News: Europe

Notorious French militant leader arrested by HTS in Syria’s Idlib Omar Omsen, leader of the Firqatul Gharaba brigade, was detained on Saturday, as widening HTS crackdown also targets Hizb ut-Tahrir members

(Middle East Eye) A senior French fighter has been detained by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in a new round of arrests by the militant group in Syria’s opposition-held Idlib province. Omar Omsen, the leader of the Firqatul Gharaba brigade, was taken into […]

Children & Teens

‘Honor killings’ a false narrative in Lewisville teens’ deaths, Muslim community says After Amina and Sarah Said were found shot to death in 2008, many people were quick to blame their father’s Islamic faith.

(Dallas Morning News) Alia Salem remembers how horrific the killings were, and the photos and videos on the TV news of the two Lewisville girls who died. She also remembers how Muslims in North Texas worked to fight rumors and Islamophobic stereotypes, […]

Crime

Joe Biden’s plan for Arab Americans: Six takeaways The Biden campaign released a platform addressing domestic and foreign policy issues that affect Arab Americans; here's what's in it

(Middle East Eye) US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has released a comprehensive platform outlining his plans for the Arab-American community, emphasising commitment to civil rights and prosperity at home as well as a more balanced foreign policy in the Middle East. […]

Demonstrations

Clashes break out in Norway at anti-Islam rally Tensions in the Norwegian capital came to a head when an anti-Islam protester ripped pages from the Quran. Police used tear gas to keep rival groups separated, arresting nearly 30 people.

(Deutsche Welle) Clashes broke out at an anti-Islam rally in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Saturday, prompting authorities to end the event early. The rally, organized by the group Stop Islamization of Norway (SIAN), took place near the parliament building. Hundreds […]

Crime

Tariq Ramadan’s new CHIFA research center to explore ethics, feminism Some have critiqued Ramadan’s announcement of the center as an attempt at a comeback from his various sexual misconduct allegations.

(Morocco World News) Tariq Ramadan on Tuesday announced his latest project — the creation of CHIFA, a research and training center for students around the world. Topics of study will include religion, spirituality, humanism, psychology, ecology, and teaching. CHIFA will also offer […]

Government & Politics

UK Muslim charities face ‘serious mismanagement’ inquiries Human Appeal, a prominent Muslim charity based in Manchester, is under statutory investigation by the Charity Commission

(National-UAE) Britain’s Muslim charity sector is in systemic crisis with leading organisations under scrutiny by regulators over governance and accounting issues. As Islamic Relief Worldwide is forced to restructure amid revelations about the social media activities of its trustees, one organisation it […]

Children & Teens

Yaser Said, accused of killing his two daughters in 2008, was nearly caught in 2017, authorities say The FBI believes Said narrowly escaped after a maintenance worker reported seeing him at a Bedford apartment leased to the fugitive’s son, documents show.

(Dallas Morning News) Three years ago, authorities nearly captured Yaser Abdel Said — who spent more than a decade evading law enforcement on suspicion of killing his two teenage daughters in Irving — when a maintenance worker spotted him in a North […]

Government & Politics

Muslim-American groups mobilise to get voters registered for election day Organisations are aiming to register Muslim voters ahead of November's presidential election

(Middle East Eye) Muslim-American activists are rallying across the country on Friday in an attempt to ensure every eligible voter from the faith group is registered for November’s presidential election. MPower Change, which bills itself as the biggest Muslim digital advocacy organisation in the […]

Government & Politics

New Islamic Relief Worldwide chairman celebrated Muslim Brotherhood on social media Posts by employees of the global charity raise concerns over extremist influence for governments

(National-UAE) Senior employees of Islamic Relief Worldwide, a British registered charity, have regularly published social media posts showing support for Hamas and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, and circulating conspiracy theories. Three current employees have used personal accounts to highlight material of a type […]

Academics & Education

Berlin teacher headscarf ban is illegal, rules top court The ruling is the latest in a long-running legal battle brought by a Muslim woman who was banned from teaching in the city. Some lawmakers are now calling for Berlin's controversial neutrality act to be changed.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Federal Labor Court on Thursday ruled that a blanket ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools in the capital city Berlin was unconstitutional. The court decision was the latest in a case brought by a Muslim woman who was unable to […]

Children & Teens

Man accused of killing 2 teen daughters in 2008 has been captured, Irving police and FBI announce Yaser Abdel Said, 63, had been on the bureau’s Ten Most Wanted list since 2014 before he was tracked down in the Denton County city of Justin; his son and brother were arrested in Euless on suspicion of harboring him.

(Dallas Morning News) Yaser Abdel Said, a 63-year-old man who is suspected of killing his two teenage daughters in Irving more than a decade ago, has been captured, authorities announced Wednesday. Said had been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list […]

Deradicalization

Faheem Khalid Lodhi: Terrorist pens letter from jail in latest parole bid The first man convicted of terrorism in Australia has now washed his hands of extremism and wants forgiveness, a court has been told.

(NCA NewsWire) Australia’s first convicted terrorist has disavowed his previously deeply held extremist views and admits he misunderstood his religion as he appeals against a decision to deny him parole. Faheem Khalid Lodhi confessed to breaking an “unspoken agreement” with the community […]

Government & Politics

Muslim Americans care more about civil rights than foreign policy, survey claims Health care and education reforms are also more of a priority for Muslim Americans than foreign policy, survey of 1,500 Muslims claims to show

(Middle East Eye) Muslim Americans care more about civil rights, health care and education reforms than foreign policy, an online survey by a coalition of national Muslim organisations has claimed. According to the survey, which was held over a period of five months and gathered […]

News: North America

Prominent American activist resigns from UAE peace forum over Israel statement Aisha al-Adawiya resigns from UAE's Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies citing a 'breach of trust'

(Middle East Eye) A prominent Muslim American activist resigned from a UAE-based forum “promoting peace” and accused the organisation of a “breach of trust” after it issued a statement with her name attached to it endorsing normalisation with Israel. Aisha al-Adawiya, the founder of the […]