attacks, including those made by a Texas State Representative, Salman Bhojani won election to the city council of Euless, Texas, the first minority elected to the body.
Iran Urges Muslims To Develop Sciences To Shake Off U.S. Hegemony
Reuters
In remarks made on Saturday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for Muslim nations to unite and push scientific advancements that would prevent Western domination.
How ACT for America Encourages Citizens To Spy On Muslims
Al Jazeera
Published by the organization ACT for America and obtained by Al Jazeera’s investigative reporters, the booklet entitled “The Art of Chapter Leadership” describes how local chapters can monitor mosques and universities suspected of providing ‘biased viewpoints.’
Controversial US Pastors To Take Part In Embassy Opening In Jerusalem
CNN
Pastor John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, and Robert Jeffress, a member of President Trump’s evangelical advisory board, will both be attending the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.
Islamophobia without borders: The Case Of Brigitte Gabriel
Middle East Eye
Belen Fernandez profiles Brigitte Gabriel, the Lebanese-American author and founder of ACT for America, one of the most prominent Islamophobic organizations in the US.
Fox Host Links Muslim 'Demography' to Stabbing Attack In Paris
Media Matters
A Fox News host has compared migration to France to a “slow motion 9/11” and called migration “a silent demographic invasion.”
Texas Town Elects First Muslim Councilman, Defeating Tea Party Candidate
Houston Chronicle
Salman Bhojani won his Euless city council election by thirty-seven votes, following a campaign marred by Islamophobic rhetoric.
'Frustrated' Canadian Minister Asked To Take Off Turban At Detroit Airport
CBS News
US officials have apologized after Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains was asked to removed his turban.