[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.]
Muslim Radicalization In Britain: Countering The Extremists' Rationale
Deutsche Welle
In an interview with DW, London-based scholar Farid Panjwani talks about the reasons behind the growing radicalization of South Asian Muslim youths in the UK, and what needs to be done to counter extremist threats.
The Netherlands: Hague Mayor Wants Law Against Suspicious Mosque Financing
NLTimes
Mayor Pauline Krikke of The Hague wants a new law that will make the state and municipalities better cooperate to stop undesirable influences that come with the foreign financing of Islamic institutions in the Netherlands.
This Muslim Woman Was Barred From Testifying In Court With Her Niqab On. Now She’s Appealing Her Court Loss.
Buzzfeed
Sydney woman Moutia Elzahed sued the police and lost. Now she’s appealing the decision on the basis she was barred from testifying due to her religious garb.
Hungary Has A Xenophobia Problem
NPR
With over a thousand refugees from Muslim-majority countries admitted for asylum, Hungarians report overwhelmingly negative feelings and attitudes towards Muslims and immigrants.
What May Life in Italy Be Like Under the Right? These Immigrants Already Know
The New York Times
The town of Sesto, Italy has become an attractive city for immigrants to live and work, despite having a mayor from Forza Italia- Italy’s right wing, populist party.
Pakistan's Ahmadi Community Releases Damning Persecution Report
Reuters
Pakistan’s disenfranchised Ahmadi community released an annual report that details growing hostilities against the minority sect, including indiscriminate arrests and impediments blocking them from voting in general elections.
Festival Of Forgiveness When is Shab e Barat 2018, What’s The Meaning Behind the Muslim Festival and What Quotes Are There?
The Sun
The Islamic month of Ramadan is approaching – but there are a series of other observances that take place as the fasting month approaches. One of these is Shab e Barat, which marks the midway point of the Islamic month of Sha’ban.
Linda Sarsour: What It Means To Be Unapologetically Muslim
Wisconsin Muslim Journal
In an address to the Milwaukee community, political activist Linda Sarsour talked about the challenges of changing how Americans view Islam.
Debunking Three Common Myths About Divorce and Abuse In Muslim Communities
The Conversation
In a recent documentary about divorce for Muslim women in Australia, a number of stereotypes and misunderstandings about the rights and procedure for women in Islam come up.
Iran Wants Media to Address Muslim Issues
Antara News
The Iranian VP for Women and Family Affairs, has exhorted mainstream mass media to pay more attention to the Islamic world and the problems faced by Muslims.
A Preacher Says Starbucks Customers Will Go To The Hell – The Rise of Indonesia’s New Generation of Preachers?
The Conversation
After a video resurfaced of an Indonesian preacher claiming Starbucks customers would go to hell, the same preacher is studied for bringing about a new style of appeal in his sermons and teaching.
Iraq's Maliki Poses as Shi'ite Champion In Race For Top Job
Reuters
In Iraq’s upcoming election, the famous politician Nuri al-Maliki will have to tread carefully as other Shi’a politicians and leaders look to win the PM.
Competing Visions of Islam Will Shape Europe in the 21st Century
The Atlantic
In an interview, the former ambassador Akbar Ahmed addresses how Islamic migration is reshaping the European continent, and whether leaders can cope.
Mosque Bombing Suspects, 1 Other Face Additional Charges
AP News
A federal jury in Illinois returned a superseding indictment that brings additional charges against four men previously indicted on weapons charges — three of whom are awaiting trial in a Minnesota mosque bombing case.
Study: German Schools Need More Islamic Religion Classes
Deutsche Welle
A new study has found that over fifty-thousand high school students in Germany receive Islamic religious lessons — but ten times as many would be interested. Experts say religion classes encourage integration and counter extremism.
Islamophobia On The Rise In New York. But So Is Islam.
WSKG
As law enforcement records a growing numbers of incidents against Muslims through hate crime, records tracking the increase in conversion to Islam are on the rise as well, a product of educational and religious outreach.
Islamic Revival Threatens Bangladesh's Identity
LaCroix International
Recent political maneuverings, influenced by a small but strong group of Islamist hardliners and the lethal rise of radicalism in recent years, show the struggle for a true national identity for Bangladesh is intensifying.
Muslims Recoil at a French Proposal to Change the Quran
The Atlantic
After seeing in increase in attacks against French Jews, a number of French officials and authorities are calling to change to the Quran, an idea that has been met with a heavy backlash from the Muslim community all over France.
