[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.]
Just 22 mosques given funding for hate crime security last year
The Guardian
Widespread distrust of the Home Office’s counter-extremism strategy by British Muslims has been cited as one of the obstacles to mosques using a government scheme to protect places of worship from hate crime, after figures showed just twenty-two received funding last year. Read More
Mohammed bin Salman Is Making Muslims Boycott Mecca
Foreign Policy
The Saudi crown prince’s regional aggression and disdain for human rights have prompted religious scholars and pious pilgrims to refuse to go on the hajj. Read More
Saudi scholar Alaoudh: 'MBS is not Saudi Arabia'
Al Jazeera
The son of jailed Muslim cleric Salman al-Awdah talks to Al Jazeera on Khashoggi’s murder and the erosion of rights and liberties under crown prince Mohammad bin Salman. Read More
Women discuss what it’s like to wear a hijab
The Detroit News
Five American women share their feelings and experiences on wearing the hijab. “Hijab is part of me, a part of who I am, something I can call basically home,” said Saeda Sulieman, a college student. “If I do not wear the hijab, I feel less secure, less powerful.” Read More
Daughter of Islamic scholar al-Qaradawi remanded in Egypt again
Al Jazeera
Ola al-Qaradawi was arrested hours after her release in a previous case and now faces charges of “joining a terrorist group.” Read More
Halal holidays: Sun, sea and seclusion appeal to women
Middle East Eye
Islamic resorts have proven popular, promising high-end comfort, seclusion, and destinations where Muslims are unlikely to face racism and discrimination. Resorts are expected to adhere to Islamic values, including prayer facilities and alcohol-free zones. Read More
Malaysian children in practice run for Muslim hajj
France 24
Thousands of Malaysian children took part in a practice run Thursday of the Muslim hajj pilgrimage, marching around a model of the holy Ka‘ba, Islam’s most sacred site. Read More
Tunisia bans face veils in public institutions after bombing
Al Jazeera
Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has banned the wearing of the niqab–a full-face veil–in public institutions with immediate effect, citing security reasons. Read More
Wahhabism confronted: Sri Lanka curbs Saudi influence after bombings
Reuters
Sri Lanka is moving to curtail Saudi Arabian influence, after some politicians and Buddhist monks blamed the spread of the kingdom’s ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam for planting the seeds of militancy that culminated in deadly Easter bomb attacks. Read More
Muslims in Sri Lankan highlands to down shutters as hardline Buddhists meet
Reuters
Shops owned by Muslim traders in the Sri Lankan central highlands district of Kandy will remain closed on Sunday as thousands of hardline Buddhist monks gather to decide who to back in the country’s upcoming presidential elections. Read More
After Sri Lankan attacks, Muslims face boycotts and violence
The Washington Post
Sri Lankan Muslims are a religious minority in a predominantly Buddhist country. In the wake of the devastating April attacks—carried out by local Islamist extremists—the entire community has braced itself for retaliation. Read More
Netflix and the Middle East: How Jinn became a nightmare
Middle East Eye
Jinn, a Jordanian production, has been greeted with near-unanimous negative reviews and widespread censure from public institutions and Islamic groups in the kingdom since its release in June, chiefly for a tame kiss and overt foul language which many believe presents an unrepresentative view of society. Read More
Rami Malek: Bond terrorist 'not driven by religion'
BBC News
Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek has revealed he only agreed to play a James Bond villain after he was assured the character would have no religious or ideological affiliations Read More
Man Is Charged in Twitter Threat to Lynch Muslim Lawyer
The New York Times
Qasim Rashid, who is running for a seat in Virginia’s State Senate, said, “As a person of color, as an immigrant, and as a Muslim, to speak publicly about your faith and to receive death threats is not uncommon.” Read More
Gay, Muslim, Thai: artist caught in tug of war
Reuters
“Being queer is part of my identity; being Muslim is also part of my identity.” Artist Samak Kosem says, “But many Muslim LGBT+ people feel conflicted because of their religion, family, and society’s expectations of what it means to be Muslim.” Read More
Indonesian women who brought dog into mosque faces blasphemy case
The New Arab
An Indonesian woman who brought a dog into a mosque is being accused of blasphemy, a criminal offence in Indonesia with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Read More
Under Modi, Hindus Find Hope for a Temple on Disputed Speck of Land
The New York Times
In 1992, Hindu activists demolished a sixteenth-century mosque, the Babri Masjid, a reminder of India’s history under Mughal rule. They were spurred by the belief that Ram, a widely revered deity, was born thousands of years ago on the same spot. Read More
