[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 New History of Arabia, Written in Stone
The New Yorker
With the newest discovery of inscriptions in rocks and stones across Arabia, historians and academics now have access to once inaccessible narratives and stories of the region both before and after Islam.
South Africa: #MosqueAttack: Understanding the Shia-Sunni Divide in Islam
IOL
To understand the recent attack on a Shia community in South Africa, the historical and modern divisions fueling sectarian conflict around the world must be addressed.
Why Islamic Symbols Added To Irish City's Coat of Arms
Vestnik Kavkaza
In mid-nineteenth century Ireland, an unlikely ally in one of Turkey’s Sultans came to aid the Irish in their time of need, resulting in one city’s adoption of Islamic symbols in their coat of arms to commemorate their generosity.
Despite Fatwa, Transgender People In Iran Face Harassment
AP News
Transgender people in Iran often face overwhelming social pressure and harassment, despite government attempts to condone and fund gender-altering surgeries.
Once Hated by U.S. and Tied to Iran, Is Sadr Now ‘Face of Reform’ in Iraq?
The New York Times
Despite leading militia forces against the U.S. and ties to Shi’a clerics in Iran, the ‘Iraq first’ nationalist Moqtada Al-Sadr is at the helm of Iraqi politics, offering a distinct new path for reform and rebuilding the war-torn state.
In Photos: Hidden Away On A Halal Holiday
Politico EU
The Muslim-friendly tourism industry is the fastest growing global travel sector, with several luxury destinations in Turkey offering halal, religiously endorsed vacation spots.
Danish Govt: Minister’s Views On Fasting Muslims Are Her Own
AP News
Assertions by Denmark’s immigration minister that Muslims fasting for Ramadan pose a safety hazard in some jobs do not represent the views of the country’s government, a spokeswoman for the ruling coalition said.
Under Jokowi, Conservative Groups Start To Condemn Terrorism
The Conversation
Moving away from their past ambiguous stance on violent Islamic extremism, Indonesian conservative Muslim organisations are taking a more assertive position against terrorism under the current government.
Danish Minister Stojberg Provokes Ramadan Row
BBC News
Denmark’s immigration minister has been widely rebuffed after she suggested Muslims should take time off work during Ramadan because of potential safety risks to the rest of society.
Policy Adviser For Trump-Linked Group Called Obama 'Islamchurian Candidate,' Joked About 'crack whore Dem voter
CNN
John Loudon, a pro-Trump policy advisor, made several demeaning and offensive remarks towards former President Obama, and democratic voters in general, with using derogatory language about Islam and Muslims.
Far-Right Activists Who Invaded Mass Would Be Charged With Terrorism if Muslim, Rector Says
The Guardian
The rector of Gosford Anglican church has said a group of far right activists who marched into a service carrying a whip and a toy sword would be charged with terrorism if they were Muslim.
Tajik Clerics Recommend Dam-Builders Skip Ramadan
The News
Muslim clerics in ex-Soviet Tajikistan have advised workers building what will become the world’s tallest hydroelectric dam not to observe Ramadan, echoing comments from the country’s secular authoritarian ruler.
Muslims Disproportionately Excluded From Cryptocurrency
Crypto Briefing
Due to a number of obstacles in access and religious legitimacy of cryptocurrency, Islamic financial institutions are lagging behind in the growing trend of using cryptocurrency as a medium for value and money.
Coveted Exemptions From Trump’s Travel Ban Remain Elusive For Citizens of Muslim-Majority Countries
The Washington Post
Despite political promises to provide exemptions the travel ban, many people with dire conditions from Muslim-majority countries find themselves still unable to come to the U.S. for health-based or persecution reasons.
What Islamophobic Politicians Can Learn From Mormons
The New York Times
With a strong history of persecution in the U.S., Mormon groups stand firmly in support of U.S. Muslims being targeted by the Trump administration, despite their ‘crimson-red’ voting status.
What Malcolm X Taught Me About Muslim America
Religion and Politics
From studying the work and life of Malcolm X, much can be learned about the racialization of Muslims and their internal relationships and dynamics with race, especially among South Asians, Arabs, and African Americans.
Turkey's Muslim-Friendly Holidays Find A Modest Place In The Sun
Reuters
Turkey’s multi-billion tourism industry has been battered by security fears and political disputes in recent years but one corner of the market is quietly growing – beach holidays for conservative Muslims.
Rights Group: Rohingya Insurgents Massacred Myanmar Hindus
AP News
Myanmar’s army was not the only group that slaughtered civilians in the country’s volatile west last year, Amnesty International said in a new report accusing ethnic Rohingya insurgents of massacring dozens of Hindus during an escalation of a long-running communal conflict in Rakhine state.
US Bill Conflates Criticism of Israel With Anti-Semitism, Rights Advocates Say
Middle East Eye
A new bill, dubbed the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2018, is being criticized for lumping together criticisms of the Israeli state into a broader definition of anti-Semitism in what opponents call a clear attack on free speech.
LACMA’s Islamic Art Curator on How Her Ambitious New Exhibition Reveals Another Side of Iran
Artnetnews
In an interview with Linda Komaroff, Iranian art, both present and past, is explored and discussed in light of its religious, political, and cultural developments in the Islamic Republic.
Pakistani Mob Destroys 100-Year-Old Minority Ahmadi Mosque
Reuters
A mob led by right-wing Muslim clerics tore down the dome and minarets of a hundred-year old Pakistani mosque belonging to the marginalized Ahmadi community, officials and the community report.
