[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.]
Muslims Hope To 'Wake Up' At The Ballot Box This Year
National Public RadioNPR’s Leila Fadel examines the participation of Muslims in the 2018 midterms, especially in the Minnesota district that elected Ilhan Omar to the US House of Representatives.
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Republicans more likely to view Muslim Americans negatively, study finds
The Guardian
A new study from the centrist think tank New America finds that 42 percent of those surveyed, and 71 percent of Republicans, believe that Islam is not compatible with US values.
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Nigeria's army cites Trump to justify shooting Shia protesters
BBC
The Nigerian army has cited a video of US President Donald Trump, in which he says soldiers should respond with force to migrants throwing stones, to justify opening fire on a Shia group this week.
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German public schools are teaching Islam to students who are not sure if they belong
The Washington Post
Over 800 public schools in Germany are offering classes taught by Muslims for Muslims to help students learn lessons from their faith that will help them deal with struggles of identity and alienation, and feel at home in German society.
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Duncan Hunter Is Running the Most Anti-Muslim Campaign in the Country
The Atlantic
The indicted Republican congressman’s reelection bid is a microcosm of the politics of fear in Trump’s America. It was a success.
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The Prophet Mohammed Doesn’t Need Courts to Protect Him
Foreign Policy
European courts are trying to support Muslims—but will only stoke Islamophobia, writes Mustafa Akyol.
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Revamping security at London mosques: 'We are completely on our own'
Middle East Eye
Increased Islamophobic attacks on London’s Muslim community are forcing mosques to step up security and be more vigilant.
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Three things we can learn from contemporary Muslim women’s fashion
The Conversation
Northeastern University Professor Liz Bucar, who has studied Muslim women’s fashion for over a decade, says before we start stereotyping, we should remember that modesty is not one thing. Muslim women don’t need saving, and they are serious contributors to mainstream society.
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Pakistan blasphemy case: Asia Bibi freed from jail
The Guardian
As her lawyer predicted, a Pakistani Christian woman was acquitted of blasphemy after spending eight years on death row. The verdict has triggered mass protests.
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Protests continue for third day after Aasia Bibi's acquittal
Al-Jazeera
Protests led by a far right Islamist party against the acquittal of a Christian woman on blasphemy charges are ongoing.
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Muslim concern about vaccine fuels Thai measles outbreak
AP
Health authorities in Thailand are racing to contain a measles outbreak in the country’s southern provinces, where 14 deaths and more than 1,500 cases have been reported since September.
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Nigerian Shi'ite leader denied bail after supporters killed during protest
Reuters
Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, leader of the Shi’ite Islamic Movement for Nigeria, was denied bail days after 40 of his followers were killed by the state security forces while calling for his release.
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Shakespeare can help British Muslims feel less excluded
The Guardian
A new interpretation of Othello opens up portrayals of Islam that are absent from TV shows like The Bodyguard.
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Mohammed bin Salman Isn’t Saudi Arabia’s First Fake Reformer
Foreign Policy
The United States has a long history of advocating for and supporting Saudi leaders promising to change their kingdom for the better.
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Is Peddling Hate a Losing Campaign Strategy?
The Nation
A new survey by a Muslim advocacy group finds that the ubiquitous anti-Muslim rhetoric seen on the campaign trail does not resinate with American voters.
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Thousands protest burning of Islamic flag in Indonesia
Washington Post
Thousands protested in the wake of a video showing mainstream Nahdlatul Ulama’s youth-wing militia burning the conservative Hizbut Tahrir flag. Protestors claimed grounds for blasphemy because the burnt flag was emblazoned with the Islamic declaration of faith.
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Muslim family will not give up keys to iconic Jerusalem church despite pressure
Al-Monitor
A Jerusalem family that has been caretakers of the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher since the 12th century is resisting community and political pressure to relinquish the keys to another branch of the family.
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11/6 has become a landmark date in Muslim American history
Al-Jazeera
Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar have rekindled hope for Muslim-Americans across the US.