Hindutva Ignores the Impact Dharma and Islam Had on Each Other in India
The Wire
Prem Shankar Jha points out the selective memory of Hindu nationalist movements. Their followers harp endlessly about the damage the Muslim invaders did to the Hindu polity and society, but they choose to ignore the fact that the same Muslim dynasties saved India from the greatest scourge of the Middle Ages–the Mongol invasions that ravaged Europe. Read More
Indian actress draws fire for quitting over Islamic faith
Reuters
Muslim Bollywood actress Zaira Wasim, eighteen, who is best known for her role as a wrestler in the 2016 film Dangal, announced her “disassociation” from acting on Sunday. Read More
Zaira Wasim's decision to quit Bollywood 'for faith' stirs debate
Al Jazeera
The Kashmiri teenager’s decision to stop acting in films since it clashes with her Islamic faith has sparked a massive debate on social media. Read More
What the Zaira Wasim controversy reveals about contemporary India
Al Jazeera
The teenage Muslim actress’s decision to quit Bollywood for her faith reasons brought India’s Islamophobia to the fore. Read More
In Turkey, demography is a brake on Islamisation
The Economist
Turkey’s government has made no secret of its desire to encourage more piety, especially among young people, but why have the efforts to build a more devout society failed? Read More
Turkey's President Erdogan claims Muslim Uighur minority 'live happily' in China, despite abuse reports
The New Arab
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping that ethnic minorities live happily in Xinjiang, in what would be a stark reversal of Ankara’s past criticism of Beijing’s crackdown in the region. Read More
China accused of rapid campaign to take Muslim children from their families
The Guardian
China is reportedly separating Muslim children from their families, religion, and language, and is engaged in a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools for them. Read More
China denies Muslim separation campaign in Xinjiang
BBC News
A BBC report found that hundreds of children from the Uighur minority ethnic group had had both parents detained, either in camps or in prison. But China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom has denied that Muslim children in western Xinjiang are being systematically separated from their parents. Read More
Reporter on China's treatment of Uighur Muslims: 'This is absolute Orwellian style surveillance'
CBS News
A new documentary by VICE News correspondent Isobel Yeung sheds light on this draconian policy instituted by the Chinese government. Yeung talked to CBS News on Wednesday about her experience in China. Read More
China locks down Xinjiang a decade after deadly ethnic riots
AP
A decade after deadly riots tore through his hometown, Kamilane Abudushalamu still vividly recalls the violence that left him an exile. Read More
Prevent is stopping free speech on campus and demonizing Muslims
The Guardian
Many staff and students at universities across Britain have welcomed condemnation of the chilling effect the government’s counter-terrorism strategy is having on free speech on campuses. Read More
Conservative Party is in complete denial about its Islamophobia problem – just look at Boris Johnson if you need proof
The Conversation
As Rashida Bibi explains, Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister, has downgraded his promise to hold an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tory party if elected as leader. This will now be just a “general investigation.” Perhaps we should not be surprised. Read More
Albany mosque co-founder Shamshad Ahmad remembered as community pillar and bridge
San Fransisco Chronicle
Shamshad Ahmad, the president of an Albany mosque, a community leader, and University of Albany professor, died Wednesday at age sixty-eight, his family said. Read More
Egyptian politicians arrested, accused of working with Muslim Brotherhood
Al Monitor
Egypt has arrested several politicians and journalists it accuses of supporting terrorist groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Read More
Opinion: Iran and China, Missiles and Muslims: Why Narendra Modi Isn't Hugging Donald Trump Anymore
Haaretz
The shock of Trump’s Twitter bullying and brinkmanship has worn off for India’s prime minister. It’s India First meets America First–and Modi refuses to fold to US pressure. Read More
The activists leading efforts for women's rights at Afghan talks
Al Jazeera
Female delegates at intra-Afghan talks in Doha say many Afghans are pinning their hopes on them to advance dialogue on women’s rights. Read More
Most UK news coverage of Muslims is negative, major study finds
The Guardian
Most coverage of Muslims in British news outlets has a negative slant, according to a major analysis by the Muslim Council of Britain, which concludes that news stories in the mainstream media are contributing to Islamophobia. Read More
