[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.]
A blessing in disguise? Bendigo at peace with its mosque after years of far-right protest
The Guardian
Locals lament how a mosque saga dented Bendigo’s pride as it became an “unfortunate backdrop” to right-wing extremism. Read More
The Muslim Hajj: A spiritual pilgrimage with political overtones
The Conversation
This year, concerns over Saudi human rights abuses have cast a cloud over the pilgrimage. Between the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Yemeni civil war, some pilgrims are debating whether travel to the country is morally acceptable. Read More
Banana Republic is selling hijabs. Muslim shoppers wonder: Is it inclusion or appropriation?
The Washington Post
Some shoppers are wondering whether major retailers’ getting into the hijab business is inclusion or the appropriation of a religious symbol for the sake of their bottom line. Read More
As the Netherlands' burqa ban takes effect, police and transport officials refuse to enforce it
The Washington Post
Problems emerged immediately after a long-awaited ban on burqas officially went into effect in the Netherlands on Thursday. The biggest issue: whether security officials will bother to enforce it. Read More
The Massive Mosque Built Once a Year
BBC Travel
The walls of Djenné’s Great Mosque are reconstructed with mud each April in an epic one-day event called La Crépissage (The Plastering). Read More
Almost half of Britons think Islam is incompatible with British values, shock poll reveals
Yahoo News
A survey conducted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and ComRes suggests Islam is widely misunderstood by non-Muslims. Read More
BBC apologizes after presenter calls Muslim prayer sign 'IS salute'
The Guardian
The BBC has apologized and amended a Panorama documentary presented by Stacey Dooley after she inadvertently described a Muslim prayer sign as a terrorist salute. Read More
Turkey: 1,000-year-old Quran recovered from smugglers
Andolu Agency
Turkish security forces recovered a thousand-year-old Qur’an manuscript from suspected antiquities traffickers in the southern province of Mugla. Read More
Everything in Mecca gets 5 stars — and online reviews of other holy sites are wildly inflated, too
The Conversation
A study shows that online reviews of Mecca’s accommodations, clothing stores, eateries, and transportation options all have much higher ratings than can be reasonably expected. Read More
Hindus from Kashmir celebrate India move, Muslims feel 'deceived'
Al Jazeera
Kashmiri Pandits in India’s capital hail decision to scrap special status while critics call it a “constitutional coup.” Read More
Hajj 2019: An in-depth look at the sacred journey
Al Jazeera
For Muslims, the hajj re-enacts the actions of the Prophet Muhammad in his “farewell pilgrimage” in 632 AD. It is a central pillar of the Islamic faith meant to cleanse followers of sin and bring them closer to God. Read More
Sudan: Hassan Al-Turabi's Life and Politics
Al Jazeera
In the current power struggle enveloping Sudan, al-Turabi’s influence is still felt–not least among some of the protesters vying with the army for civilian rule in the post al-Bashir era. Read More
Ennahdha's Mourou, Marzouki eye presidency in Tunisia polls
Al Jazeera
Tunisia’s biggest political organisation, Ennahdha, has nominated its vice president Abdel Fattah Mourou as the party’s candidate for president, pitting him against former President Moncef Marzouki, who is also seeking the post for a second time. Read More
Shiite military factions have long way to integrate into state forces
Al Monitor
While Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s deadline for the integration of the Popular Mobilization Units into Iraq’s official security forces passed 31 July there is a long road ahead for this task. Read More
REVEALED: How Saudi Arabia has blocked Palestinians fleeing Syria's war from Hajj
Middle East Eye
Stateless, displaced, and driven from home by war, tens of Palestinian refugees from Syria have been denied the chance to perform hajj by Saudi Arabia. Read More
How Ilhan Omar symbolises the struggle of Black American Muslims
Middle East Eye
“Omar’s tremendous impact on US political discourse stands as a testament to the enduring legacies of Black American Islam,” Sylvia Chan-Malik writes. Read More
Tunisia’s Ennahda nominates Abdelfattah Mourou for presidential elections
Middle East Eye
Tunisia’s largest political party has named its deputy leader Abdelfattah Mourou for president after a unanimous vote by its senior leaders. Read More
Egyptian artist paints murals on houses to celebrate haj
Reuters
Eid al-Salwaawi, sixty-nine, volunteers to paint scenes that celebrate the hajj and religious stories and lessons. Read More
Saudi prepares for hajj as Gulf tensions persist
Yahoo News
More than 2.5 million Muslims will on Friday begin the annual hajj pilgrimage in the Islamic holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, against a backdrop of tensions in the Gulf. Read More
'I am really shy': introducing Phoenix, the world’s first hijab-wearing champion wrestler
The Guardian
