Clothing

GP to be monitored by a ‘responsible officer’ after asking Muslim woman to remove veil Dr Keith Wolverson requested a patient to take off her niqab three times as he could not hear her describing her daughter’s symptoms

(GB News) A general practitioner is being forced to be monitored by a “responsible officer” after asking a Muslim woman to remove her veil. Dr Keith Wolverson was suspended for nine months after being found guilty of or admitting to a total […]

Burkini

‘Burkini’ row erupts in Italy after mayor criticises Muslim beachgoers The mayor of a northern Italian town has sparked outrage by warning 'Muslim foreigners' to stop swimming 'with their clothes on' when visiting Italian beaches.

(Local) Italy is known for having some of Europe’s stricter rules on covering up in public, with regular reports of outrage over nudity and revealing swimwear. But on Wednesday, one politician from the nationalist League party in northern Italy sparked controversy by […]

Clerics & Preachers

Muslim groups condemn Riikka Purra’s ‘black sacks’ blog comment Purra's 'black sacks' comment, made in 2019, presumably referred to burqas, the full-cover garments worn by some Muslim women.

(Yle) A total of 26 Muslim groups and organisations in Finland have issued a joint statement condemning a blog comment written in 2019 by the country’s finance minister, Riikka Purra (Finns). Purra’s comment, in Finnish but translated here in English, stated: “There […]

Burkini

Council of State suspends burkini ban in south-eastern France The Council of State ruled that the ban violated 'three fundamental freedoms: freedom of movement, freedom of conscience, and personal freedom.'

(Morocco World News) The Council of State, France’s highest court, has suspended the burkini ban imposed by the municipality of Mandelieu-la-Napoule on its beaches, arguing that there was no evidence that the burkini posed risks to public order. This ruling by the […]

Clothing

Finland’s Islamic community demands government take concrete steps towards ‘zero tolerance’ of racism A total of 26 Islamic congregations and organisations signed the joint statement.

(Yle) A group of Islamic communities and organisations in Finland have issued a joint statement calling on the government to take concrete steps towards achieving “zero tolerance” on racism. “We call on the Finnish government and especially Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) […]

Academics & Education

Family member says student at Halifax school was told to remove traditional scarf on culture day Halifax Regional Centre for Education acknowledges 'incident' but denies ban

(CBC) Some family members at Park West School in Halifax along with local advocacy groups are planning protests after they say children were told they couldn’t wear a traditional Palestinian scarf for the school’s culture day. The school principal and the Halifax […]

Academics & Education

She pushed back her student’s hijab. Was it a mistake or an act of hate? Evidence of antisemitism competed against allegations of Islamophobia as an online debate divided this suburban community along racial and religious lines

(Washington Post) Tamar Herman knew that a Muslim girl in her second-grade class always wore a hijab. But one day, Herman thought she saw a hoodie covering it. She asked the girl to remove it, she says. Then, depending whom you believe, […]

Clothing

Naheed Nenshi says politicians play role in spreading Islamophobia The former mayor of Calgary says politicians can calm anti-Islamic tensions, but some choose to score political points instead.

(Montreal Gazette) Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi had some choice words for both federal and provincial politicians, who he says are capitalizing on anti-Islamic sentiment to score political points. Nenshi, the first person of Muslim faith to be elected as mayor of […]

Academics & Education
Clothing

California senator announces bill to protect religious practices of incarcerated individuals Backers of the bill say that allowing religious detainees and prisoners to wear religious garb does not constitute 'coddling' them.

(Religion News) Rami Nsour, an advocate for the incarcerated, has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for those being held in California’s jails and prisons to practice their faith. As his clients are transferred from one facility to another, he said, […]

Clothing

Does the EU have hijab bans? As women around the world mark World Hijab Day, people are calling on the European Union to create safer spaces for conversations about the Muslim headscarf.

(Deutsche Welle) Across the European Union, the headscarves worn by some Muslim women have been hotly contested for years. Some nations claim hijab bans would tackle religious oppression and terrorism, while others argue bans would discriminate against women’s rights and hamper integration. Some EU countries have already imposed […]

Clothing

Justin Trudeau stands by appointee Amira Elghawaby, says she will continue fight against Islamophobia Quebec government wants federal representative to combat Islamophobia to resign, just days into her new job

(CBC) The Quebec government is calling on the federal government to withdraw its support of Amira Elghawaby, the new representative to combat Islamophobia, only four days after she was first appointed. This comes a day after her attendance at the sixth commemoration […]