Project to boost ranks of Muslim chaplains launches in Minnesota
Star Tribune
The Muslim men and women gathered in a Bloomington, MN classroom recently are part of an experiment to help hospitals, universities, and correctional centers fill a glaring gap in services—the major shortage of certified Muslim chaplains. Read More
Muslim Council of Great Britain campaigns for 'fairer' media coverage
BBC News
A new study by the Muslim Council of Britain’s new Centre for Media Monitoring indicated “a serious problem” with the way the UK media reported on Islam and Muslims. The Daily Mail Australia (the Mail Online’s Australia edition) had the “highest proportion of articles” analyzed as being “very biased” (thirty-seven percent), followed by Christian Today (thirty-five percent) and the Spectator (twenty-nine percent). Read More
An eye for an eye? Inside the death penalty debate in Malaysia
Al Jazeera
As Malaysia’s government deliberates on the future of capital punishment, Al Jazeera meets families on both sides of the debate. Read More
Indonesia: Top court rejects woman's appeal over boss's lewd call
Al Jazeera
Baiq Nuril Maknun, a teacher on the island of Lombok, had complained of getting lewd phone calls from the principal of a high school where she worked seven years ago. Read More
Islamic organization condemns Israeli tunnel near Al-Aqsa
AP
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday called it a “bold and irresponsible move” that seeks “to alter the historic and legal status” of East Jerusalem. The OIC reiterated its position that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory. Read More
Muslim scholar catches flak for serving on new State Department rights panel
Religion News Service
“Despite Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s rich, robust, and arguably unparalleled contributions to Islamic thought in the West, it pains me to see him collaborate with the most Islamophobic administration in American history,” said Hamzah Raza, a graduate student in Islamic studies at Harvard Divinity School. “Donald Trump is a president who asserted that ‘Islam hates us’ and incited violence against Muslims as a tool to get elected.” Read More
Bosnian Muslims mark 1995 massacre of thousands with burials
AP
Thousands of mourners gathered Thursday to commemorate the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II, as Serbian officials continued to dispute that genocide was committed in the eastern Bosnian enclave. Read More
London comes first in list of European cities with best halal food options
Esquire
With over one million Muslims living in the British capital, online travel booking platform Agoda called it “probably the most Muslim-friendly city in Europe” and said that “halal food can be found on just about every corner.” Read More
Conservatives: Members see Islam as 'threat to British life', poll suggests
BBC
Amid concerns that Islamophobia is rampant in the ranks of the United Kingdom’s Tory party, a YouGov poll has found that fifty-six percent of party members polled said Islam threatened British values. Read More
More than 20 ambassadors condemn China's treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang
The Guardian
UN ambassadors from twenty-two states join together in rare show of unity to write letter calling on Beijing to allow freedom of movement for Muslim minority. Read More
American Woman Loses Custody Battle for Daughter in Saudi Arabia
The New York Times
An American woman living in Saudi Arabia has navigated a punishing legal maze ever since she first asked her Saudi ex-husband for a divorce in 2017, then opened custody proceedings last November. Read More
Nigeria parliament on lockdown after clash with Shi'ite group
Reuters
Nigeria’s National Assembly was on lockdown on Tuesday after shots were fired outside during clashes between police and a group of Shi‘i Muslim protesters. Both sides blamed the other for the shooting. In a statement, police said two officers were shot and wounded in the legs, and six other officers were injured by individuals using clubs and stones. Read More
FNB looks to digitise Islamic banking in SA
CNBC Africa
The Islamic finance industry in Sub-Saharan Africa has yet to meet full maturity in spite of a Muslim population in excess of 250 million. The market seems one of strongest in South Africa. Read More
Why do so many Germans see Islam as a threat?
The Local
Around half of the German population has concerns about Islam, according to a new study on democracy and religious tolerance. But what is the reason behind the negative feeling towards Islam felt by many? Read More
The Emirati women fleeing their faith and family
BBC Trending
A website set up by a Saudi exile is helping other former Muslims to flee persecution in their Gulf homelands. In some Arab countries ex-Muslims can be prosecuted for renouncing their faith, and in Saudi Arabia those convicted of apostasy may be sentenced to death. Read More
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: a change toward democracy?