Malaysia’s hijab-wearing champion wrestler, Nor Diana, says she becomes transformed in the ring, ready to take on her opponent–and conservative Islamic critics. Read More
Hamza Yusuf and the struggle for the soul of western Islam
Middle East Eye
Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, the American Muslim scholar known for his razor-sharp wit, peerless grasp of the Arabic language, and propped up as the voice of millions of North American and European Muslims, is facing an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy among ordinary Muslims. Read More
Politics v pilgrimage: some Muslims call for Saudi haj boycott
Reuters
As millions of Muslims don robes and flock to Mecca for hajj, a small counter movement to boycott the pilgrimage in protest at Saudi Arabia’s politics has won limited support online. Read More
Kashmir curfew partially eased for prayers amid lockdown
AP
A strict curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir in effect for a fifth day was eased Friday to allow residents to pray at mosques, officials said, but some protests still broke out in the disputed region despite thousands of security forces in the streets as tensions remained high with neighboring Pakistan. Read More
Muslim pilgrims descend on Mecca for haj, Saudis warn against politics
Reuters
Saudi officials asked hajj pilgrims to focus on rituals of worship, warning against politicizing the rite as wars rage on in the region and at a time of heightened tensions between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi’i Muslim adversary Iran. Read More
Jerusalem Waqf Calls for Protest Over Allowing Jews on Temple Mount on Muslim Holiday
Haaretz
The Islamic custodian of the Temple Mount has called on Muslim worshipers to attend a mass service at the Jerusalem complex on Eid al-Adha on Sunday, in protest of a possible police decision to allow Jews commemorating Tisha B’Av access to the holy site on the same day. Read More
Two million Muslims gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj prayers
Al Jazeera
More than two million Muslims have gathered at the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for an intense day of worship and reflection on what’s considered the climax of the Islamic hajj pilgrimage. Read More
Here's what you need to know about Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's biggest holidays
CNN
From Sunday, more than a billion Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid al-Adha, which translates to the Festival of Sacrifice. Read More
US Muslims embrace Hajj ‘heart and soul’
Arab News
Thousands of Muslim Americans have paid at least six thousand dollars each to make the journey to Makkah in Saudi Arabia as part of the Islamic ritual of hajj. Read More
Hajj pilgrims cycle from Nairobi to Mecca
BBC
Four Kenyan friends have cycled 3,500km (2,100 miles) from Kenya to Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage. Read More
Mo Salah: Man admits posting racist tweets at Liverpool star
BBC
A man has admitted posting a series of offensive tweets in a “racist rant” aimed at Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. Read More
Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha religious holiday
Al Jazeera
Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the Eid al-Adha religious holiday on Sunday. Read More
Some 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims scale Mount Arafat
Yahoo News
Nearly 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat in Mecca on Saturday marshalled by tens of thousands of stewards in a bid to prevent any repetition of previous years’ deadly stampedes. Read More
Amid 'disheartening Eid siege', Kashmiris try to reach loved ones
Al Jazeera
On Monday, India’s Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped Article 370 of the constitution, stripping the significant autonomy Kashmir had for nearly seventy years. Communication from Kashmir to the outside world has been cut off by Modi’s government. Read More
100 Faces of Rohingya Refugees
Al Jazeera Interactive
Al Jazeera interactive presents portraits and stories from the persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar. Read More
In Pictures: Eid al-Adha around the world
Al Jazeera
Muslims around the world are celebrating the Eid al-Adha religious holiday, which in Arabic literally means the “festival of the sacrifice” and marks the end of hajj, the five-day pilgrimage Muslims undertake to cleanse the soul of sins and instil a sense of equality and brotherhood among them. Read More
Hajjonomics: The business of getting India's pilgrims to Mecca
Al Jazeera
Private tour operators are trying to make the most of their share of India’s hajj market. Read More
Norway Police Investigate Mosque Attack as Attempted ‘Act of Terrorism’
The New York Times
The police in Norway said on Sunday that they were investigating a foiled attack at a mosque near Oslo as an attempted act of terrorism after a white gunman in a helmet and body armor opened fire but was overpowered before injuring anyone. Read More
After Attack on Norway Mosque, Body Found at Home Tied to Assailant
The New York Times
