Government & Politics

UK Muslim charity calls for end to inquiry after police return seized funds Charity Commission asked to end probe into Human Aid UK after donations seized by police are confirmed as legitimate

(Middle East Eye) A UK-based Muslim charity has called on the Charity Commission to end its statutory inquiry into the organisation after police confirmed that funds confiscated from it last year were donations and perfectly legitimate. The money was seized by UK […]

Immigration

Spain eclipses Germany as top destination for asylum-seekers: report New figures show refugee arrivals to the Mediterranean country outnumbering those in Germany, thanks to asylum-seekers from Latin America. But a resurgent 'Islamic State' could prompt more people to flee Iraq and Syria.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany is no longer the top destination for asylum-seekers in Europe, according to a German media report on Wednesday. German daily Die Welt, citing unpublished numbers from the European Union’s asylum agency EASO, reported that Spain has surpassed Germany in the number […]

Government & Politics

France gives final green light to law cracking down on hate speech online The vote moved ahead amid controversy surrounding the bill’s rapporteur, accused by former assistants of hate speech and harassment.

(Politico) France adopted a law against online hate speech Wednesday that will target Silicon Valley giants amid controversy surrounding the lawmaker in charge of the bill. After months of debate, the lower house of Parliament adopted the controversial legislation, which will require […]

Government & Politics

Biden’s plan for Muslim Americans: A ‘good start’ but missing policy details Activists call for more specifics from Biden's campaign and urge direct engagement with Muslim community

(Middle East Eye) Joe Biden has released a plan to protect the civil rights of Muslim Americans and reverse some of Donald Trump’s Islamophobic decrees if elected president. The plan, titled “Joe Biden’s agenda for Muslim-American communities,” vows to undo Trump’s Muslim ban on […]

Health & Medicine

Mosques broadcast call to prayer over loudspeakers to boost morale during Ramadan City approved move that mosques hope will raise spirits during Ramadan despite COVID-19 distancing

(CBC) Some Calgary mosques have begun broadcasting a call to prayer over loudspeakers for the first time, to boost morale over Ramadan since large gatherings have been cancelled due to COVID-19. The Al Madinah Calgary Islamic Assembly was the first to do so from […]

Law Enforcement

Germany: Alleged attacker of Turkish shops was IS supporter A man suspected of carrying out attacks on Turkish shops in Bavaria was a follower of the Islamic State (IS) armed group, local authorities have said. He had several pipe bombs in his bag when police arrested him.

(Deutsche Welle) A man suspected of carrying out attacks against Turkish-owned businesses in the Bavarian town of Waldkraiburg is a sympathizer of the Islamic State, police authorities said Sunday in an online press conference. The 25-year-old justified his hatred towards Turks and […]

Government & Politics

UN decries dangerous Med migrant pushbacks

(AFP) The UN voiced alarm Friday at reports that countries are failing to help migrants in distress on the Mediterranean Sea, blocking assistance by NGOs and coordinating pushbacks of their boats. UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville warned during a virtual press […]

Government & Politics

Refugee policy EU’s ‘biggest inadequacy,’ says Germany’s Heiko Maas Germany's foreign minister took aim at the EU's approach to refugees, saying nothing has been solved since the 2015 migrant crisis. He also called again for a scheme to distribute asylum-seekers across the EU.

(Deutsche Welle) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has accused European Union member states of not doing enough to solve the continent’s migrant dilemma. Speaking at an online conference hosted by re:publica and the Media Convention Berlin, Maas said the manner with which […]

Deradicalization

European prisons releasing 1,000 returned ISIS fighters in 2020 poses new security challenge UN co-ordinator tells 'The National' that counter-terrorism effort is crucial after military defeat

(National-UAE) The threat from ISIS will be greater after the release of 1,000 of its returned fighters from European prisons over the course of 2020, chief analyst at the UN told the National. Efforts to reform Europeans from the ISIS battlefields through […]

Government & Politics

Mosque loudspeaker saga continues

(Toronto Sun) Last week when I wrote about a single mosque in Toronto using four loudspeakers to declare “Allah is the Greatest” and that there is “No God, but Allah,” I thought it was the case of one mosque, a few zealots […]