Law Enforcement

German police raid suspected Islamists’ homes The raids in the western cities of Düren and Cologne came after credible tipoffs were received by police. Six men have been taken in for questioning, according to German media.

(Deutsche Welle) Police in Germany’s western state of North Rhine-Westphalia carried out raids against suspected Islamist extremists on Thursday. Officers were searching for “concrete indications” of a planned attack, authorities said. Sniffer dogs were present as the police searched for explosives, but […]

Clerics & Preachers

Norway jails controversial Iraqi preacher

(AFP) Norway on Wednesday provisionally jailed controversial Iraqi Kurdish fundamentalist preacher Mullah Krekar, following a conviction in Italy for “terrorist conspiracy,” his lawyer told AFP. Norwegian intelligence (PST) had arrested Krekar, 63, on Monday in Oslo under an international search warrant as […]

Clerics & Preachers

Imam of entity tied to Holy Land case to speak at US State Department summit Mohamed Magid, current imam of the Virginia-based All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center, is slated to be on a general session panel titled 'Different Faiths Advancing Religious Freedom Together.'

(JNS) An imam of an organization affiliated with an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror case is scheduled to be part of a panel on Wednesday at the U.S. State Department’s second annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington, […]

Academics & Education

Toronto recruitment centre stabber cleared by appeal court to attend college on his own Prosecutors argued the board's ruling gave too much consideration to Ayanle Hassan Ali's needs and too little to public safety

(Canadian Press) Ontario’s top court has upheld a decision allowing a man found not criminally responsible in a knife attack at a Toronto military recruitment centre to eventually take college classes on his own. The appeal court says the Ontario Review Board […]

Christians

Canadian Muslim group declines invitation to attend US summit on religious freedom Trump's Muslim ban cited as main reason not to attend the conference, says National Council of Canadian Muslims

(Middle East Eye) A prominent Canadian Muslim advocacy group has declined an invitation to attend an upcoming US government conference on religious freedom because of President Donald Trump’s travel ban of several Muslim-majority countries. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) on […]

News: Europe

Germans support democracy, but are concerned about Islam A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation found 89% of respondents, across all religions, consider democracy to be a good form of government. But half of respondents expressed concern over Islam.

(Deutsche Welle) The latest edition of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s bi-annual “Religion Monitor” interview survey published on Thursday found religious tolerance in Germany to be sustained but Islam to be having a hard time, perceived by many to be negative. As a result […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Muslim Advocates defend Ilhan Omar against Fox News 'This is not a critique of Omar’s ideas or politic[s]. This is hate speech directed at her as a Muslim and as an immigrant.'

(Jerusalem Post) The head of a Muslim advocates group has condemned conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson for accusing US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of being “living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country.” Scott Simpson, public […]

Books

Germany’s center-left SPD ousts anti-Islam writer Thilo Sarrazin, 74, has said he will appeal the decision, and denies claims that his books are racist. SPD leadership has welcomed the decision, as they have tried three times to oust Sarrazin.

(Deutsche Welle) On its third try, Germany’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) will be able to kick controversial anti-Islam author Thilo Sarrazin from its ranks, an arbitration court ruled on Thursday. The former Berlin senator intends to appeal the ruling. “We will try […]

Legal

German ‘Islamic State’ bride jailed for 5 years Sabine S. traveled to Syria and Iraq to marry an Islamic State (IS) fighter and praised jihadi life in several blogs. She left her two children in Berlin after becoming radicalized.

(Deutsche Welle) A 32-year-old German woman on Friday was sentenced to five years in prison for being a member of the “Islamic State” (IS) terrorist organization. Sabine S. converted to Islam and moved to Syria and Iraq from the end of 2013 […]

Demonstrations

US activists keep pressure on Saudi Arabia with LA protests Civil rights groups want to ensure the country is held to account for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and its jailing of religious scholars and human rights activists.

(TRT) A coalition of civil society groups took to the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles to protest Riyadh’s human rights abuses, including the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the imprisonment of religious and civil society activists. Sunday’s event was organised by the […]

Government & Politics

UK minister Sajid Javid makes rare visit to Western Wall, Temple Mount In black skullcap, Muslim-born Cabinet minister visits Jewish holy site in contested Old City of Jerusalem, reassures Palestinians Britain still committed to 2-state solution

(Times of Israel) UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday made a rare visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall and Temple Mount on the last day of [his] three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. Javid, who comes from a Muslim family, […]

Clerics & Preachers

San Francisco imam claims Egypt’s Morsi killed by ‘Zionist agents’ Khalid Siddiqi says those allegedly responsible for the former Egyptian president’s death were ‘working for Satan’

(Times of Israel) An imam in San Francisco claimed the death of former Egyptian president [Mohamed] Morsi during a court hearing this month was the work of “Zionist agents.” Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was Egypt’s first democratically elected leader. […]

Academics & Education

Quebec federation of school boards says it will obey secularism law this fall The province's largest board has said it would hold consultations before banning religious symbols

(CBC) Quebec’s federation of school boards (FCSQ) says it intends on obeying the province’s new secularism law when classes resume in September. The move comes after the province’s largest school board, the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM), said it would not enforce the […]

Government & Politics

Germany loses track of 160 ‘Islamic State’ supporters About 1,000 Germans traveled to the Middle East to join the 'Islamic State' after 2013. A third of them have since returned to Germany. Some died on the battlefield, others are in prison, but many appear to be missing.

(Deutsche Welle) The German government has lost track of more than 160 German “Islamic State” (IS) supporters who traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the terror group, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper has reported. The figure from the Interior Ministry was […]

Clothing

In Quebec’s secularism law, an Ontario police force sees a source of recruits Brampton, Ont., mayor calls Quebec law 'an affront to freedom of religion'

(CBC) An Ontario police force will launch a recruiting campaign targeting Quebec residents affected by the province’s new law on religious symbols. The Peel Regional Police, which covers territory including the cities of Mississauga and Brampton, will conduct a campaign in Quebec after a motion was passed unanimously […]