A worshiper thwarted an attack on a mosque Saturday by a young man wearing a helmet and body armor, according to the Norwegian authorities and a witness. Hours later, the police said they had found a dead woman at a home linked to the assailant. Read More
Jordan lambasts Israeli minister's call to change status quo at Al-Aqsa
Middle East Eye
A senior Israeli minister’s suggestion that the custodianship and control of occupied East Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa compound should be revised was fiercely rejected on Tuesday by Jordan, which administers the holy site. Read More
'Rabaa massacre': Calls for justice remain six years on
Al Jazeera
“President el-Sisi and the Egyptian military want everyone to forget the mass killings they oversaw during Rabaa massacre,” Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch told Al Jazeera on Wednesday. “But six years on, no one has forgotten their crimes nor the fact that not a single perpetrator has been held to account, and it will remain this way until authorities deliver justice for the many victims and their families.” Read More
Malaysia ministers want Muslim preacher Zakir Naik expelled
Al Jazeera
Malaysia’s cabinet has discussed the permanent residency of Indian Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, with four ministers demanding his expulsion for allegedly making racially sensitive remarks in the multi-ethnic nation. Read More
The resurgence of Oriana Fallaci's anti-Islam message in Italy
Al Jazeera
In 2019 Italy, a late journalist’s unapologetic Islamophobia is alarmingly mainstream. The new ruling class is rediscovering her as a prescient thinker. Read More
From Turkish Islam to Turkish Salafism
Ahval News
Political Science Professor Gokhan Bacik says that since the Islamic movement consolidated its position after coming to power in Turkey in 2002, the term Turkish Islam has all but disappeared and has been replaced by a more Salafist and conservative trend. Read More
Trump often blames mass shootings on mental health. When the perpetrator is Muslim, he blames Islam.
Washington Post
Aaron Blake illustrates the contrasts between President Trump’s reaction to acts of terrorism, depending on the identity of the attacker. Read More
I Just Pledged Allegiance To The Caliphate
Newsweek
Sabah Ahmedi is an imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. At twenty-six, he is one of the youngest imams in the United Kingdom. Read More
Criticism mounts of New Zealand mosque shooting response
Reuters
Months after the 15 March shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, the Royal Commission heading up the inquiry and the drawn out legal process is under increasing scrutiny. Read More
Al-Azhar works to end blood feuds in Egypt
Al Monitor
Egypt’s top religious institution has stepped up its efforts to help end the tribal practice of vendettas and blood feuds in the country through working with local councils and appealing to youth. Read More
Former Muslim chaplain alleges workplace discrimination at New York prison
Religion News Service
The Council on American Islamic Relations has filed a claim on behalf of a former Muslim chaplain who wore the hijab while working at a New York state prison says she faced years of anti-Muslim harassment from a supervisor who was attempting to drive her from her job. Read More
Minor league owner refuses to meet with Muslim rights group
AP
E. Miles Prentice, owner of two minor league baseball teams is refusing to meet with The Council on American-Islamic Relations, accusing it of supporting terrorists. CAIR sought a meeting amid concerns about Mr. Prentice’s views on Muslims. He chairs the Center for Security Policy, an organization identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-Muslim hate group. Read More
Nigeria’s Shia leader flies to India for medical treatment
AP
Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria group and his country’s Shia community and his wife both sustained life-threatening bullet wounds in the 2015 government crackdown against the group. Sheikh Zakzaky lost an eye. The pair have been temporarily released from prison to undergo treatment in India. Read More
Troops let some Muslims go to mosques in locked-down Kashmir
AP
Troops in Indian-administered Kashmir allowed some Muslims to walk to local mosques alone or in pairs to mark the Eid al-Adha festival Monday on the eighth day of an unprecedented security lockdown imposed as India stripped the disputed region of its autonomy. Read More
The Kashmir crisis isn’t about territory. It’s about a Hindu victory over Islam
Washington Post
India’s Prime Minister has used the Muslim majority state as a venue for demonstrating Hindu nationalist power. Read More
Democratic leaders blast Israel for banning Tlaib and Omar
Al Monitor
“The decision of the Israeli government to deny entry to Israel by two members of Congress is outrageous, regardless of their itinerary or their views,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in a statement, noting that he had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to ban the two lawmakers as recently as Wednesday. Read More