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Blasphemy law is repealed in Ireland, enforced in Pakistan – and a problem in many Christian and Muslim countries
The Conversation
The success of a referendum removing a blasphemy law from Ireland’s constitution highlights the ongoing and very emotional debate surrounding blasphemy in the Muslim world.
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This Christmas, beware evangelical Christians bearing gifts
The Guardian
The Samaritan’s Purse charity sends gift boxes to children in Muslim countries. They contain a pernicious, hidden agenda.
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Rohingya 'terrified' about Myanmar repatriation, aid groups say
Al-Jazeera
A group of 42 aid agencies says the planned return of Rohingya to Myanmar is ‘premature’ and ‘dangerous’.
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Saudi Arabia bars nearly 3 million Palestinians from Hajj and Umrah
Middle East Eye
Saudi Arabia is denying Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage visas to Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, East Jerusalem and Israel who hold temporary Jordanian passports.
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Congresswoman-Elect Ilhan Omar Shares Advice for Young People and How She Deals With Islamophobia
Teen Vogue
“I don’t really give space to people who are attacking me based on my identities.” says Keith Ellison’s confident and unapologetic successor in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. The Somali-American, and first refugee elected to the US House has overcome numerous obstacles, including Islamophobic attacks on her way to Washington.
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More Muslims running (and winning) in US elections
Voice of America
The 2018 midterm elections represented an opportunity for Muslim Americans to push back against the difficulties they have faced since the 9/11 attacks with an expression of patriotism.
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A Middle East Monarchy Hired American Ex-Soldiers To Kill Its Political Enemies. This Could Be The Future Of War.
BuzzFeed News
According to two participants in the alleged activities, the United Arab Emirates has used American mercenaries, former Special Forces members, to assassinate “prominent clerics and Islamist political figures” in Yemen as part of the UAE’s larger strategy in the Yemen conflict.
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An ancient community in Pakistan fades as conversions to Islam rise
Washington Post
The Kalasha people of Afghanistan have come into greater contact with Sunni Islam in the last decade, leading hundreds to convert and causing concern among community leaders who hope to preserve Kalasha culture.
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Saudi Arabia Is Misusing Mecca
The New York Times
In the aftermath of the Jamal Khashoggi murder, the Kingdom has exploited the podium of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by using its imams to praise, sanctify and defend the rulers and their actions.
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Forgotten Muslim soldiers of World War One 'silence' far right
BBC
During World War One, Muslim soldiers fought alongside and with the British Army. Historians are urging increased recognition of Muslim contributions, as recognition may be part of the solution to Islamophobia.
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Opinion: Austria's Chancellor Victimizes Muslims but Promises to Protect Jews. Don't Believe Him
Haaretz
Georgetown University researcher Farid Hafez says that by banning the hijab, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is adopting the far right’s anti-Muslim agenda, just with a liberal façade.
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Egypt considers banning burka in crackdown against Islamic extremists
Fox News
“Egyptian MP Ghada Ajam has submitted a bill calling for a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($55) for women who defy the proposed ban.”
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Busloads of Muslims formed human 'rings of peace' to protect synagogues in Canada
CNN
After a deadly attack last year on a mosque in Quebec, Christians and Jews formed human “rings of peace” around mosques across Canada to help Muslim worshippers feel safer. Now in the wake of the shooting in Pittsburgh, Muslims are protecting synagogues.
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French court grants bail to Tariq Ramadan in sexual assault case
Al Jazeera
After 287 days of pre-trial detention over rape allegations, a Paris appeals court granted Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan conditional release on Thursday. This was his fourth attempt to secure his freedom.
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Egypt eliminates Muslim Brotherhood leaders' names from streets
Al-Monitor
After divisive debate, officials in Egypt have started implementing a decision to remove the names of Hassan al-Bana and other prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood from streets and squares throughout the country.