Al Monitor
In an unprecedented step, Egypt’s Muslim brotherhood has issued a statement saying it no longer seeks to be in power and will instead work with the country’s other political movements. Read More
Muslim cleric who hid Christians during attacks honored in the US
CNN
Imam Abubakar Abdullahi has been recognized for providing shelter for hundreds of Christians fleeing attacks from Muslim herdsmen who had launched coordinated attacks on Christian farmers in twn villages in the Barkin Ladi area of Plateau State in June 2018. Read More
Five Tips For Supporting Muslims In The Workplace
Forbes
As we work to create more equitable workplaces, we need to understand and support the needs of all identities that have been marginalized or underserved. Muslims are arguably one of the most misunderstood identities in the United States, and as such, their needs are often overlooked. Read More
Archaeologists find mosque from when Islam arrived in holy land
Reuters
Archaeologists in Israel have discovered the remains of one of the world’s oldest rural mosques, built around the time Islam arrived in the holy land, they said on Thursday. Read More
Religious restrictions on the rise globally: report
Al Jazeera
The number of restrictions imposed on religion has risen since 2007 in both authoritarian countries as well as liberal democracies in Europe, says a Pew report released on Monday. Read More
These copycat bills on sharia law and terrorism have no effect. Why do states keep passing them?
USA Today
A far-right think tank pushed model bills on shari‘a law and terrorism in dozens of states. Civil rights groups say the goal was to stoke fear. Read More
Explainer: what Western civilisation owes to Islamic cultures
The Conversation
Civilization is always being reinvented. The civilization some call “Western” has been, and still is, continually shaped by a wide range of political, literary, and intellectual influences, all worthy of our attention, as Constant Mews explains. Read More
As more Muslims run for office, community urged ‘to take center stage’ in an era of immigration raids and racist tweets
Chicago Tribune
“Our message to the community is, continue your leadership. Be civic and social leaders,” Says Dilara Sayeed. “You are welcome to do it behind the scenes, as we have been taught in some of our cultures to do, but when it is time to take center stage, be unafraid.” Read More
How Muslim women break stereotypes by mixing faith and modesty with fashion
The Conversation
Explorative research, based on interviews with young Muslim women living in a New Zealand city, shows how they use their everyday lives and identity to change stereotypes of oppression. Read More
Some Iranian women take off hijabs as hard-liners push back
AP
The simple act of walking has become a display of defiance for a young Iranian woman who often moves in Tehran’s streets without a compulsory headscarf, or hijab. With every step, she risks harassment or even arrest by Iran’s morality police whose job is to enforce the strict dress code imposed after the 1979 Revolution. Read More
Macron seeks answers from Iran over academic's detention
Al Jazeera
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Tehran to explain why a Franco-Iranian academic based at a Paris university has been arrested in Iran, expressing concern for the woman’s welfare. Read More
Muslim community shuns women released from prison, says report
The Guardian
The Muslim community in Britain shuns women who have been to prison while forgiving convicted men, “no matter what they have done,” according to a report. Read More
Muslim Conservatives speak out after criticism of the party over Islamophobia
BBC News
Grassroots Muslim Conservatives, and a former Tory, share both their positive and negative experiences of being in the party and warn that unless the Conservative Party becomes proactive in tackling Islamophobia the party risks being seen as one which has “gone backwards.” Read More
Boris Johnson claimed Islam put Muslim world 'centuries behind'
The Guardian
Boris Johnson has been strongly criticized for arguing Islam has caused the Muslim world to be “literally centuries behind” the West, in an essay unearthed by The Guardian. Read More
‘Will Allah be OK with this?’: inside the BBC's first British-Muslim sketch show
The Guardian
They joke about airport security and overindulging over Ramadan. Meet the creators of Muzlamic, the trailblazing comedy exploring the contradictions of modern Muslim life. Read More
British Museum to explore Islamic world's impact on western art
The Guardian
An art tradition sometimes dismissed as perpetuating lazy stereotypes about the East will soon, the British Museum hopes, be seen in a different light thanks to a major exhibition exploring how western artists have been inspired by the Islamic world. Read More
For faith or money: Why Gazans are eager to perform umrah
Al Monitor
Many Palestinians leave the coastal enclave on a pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest sites and never return. Read More
The best YA books: 10 Middle East authors worth reading
Middle East Eye
Long gone are the days when teens and tweens from the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere could not read about fictional characters who looked, spoke, and ate like them. Read More
Sunnis accuse Shiites of expanding influence in Mosul
Al Monitor
Mosul’s liberation from the Islamic State group has pushed Sunni concerns about the balance of sectarian influence in the city to the forefront. Read More