Muslim Inmates Sue Alaska Corrections Officials Over Policy
AP News
Muslim inmates are suing state corrections officials, arguing that they are not provided adequate nourishment as they break their daily fasts during Ramadan at an Alaska jail.
Islamists Are losing Support In Jordan
The Washington Post
With declining political support for Islamist parties across Jordan beginning to unfold, a number of new parties that capture youth mobilization and political cynicism are on the rise.
Spying on Linda Sarsour
Haaretz
A Haaretz investigation revealed that a secretive Israeli firm collected intelligence on American citizen Linda Sarsour and her family, in effort to combat her appearances on campus’.
Taming The Muslim Woman
The Immanent Frame
In understanding how different cultural or social frameworks of understanding dictate our narratives surrounding Muslim women, it is paramount to study this in light of racial and social inequalities.
Video: How Advent of Islam Paved The Way For Astronomy, Scientific Thinking
Al Arabiya English
The advent of Islam paved the way for astronomy and condemned astrology, which led to scientific thinking thereby affecting entire civilizations, Hasan al-Hariri, Chief Executive of the Dubai Astronomy Group, has said.
Protecting Human Rights of Ecuadorian Muslim Minorities
Andalou Agency
Dr. Yahya Suquillo speaks on the efforts Ecuadorian Muslims have been exerting in their country to achieve the goal of protecting and promoting the rights of Muslim minorities.
German Rightist Calls For Fasting Muslims To Be Banned From Work During Ramadan
Reuters
A lawmaker from the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) called for Muslim doctors, nurses, pilots, bus and train drivers to be banned from working during Ramadan if they are fasting.
Radicalized Loyalties: Becoming Muslim in the West, by Fabien Truong
Times Higher Education
A study stresses how foolish it is to pin all the blame for radicalisation on religion, as underscored by the results of a sociological study conducted on Parisians.
Some Sunnis Voted For A Shiite –And 3 More Takeaways From The Iraqi Election
The Conversation
The results of the May Iraqi parliament election shocked many, finding a number of conclusions found in voter turnout, preferences, and of society at large.
IMF To Add Islamic Finance To Market Surveillance In 2019
Reuters
The International Monetary Fund will incorporate Islamic finance into its financial sector assessments of select countries starting next year, aiming to improve regulation in the growing sector.
Judge Set To Order Proper Meals For Muslim Inmates In Alaska
AP News
A judge plans to issue an order requiring that an Alaska jail provide suitable meals to Muslim inmates as they break their daily fasts during Ramadan.
'I don't fear death': Pioneering Egyptian Feminist Defies Threats
Reuters
Throughout a life of activism to protest a number of injustice against Muslim women in Islamic societies, Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi speaks out, claiming to not ‘fear death.’
Conversion Marriages: Rethinking Categories of Religion In Colonial India’s Courtrooms
The Immanent Frame
In between complicated legal and religious laws for marriage, a number of people find themselves transforming the social landscape of India by converting for the sake of marriage.
'They are our brothers': Rohingya Refugees Find Rare Welcome In Aceh
The Guardian
Nearly one hundred Rohingya refugees fleeing conflict from their native Myanmar have found refuge in the strongly conservative, Islamist city of Aceh, Indonesia.
US Liberal Islamophobia Is Rising – And More Insidious Than Rightwing Bigotry
The Guardian
Liberal Islamophobia is rising, in the United States and beyond, and rapidly metastasizing in the shadows while its tentacles on the right extend in the form of presidential rhetoric, state-sponsored travel bans and expanding surveillance.
The Rise of the Muslim Woman Tech Entrepreneur
The New York Times
The rapid increase in globalization and access to education and technology is quickly changing the appearance of tech workers, finding that the next ‘big shot’ of Silicon Valley could easily be a young woman in a hijab.
Liverpool F.C.’s Mohamed Salah, an Arab Muslim Sports Star Subtly Confronting Racism and Islamophobia
The New Yorker
Becoming universally admired and adored across Britain for his soccer prowess, Egyptian Arab, practicing Muslim, and Liverpool player Mohamed Salah lends himself as a case to help mitigate the ongoing Islamophobia in the U.K.
Is Ramadan Easier In Nigeria Than New York?
The Guardian
Due to differences in solar timing and schedules as well as the religious landscape, immigrant Muslims can find it hard to adapt to lack of consistency in Ramadan they once grew up with.
During Ramadan, Read These 3 Books by Muslim Authors
The New York Times
As Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, fasting from dawn till dusk to commemorate the month in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, here are two books that highlight Muslim families — and one fantastical tale based on Islamic folklore.
Egypt Blocks YouTube Over Film Denigrating Prophet Muhammad
The Guardian
Egypt’s top administrative court ordered authorities to block video-sharing website YouTube for a month over a film denigrating Islam’s prophet Muhammad.
In Mosul, Young Volunteers Help Bring City Back To Life
Reuters
A group of Iraqi university students have found a cause in the ruins of Mosul. They are salvaging what is left of its rich heritage, clearing rubble and distributing aid in a city crying out for help after the war against Islamic State.
Ed Husain: From Islamist Radical … To Champion Of Liberal Muslims
The Guardian
In his new book, author Ed Husain addresses the systemic issues surrounding global Islamic history and how they result in the widespread exercise of extremism and violent ideologies.