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Debunking Maps of Alleged “Islamic No Go Zones” in London
Bellingcat
The author argues that the best way to debunk the politically motivated classification of parts of East London as “No Go Zones” is to go to these areas and observe and engage with residents.
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Republicans account for a small but steady share of U.S. Muslims
Pew Research Center
Fascinating new research from Pew’s Fact Tank shows that the share of American Muslims who identify as Republicans has grown from 11 percent in 2007 to 13 percent last year. Issues like immigration, the Trump Administration and the relationship with both political parties are also examined.
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Two Muslim Women Are Headed to Congress. Will They Be Heard?
Foreign Policy
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have won, but the battle for a new brand of feminism in the Democratic Party and within Muslim communities has just begun.
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Morrison urges Muslim community to be more 'proactive' in tackling terrorism
The Guardian
Australia’s Prime Minister has urged local imams to play a larger role in preventing radicalization and violence in their community.
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What’s behind Mali livestock herders joining jihadist groups
The Conversation
Jihadist groups in Mali having taken control over half of the country, previously known as a fortress against radical groups.
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Swiss cryptocurrency firm X8 obtains Islamic finance certification
Reuters
A Switzerland-based financial technology firm has obtained certification from Islamic scholars for its digital currency, and plans to expand its business in the Middle East.
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The Long Struggle for Supremacy in the Muslim World
The Wall Street Journal
Turks and Saudis have been competitors for centuries; now the Khashoggi investigation has rekindled their fierce rivalry—and may upend the politics of the Middle East.
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Justin Trudeau says Canada in talks with Pakistan over Asia Bibi
The Guardian
Canada’s PM used an armistice day interview to “remind people Canada is a welcoming country” and is working with Pakistan to resolve Ms. Bibi’s future. He also acknowledged “a delicate domestic context”.
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The burial of Jamal Khashoggi: Saudi Arabia’s failure is a sin against Islam
Middle East Eye
By not honoring Jamal Khashoggi with proper burial rites, Mohammed Bin Salman is further jeopardizing the religious legitimacy so important to his Kingdom, and risks committing an ancient sacrilege.
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How the use of emoji on Islamophobic Facebook pages amplifies racism
The Conversation
A stabbing in Australia led the author to analyze Islamophobic reactions on social media. She found that the use of emoji which reinforce cultural stereotypes can contribute to decontextualized information and blatant racism.
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Rohingya shocked, terrified as deadline for Myanmar return nears
Al-Jazeera
As Bangladesh prepares to repatriate Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, the UN warns that the move is dangerous and premature.
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Morrison wants Muslim leaders to do more to prevent terrorism, but what more can they do?
The Conversation
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison challenged Muslim leaders to do more in the prevention of attacks like the stabbing in Melbourne on Friday. The Conversation challenges him to bring solutions to the table.
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Rohingya fearful of doctors keep faith healers in business
AP
Doctors Without Borders is seeking to provide access to and education about modern medicine to Rohingya, who have long relied on traditional faith healing for treatment.
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Uighurs marking 'independence day' call for international help
Al-Jazeera
Uighurs are using their ‘independence day’ as a way to call on the US and the Muslim community for help in preventing China from further mistreatment of Muslim minorities.
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It Isn’t an Easy Time to Be a British Muslim. Cricket Helps.
The New York Times
The career of Moeen Ali, a star player on England’s national cricket team, demonstrates how Britain thrives when institutions accommodate the religious and cultural needs of minorities.
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Growing Up Muslim In America: Nijla Mu’min’s 'Jinn' Explores Black Muslim Identity
Essence
Inspired by her own upbringing within a thriving Black Muslim community in the Bay Area, Nijla Mu’min’s new film examines how identity is formed by religion, family, and relationships.
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Funeral prayers held for Jamal Khashoggi in Mecca and Medina
Al Jazeera
Funeral prayers for slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi were held around the world this week including at the holy mosques in Mecca and Medina with his son in attendance. His body has yet to be recovered.