New Zealand begins gun buyback after mosque shootings
New York Post
Hundreds of New Zealand gun owners have surrendered their weapons in exchange for cash, the first of many gun buybacks in the country after the mass murders at two Christchurch mosques. Read More
What’s Behind Quebec’s Ban on Religious Symbols
The Atlantic
Quebec has become the first state or province in North America to ban Muslim head scarves and other religious symbols, including Jewish kippahs, Sikh turbans, and Christian crosses, among some public servants. Read More
As China locks up Muslims in Xinjiang, it opens its doors to tourists
Yahoo News
The Chinese government has rounded up an estimated one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minorities into re-education camps in the tightly-controlled region in China’s northwest, but it has also created a parallel universe for visitors, who are only shown a carefully curated version of traditional customs and culture. Read More
Malaysia's 'Phoenix': hijab-wearing wrestler breaking barriers
Yahoo News
A hijab-wearing, diminutive Malaysian wrestler known as “Phoenix” cuts an unusual figure in the ring, a female Muslim fighter taking on hulking opponents in a male-dominated world. Read More
Malaysian sex-tape scandal poses a challenge for Muslim reporters
Columbia Journalism Review
For the past six weeks, Malaysians have been mesmerized by a series of shocking sex videos. The video clips, which started circulating in journalists’ WhatsApp groups on 11 June and then went viral, depicted what the New Straits Times described as “two men frolicking in bed.” Read More
It's time for Muslim Americans to condemn Hamza Yusuf
Al Jazeera
Maha Hilal says the prominent scholar’s membership in a commission that could help the Trump administration roll back human rights is the last straw. Read More
Cops conduct fewer probes involving Muslims and other religious and political groups, says NYPD monitor
New York Daily News
Police appear to be conducting fewer investigations intruding on peoples’ religious and political activity, according to a report issued Thursday by a former federal judge appointed to monitor such probes. Read More
LAPD investigating package at Islamic Center of Northridge
Los Angeles Daily News
An LAPD investigative team and bomb squad were called to the Islamic Center of Northridge’s Community center and mosque in Granada Hills, CA over a suspicious package. Read More
North Texas Indian Muslim group protests against lynching in Jharkhand
The American Bazaar
In a show of outrage at the recent killing of an Indian Muslim clergyman, members of the North Texas Indian Muslim community protested in Dallas Sunday demanding justice for the deceased twenty-four-year-old man in the state of Jharkhand in India last month. The protests were part of a nationwide protest held in Houston, New York City, and Chicago. Read More
Pakistani police arrest Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed
Al Jazeera
Pakistani police have arrested Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba armed group and head of its Jamaat-ud-Dawa humanitarian wing, intercepting him on his way to court in the central city of Gujranwala. Read More
From Apollo 8 to SpaceIL, how to celebrate Shabbat, Ramadan and Christmas in space
Religion News Service
Christian Jewish and Muslim astronauts have all brought their faiths with them into orbit. Marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that saw Neil Armstrong’s small step and the leap it represented for humanity, this article provides a look back at the history of religious ritual in space. Read More
US demands Saudi Arabia release 'critic of Islam'
Al Jazeera
US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday called out ally Saudi Arabia for the suppression of religious liberties and urged it to release Raif Badawi, a blogger imprisoned for reportedly insulting Islam. Read More
Muslim activists continue to push against Quebec secularism law
Religion News Service
Quebec’s Superior Court recently rejected civil rights advocates’ legal request to suspend the Canadian province’s controversial new ban on religious symbols for state workers. But activists in Canada and around the world say the fight is not yet over. Read More
Imam buried behind mosque sparks debate in Rockland County village
NY Post
A mosque buried its imam in the backyard—and a little Rockland County village almost died of shock. Read More
Muslim World League, Patriarchate of Moscow sign cooperation deal
Arab News
The Muslim World League (MWL) and the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia signed on Wednesday an agreement to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue, as well as a culture of peace and constructive coexistence. Read More
Xinjiang's Uyghurs didn't choose to be Muslim, new Chinese report says
CNN
China has delved back centuries in an attempt to justify its controversial policies in the far-western region of Xinjiang, where experts say up to two million Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities have been held against their will in vast detention centers. Read More
China says Xinjiang 'inseparable' despite attempts to distort history
Reuters
The far northwestern region of Xinjiang is an “inseparable” part of China despite efforts by extremists to distort history and facts in a bid to split the country, the Chinese government said in a document published late on Sunday. Read More
Why are big brands buying into Muslim fashion?