Belgium's Islam Party Founder Fired Over Call for Gender Segregation
Sputnik News
A local bus driver was fired from his job after proposing a law to segregate men and women on public transport, part of his Islam Party’s platform for the country.
Iraq's Top Shi'ite Cleric Hints At Renewed Opposition To Maliki Return
Reuters
Making a rare intervention in politics, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani used his weekly sermon to tell Iraqis they should ‘avoid falling into the trap of those … who are corrupt and those who have failed, whether they have been tried or not,’ possibly referring to former PM Nuri al-Maliki.
Australian Court Convicts Muslim Woman For Failing To Stand
AP News
The wife of an Islamic State group recruiter gave the militants’ single-finger salute outside a Sydney court on Friday after becoming the first person convicted under a new state law criminalizing the refusal to stand for a judge.
The Vatican Denies Agreeing Deal With Saudi Arabia To Build Churches For Christians Living In the Muslim Country
Dailymail
Reports in Middle Eastern media claimed a historic agreement had been made between Cardinals and Sheikhs to construct mosques in Saudi Arabia, but are denied by Vatican spokespeople.
Smear Campaign Against Michigan Candidate Shows How Hard It Is For Muslims To Run For Office
Huffington Post
“The Michigan gubernatorial race took an ugly turn last week, when a Republican contender accused a Democratic candidate of being part of a “civilizational jihad” to take over America.”
'Culture Shock Within Their Own Country': Saudis Come To Grips With Swift Changes
NPR
With large portions of social liberalization being done from the top in Saudi Arabia, many citizens feel surprised and shocked with the unfamiliar, less restrictive social atmosphere they find themselves in.
Nigeria Attacks: Mosque Bomb Blasts Kill Dozens In Mubi
BBC World Service
Up to forty people died in a suicide bombing of a mosque in Mubi, Nigeria, part of an ongoing series of attacks committed by terrorist group Boko Haram.
Muslims Are Internalizing Islamophobia, And Negative Media Coverage Is To Blame
Huffington Post
Unprecedented levels of Islamophobia and heightened anti-Muslim rhetoric are so rampant that some Muslims are internalizing and accepting problematic stereotypes about themselves, according to a newly released report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
Emerging Consensus on LGBT Issues: Findings From the 2017 American Values Atlas
PRRI
A new study finds that most religious groups in the U.S. are supportive of same-sex marriage; a slim majority of Muslims, at fifty-one percent, support legislation for marriage equality.
Quebec Mosque Shooter Was Consumed by Refugees, Trump and Far Right
The New York Times
The shooter at a mosque in Quebec Canada was found to be consumed with fears of refugees and psychologically unstable, helping to explain the background to his violent actions and irrational motives.
Facebook Helped Foment Anti-Muslim Violence in Sri Lanka. What Now?
The Guardian
For many Sri Lankans, Facebook is the internet, but while the social media platform has belatedly taken action on hate speech wider society must also take responsibility.
Can You Be A Muslim If You're An Atheist?
The Guardian
As an atheist, Karim Amir struggles with and explores the different relationships with being Muslim as both his group of belonging and religious affiliation, and surprisingly finds solace in Trump’s America.
Racial And Religious Politics At A Crossroads In Malaysia’s General Election
Channel News Asia
With an important election coming up, the intersections between racial identity and religion play an important part for several Muslim Malaysians and non-Muslims alike in voting.
Trump’s Original Muslim Ban Is Still Alive In Visa Surveillance Program
Huffington Post
The original travel ban is quietly moving ahead at the DHS, and this program will not offer security, but rather appears aimed at providing a means of improper targeting and discrimination against vulnerable groups, including digital surveillance provisions.
Review: ‘The Judge’ Is An Inspiring Documentary
The Mercury News
The subject of the inspiring documentary ‘The Judge’ is an intimate profile of Kholoud al-Faqih, who in 2009 was one of two women appointed to preside over a sharia court in the West Bank.
Pakistan’s Quest For Identity: Contesting Islam
The Conversation
As the first Muslim-conscientious nation-state since 1947, the Pakistani people have gone through a variety of policies and reforms regarding Islam, and see a new chapter in the modern increase of ‘Sunnification.’
Kashmir's Religious Harmony A Lesson In Troubled Times
AlJazeera
In violence-prone Kashmir, groups band together regardless of religion, despite increasing Muslim-Hindu tensions across India.