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Islam is religion of holistic vision, not cherry-picking to suit political agenda — King
The Jordan Times
King Abdullah II of Jordan was awarded the Templeton Prize in recognition of his “long quest to promote peace-affirming Islam.” Accepting the award “on behalf of all Jordanians,” he stressed that Jihad is the “personal, internal struggle to defeat ego, and share a world of peace, harmony, and love.”
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What you don't know about America's Islamic heritage
USA Today
America’s Islamic Heritage Museum starts visitors in the 1500s and explores the contributions of American Muslims through the 21st century.
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China says foreign concerns over Muslim rights unwarranted
AP News
China has criticized foreign ambassadors for expressing their concerns over the incarceration of Muslims in “re-education” camps. Beijing says that ambassadors should play a positive role through creating mutual understanding without getting involved in the country’s politics.
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Trump: Sending cleric to Turkey ‘not under consideration’
AP
President Donald Trump has said that Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government has blamed for inciting the 2016 coup and currently lives in exile Pennsylvania, will not be extradited to Turkey.
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Why are women in Saudi Arabia wearing their abayas inside out?
Reuters
Some Saudi women have begun protesting the country’s conservative dress code by posting pictures of themselves wearing their abayas inside out on social media.
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The badass woman who created Marvel's first Muslim superhero to headline her own series
Elle India
The author speaks with Sana Amanat, the co-creator of the first Muslim superhero in Marvel Comicbooks history, on the need for media that underrepresented groups can relate to and on the fans that have identified with her version of Ms. Marvel.
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Democracts may change rule to allow Muslim member of Congress to wear headscarf
Think Progress
In preparation for the swearing in of the most diverse congress in US history, Democrats’ planned rule changes include removing a ban on head coverings in the chamber that has stood for 181 years, making an accommodation for Minnesota Representative-elect Ilhan Omar’s hijab.
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Chinese city urges those 'poisoned by extremism', who follow conservative Islam to confess crimes
Reuters
A city in China’s far-western Xinjiang region has ordered people who are “poisoned by extremism, terrorism and separatism”, in contact with overseas terror groups or act in a conservative Islamic manner, to turn themselves in to authorities.
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Mitzvah Day: Jews and Muslims come together to cook chicken soup
The Guardian
Muslim and Jewish volunteers united at one of Europe’s largest mosques to cook vast quantities of the traditional matzo ball soup known as “Jewish penicillin” for the benefit of East London’s homeless community.
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Saudi cleric's son: 'Everyone is threatened'
Al-Jazeera
Up Front speaks with Georgetown senior fellow Abdullah al-Awdah about the Saudi crown prince’s crackdown on dissent. Abdullah’s father is prominent cleric Salman al-Awdah, who was imprisoned in 2017 and faces the death penalty.
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Australians overestimate size of Muslim population, new polling shows
SBS News
New polling in Australia finds that almost half the population wants Muslim immigration cut, but that same population has an inaccurate picture of how many Muslims actually live in the country.
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How Al-Farabi Drew on Plato to Argue for Censorship in Islam
The Wire
The Wire examines the Sufi philosopher who relied on Hellenistic ideas to build Islam’s dominant positions on imagery and free expression.
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What’s a Muslim to Do About Hajj?
Slate
The Saudi monarchy carries the title “Guardian of the Two Holy Sanctuaries” but Riyadh’s continued commercialization of the holiest sites in Islam, and restrictions on access to the rites of pilgrimage, has created a moral dilemma for Muslims who are obligated to visit Mecca.
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Letter from Africa: Sudan's fashion police shave off afros
BBC
Sudanese journalist Zeinab Mohammed Salih discusses at the contentious issue of fashion in a conservative Muslim society.
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Egypt looks to remove religion from ID cards — but is it too little, too late?
Al Monitor
Despite President Sisi’s statements, and legislators’ efforts to emphasize and support freedom of religion in Egypt, more is required to end faith-based discrimination in the Muslim-majority country whose constitution draws on shari’a and enshrines Islam as the state religion.