Al Jazeera
Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and DKNY have all attempted to crack one of the fastest-growing markets–Islamic fashion. Read More
Can an Islamist-Sufi alliance reshape the Middle East?
Middle East Eye
Islamists have reached out to those Sufis who are neither allying with authoritarian regimes nor antagonising Islamists, aiming to nurture cooperation. Read More
I'm A Muslim U.S Marine, And I'm Staying, To Make America Great Again. Just Not The Trump Way
Newsweek
Muslim US Marine Corps veteran and a member on the Council on Foreign Relations, Mansoor Shams, responds to President Trump’s “go back to where you came from” rhetoric. Read More
All the president's men: How AKP heavyweights are plotting to challenge Erdogan
Middle East Eye
Long simmering behind the scenes, opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan within his own Justice and Development Party (AKP) has finally exploded into the open following the party’s spectacular defeat in last month’s repeat Istanbul mayoral election. Read More
Why Muslim Fashion is Taking Over the Luxury World
Vice
In recent years, brands such as Zara, Nike, and H&M have directed their lines towards Muslim shoppers. Many more high-end designers have followed suit, looking to gain affluent Muslim shoppers as fans. Read More
Ignoring good governance in Islamic societies
Asia Times
Within Western society, there lingers a post-imperial conviction not only that its form of democracy is the best system for the entire world, but also that any country that chooses an alternative path is in some ill-defined way inferior. Read More
Boris Johnson’s take on Islam is historically illiterate
The Guardian
Boris Johnson’s “anti-Islam statements only shore up his political base in the short term, regardless of historical reality,” argues Jerry Brotton, professor of Renaissance studies at Queen Mary University of London. Read More
What Americans Know About Religion
Pew Research
US adults generally can answer basic questions about the Bible and Christianity, but are less familiar with other world religions. Read More
Boris Johnson's ancestral village pledges to sacrifice sheep in his honour
Middle East Eye
In the small village of Kalfat in the heart of Anatolia, residents say they would be more than happy to welcome the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson by sacrificing sheep in his honour, repainting the buildings in the village, and giving him the full red-carpet treatment. Read More
Ambivalent nativism: Trump supporters’ attitudes toward Islam and Muslim immigration
Brookings
Trump supporters’ suspicions about Muslims were often tied up with broader concerns about immigration from culturally and linguistically different groups who threatened America’s cohesion, George Howley claims. Read More
'Go pray in the Knesset,' Palestinians tell Saudi on Israeli-sponsored visit
Middle East Eye
A Saudi blogger visiting the Old City of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa compound on an Israeli-sponsored visa was chased and driven out by Palestinian residents, who tom him to “go pray in the Knesset.” Read More
Islam as a 'floating signifier': Right-wing populism and perceptions of Muslims in Denmark
Brookings
“The right-wing populist parties’ representation of the native people as an ethnically and culturally homogeneous and cohesive group takes advantage by constructing Islam as the conflicting other,” Susi Meret and Andreas Beyer Gregersen argue. Read More
Palestinians drive Saudi man out of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Al Jazeera
A Saudi man visiting the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem as part of an Israeli-sponsored trip has been driven out of the site by Palestinians. Read More
'The biggest problem in the Netherlands': Understanding the Party for Freedom’s politicization of Islam
Brookings
“The rise of the PVV, FVD, and DENK illustrate the increasing polarization around immigration, integration, Islam and—to various extents—the European Union, which . . . is framed by the PVV as a boon to Islamization,” Koen Damhuis writes. Read More
Senior Leeds Imam Qari Asim MBE enlisted by Government to tackle Islamophobia