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In Bosnia, Entrenched Ethnic Divisions Are a Warning to the World
The New York Times
One Bosnian city shows that while Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks have much in common in daily life, society remains divided and nationalist political leaders continue to fan the flames of division.
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Hard-liners face backlash in Iranian holy city in wake of 'insulting' open letter
Al Monitor
“A senior hard line cleric’s sniping at a grand ayatollah for meeting with reformists has sparked a backlash, revealing the depth of clerical opposition to radical conservatives.”
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Suicide Bomber Targets Clerics in Afghan Capital, 50 Killed
The New York Times
A suicide bomber targeted a gathering of hundreds of Islamic scholars in the Afghan capital on Tuesday, killing at least 50 people as Muslims marked the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
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Egyptians celebrate Prophet Mohammad's birth but miss sugar dolls
Reuters
As Egypt prepared to celebrate al-mawlid al-nabawi this week, the absence of traditional “zefaf” sugar dolls was conspicuous and upsetting to nostalgic citizens.
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Hijab-wearing lawmaker takes seat in Bosnian Serb parliament
AP
Begija Smajic was elected to the Bosnian Serb parliament last month, and became the first woman who wears the hijab to serve as a lawmaker in the Serb administrated part of the country since Bosnia’s ethnic war.
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The woman who decides if men can take a second wife
BBC
Nenney Shushaidah, one of Malaysia’s first female Sharia high court judges, says her role provides her the opportunity to protect women in the Muslim-majority nation.
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The varieties of Muslim faith become a vital form of diplomacy
The Economist
The importance of soft power is rising in the Islamic world as multiple visions of the faith are competing for prominence in the region and globally.
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Libyan Sufis celebrate Prophet's birthday despite security fears
Reuters
Hundreds of Libyan Sufis packed the narrow streets of Tripoli’s walled old city to celebrate the Prophet Mohammad’s birthday on Tuesday, chanting hymns to the beat of drums and cymbals.
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Central African Republic MP nicknamed 'Rambo' arrested over alleged war crimes against Muslims
The Independent
A war crimes suspect wanted for the alleged murder, deportation and torture of Muslims in the Central African Republic has been handed over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the tribunal said.
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Senior cleric in Afghanistan's top religious body killed
Reuters
Senior Afghan police officials have confirmed that Mawlawi Abdul Basir Haqqani, leader of Kabul Ulema Council was shot dead. His body was found near a residential area of the capital, four days after 55 top scholars were killed in a suicide attack.
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Will northern Sinai’s new cultural centers promote moderate Islam?
Al Monitor
Egypt’s ministry of religious endowments has opened a number of centers across the country in order to promote “moderate” Islam and fight radicalization. The volatile northern Sinai region, where the army is currently deployed to fight ISIS affiliates, has three.
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Australian PM's 'dangerous ideology' remark irks Muslim leaders
Al Jazeera
In an open letter, the Muslim community says they are being held ‘collectively culpable’ for individual criminal acts.
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I'm A Muslim U.S. Marine, But Am I American Enough? | Opinion
Newsweek
Pakistani-American Marine Corps veteran and human rights activist Mansoor Shams says that, more than 17 years after he began serving in the Marines, he feels less at home in his adopted country.
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America targets Middle East as it fears Islamic strengthening: Iran leader
Reuters
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday the United States is targeting the Middle East because it fears Islamic “awakening” in the region, according to his official website.
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Why the 2019 election may be the most crucial in India's history
Al Jazeera
The BJP will try to convince the Hindu majority to vote along sectarian lines in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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Pakistan arrests cleric whose followers shut down cities over blasphemy
Reuters
Pakistani authorities on Friday night arrested Khadim Hussain Rizvi, an ultra-right religious party leader whose followers have shut down major cities demanding stricter application of stringent laws on blasphemy against Islam.
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Maydan editors selected some of the most thought-provoking news items on issues around Islam, religion and public-life for you. Let us know what you have been reading. Drop us a line