Leeds Live
The British government has enlisted the help of a senior Leeds imam to battle Islamophobia by coming up with an effective definition. Read More
Imaginary Muslims: How Poland’s populists frame Islam
Brookings
“Public opinion polls suggest that Poles hold unfavorable attitudes toward Muslims in general and oppose accepting refugees from the Middle East and Africa,” argue Agnieszka Dudzińska and Michał Kotnarowski. Read More
Shi'ite protesters clash with Nigeria military, police in Abuja
Reuters
Nigerian troops and police clashed on Tuesday with Shi‘i Muslim protesters in the capital Abuja and gunfire could be heard, according to a Reuters witness. Read More
Why Shiite Muslim protesters and Nigeria’s security forces keep clashing
The Washington Post
A high-ranking police officer, a journalist and protesters are among the dead after a rally to free a minority religious leader from detention turned violent this week in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, marking another dark chapter in a series of murky confrontations. Read More
A school board member’s Facebook post suggested his ‘life would be complete’ if Rashida Tlaib died
The Washington Post
A forty-two-year-old school board member from Beachwood, N.J., posted an article to Facebook about Representative Rashida Tlaib’s (D-Mich.) support of hunger strikes to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement saying “My life would be complete if she/they die.” Read More
Muslims Over-Represented In State Prisons, Report Finds
NPR
Muslims make up about nine percent of state prisoners, though they are only about one percent of the US population, a new report from the civil rights organization Muslim Advocates finds. Read More
Without school, a ‘lost generation’ of Rohingya refugee children face uncertain future
The Conversation
The United Nations Children’s Fund and its partners offer Rohingya refugees aged four to fourteen two-hour daily lessons on Burmese, English, math, and life skills but do not provide the kind of formal education that will allow the children to work toward a high school degree and enter the job market. Read More
Saudi king hosts 200 from Christchurch shootings for Hajj
ABC4
Two hundred relatives and survivors from the Christchurch mosque shootings will be traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj as guests of King Salman. Read More
Saudi Arabia suspends Hajj visas for DR Congo over Ebola
Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia has banned entry to travellers coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo over fears Ebola could spread during next month’s hajj pilgrimage. Read More
In the face of fear and loathing, many British Muslims feel they must play hide and seek with their identity
The Conversation
British Muslims downplay or hide the Muslim aspects of their character in order to succeed or simply avoid hostility, Bryan Keogh reports. Read More
First Muslims, now the left: How the UK government has Islamised dissent
Middle East Eye
The document released by the UK Commission for Countering Extremism, titled “Violent extremist tactics and the ideology of the sectarian left” reads more like a textbook of sectarianism than an analysis of its ideas and methods, according to Arzu Merali, a writer and researcher based in London. Read More
The world knows what is happening to the Uighurs. Why has it been so slow to act?
The Guardian
China is walking a “very deliberate and very careful” line in committing serious human rights abuses against the Uighurs “without perpetrating the sort of physical violence that might attract widespread global condemnation,” Kate Lyons reports. Read More
The growing threat of sectarianism in Malaysia
Al Jazeera
The recent escalation of tension between Iran and its American and Arab adversaries has stirred sectarian sensitivities not only in the region but also miles away in Southeast Asia, and caused Malaysia, a country with a predominantly Sunni population of thirty-one million, to once again get sucked into the foreign rivalries. Read More
Treasury pick Monica Crowley spread Obama smears: 'Can he be both loyal to Islam and loyal to the United States?'
CNN
Monica Crowley, who was appointed by Trump last week as assistant treasury secretary for public affairs, made multiple comments spreading false claims that Obama was secretly a Muslim who was sympathetic to America’s enemies on her personal blog and in at least one tweet between 2009 and 2015, according to a review by CNN’s KFile team. Read More
Ilhan Omar's Defiance Resonates With Muslim-American Activists
VOA
US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar struck a chord with other Muslim Americans when she denounced a perceived assumption that she is reluctant to condemn or sympathetic to terrorism and atrocities committed by Islamic groups. Read More
President Joko Widodo says Islam in Indonesia is 'tolerant' as rights groups warn of rising fundamentalism
CNN
In his first international television interview since being re-elected in May, Indonesian President Joko Widodo denied being concerned about the rise of fundamentalism in his country, saying that the Islam practiced there is tolerant and progressive. Read More
Baghdad beats: Meet the Shia rappers raising the roof
Middle East Eye
An Iraqi cleric, Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, is creating a storm by urging his followers to rap for their religion. Read More
Fears over Muslim parents withdrawing children from 'non-halal' flu vaccine
The Telegraph
Muslim parents are refusing to allow their children to take part in a nationwide flu vaccine drive after the Muslim Council of Britain ruled the treatment was forbidden by Islam. Read More
Doubt Greets China’s Claim That Muslims Have Been Released From Camps
The New York Times
Chinese officials said Tuesday that most of the inmates in re-education camps for Muslim minorities—a vast network of detention centers estimated to have held one million people or more—have been released. But the United States, experts on Chinese policies, and ethnic Uighur Muslims abroad quickly contested the claim. Read More
Triple talaq: India criminalizes Muslim 'instant divorce'
BBC News
India’s parliament has approved a bill that makes the Muslim practice of “instant divorce” a criminal offense. Read More
Egyptian women speak freely about choice to veil at hijab summit
Al Monitor
On 19 July, Surviving Hijab—a closed Facebook group—held its first summit at the Greek Campus in Cairo, where four hundred attendees and twelve speakers—veiled, unveiled, or de-veiled—shared their experiences. Read More
Renewed unrest grips Bahrain after authorities execute activists
Reuters
Protests broke out in Bahrain after the execution of two Shi i Muslim activists on terrorism-related charges revived tension over the weekend in the Sunni-led kingdom, a Western ally that has cracked down on dissent since a failed 2011 uprising. Read More
Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque: 'The side you've never seen before'
Middle East Eye
The documentary One Night In Al-Aqsa, which has its world premiere in London on 2 August, takes audiences on a journey into Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque through the people who live and work there. Read More
After the fall of ISIL, a sectarian battle over property in Mosul
Al Jazeera
As residents struggle to rebuild Mosul following a fierce nine-month military operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group in 2017, Sunni authorities are struggling to control properties which have been managed by the community for centuries. Read More
Resigned Sri Lankan Muslim politicians return to government
AP
Four Sri Lankan Muslim ministers who resigned from their cabinet portfolios after the Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people have rejoined the government after an investigation cleared them of having any links with the local Islamic militant group that carried out the bombings. Read More
Sign of the times: China's capital orders Arabic, Muslim symbols taken down
Reuters
Authorities in the Chinese capital have ordered halal restaurants and food stalls to remove Arabic script and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, part of an expanding national effort to “Sinicize” its Muslim population. Read More
Teen set to be the first jockey wearing hijab at a British racecourse
CNN
Thursday’s Magnolia Cup—the annual ladies-only charity race at “Glorious Goodwood”—will be a momentous occasion for Khadijah Mellah. On top of marking her competitive racing debut, it will also make her the cup’s first Muslim rider, as well as the first jockey to wear a hijab at a British racecourse. Read More
Khadijah Mellah becomes first UK jockey to wear hijab – and wins race
The Guardian
The eighteen-year-old Peckham native won her Magnolia Cup race, besting a field that included British Olympian Victoria Pendleton. Read More
Tory Islamophobia: Johnson faces calls to honor pledge on inquiry
The Guardian
Boris Johnson is facing calls to honor his commitment to an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party, after a senior minister refused to say that one would go ahead under his premiership. Read More
There will be two Ramadans in a year in 2030
Esquire Middle East
The lunar month moves forwards by ten or eleven days each year. What this means is that in 2030, Ramadan will fall both in January and then again in December. Read More
Muslim Virginia lawmaker heckles Trump at Jamestown speech
AP
Virginia House Delegate Ibraheem Samirah, a twenty-seven-year-old Democrat, held up three laminated protest signs at Trump’s appearance in Jamestown that said: “Deport Hate,” ″Reunite My Family” and “Go Back to Your Corrupted Home.” Read More
Opinion 'Pro-Palestinian' Jeremy Corbyn Has Never Really Cared About Muslim Suffering
Haaretz
Fiyaz Mughal questions Jeremy Corbyn’s “carefully cultured image” that he is a political friend of Muslims and a supporter of Palestine. Read More
Iranian women defy prison threats by sending veil videos: activist
Reuters
Iranian women are sharing videos of themselves flouting laws forcing them to wear headscarves in public, despite a ruling they could face up to ten years in jail for doing so. Read More