Employment

Report: UK group probed for urging Muslim civil servants to spread anti-Israel views Civil Service Muslim Network suspended by deputy PM pending findings; its webinars found to portray Gaza war as fight between ‘good’ Hamas and ‘evil’ Israel, use antisemitic tropes

(Times of Israel) A British network that represents and supports Muslim civil servants was suspended by the government pending an investigation, after it was accused of trying to influence members to force the United Kingdom to change its stance on the Israel-Hamas […]

Academics & Education

Appeal Court upholds Quebec law that bars teachers, police from wearing religious symbols Civil liberties groups argued law discriminates against Muslim women who wear head coverings

(CBC) The Quebec Court of Appeal has upheld the province’s controversial secularism law in a ruling on challenges to the law’s constitutionality released Thursday afternoon. The heavily anticipated judgment is 290 pages long and quashes a previous exception, made by Superior Court […]

Clothing

It’s OK to ban wearing religious symbols at work, EU top court rules A public administration may prohibit staff from wearing items such as an Islamic headscarf, CJEU says.

(Politico) The EU’s top court on Tuesday ruled that a public administration may ban staff from visibly wearing any sign which reveals philosophical or religious beliefs, in order to create a “neutral administrative environment.” “Such a rule is not discriminatory if it […]

Employment

The U.S. gov’t hired a pro-Hamas PLO spokeswoman to handle asylum claims 'F*** Israel, the government, and its military. Are you ready for your downfall?' Department of Homeland Security officer Nejwa Ali said.

(Daily Wire) The U.S. immigration enforcement agency hired a former spokeswoman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and put her in a position to determine who gets to come into the country as an immigrant or “asylum seeker.” Now the Department of […]

Academics & Education

Judge tosses four of five claims related to art history dispute at Hamline University, keeps case in federal court Erika López Prater, an art history professor, lost her teaching position at Hamline after showing images of the Prophet Muhammad in class. A federal judge will allow her religious discrimination claim to proceed.

(Sahan Journal) A lawsuit against Hamline University by a former art history professor will remain in federal court, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled Friday. But she dismissed four of the professor’s five claims that stemmed from a campus dispute last winter. […]

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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 […]

Academics & Education

Report: Adjunct who showed images of prophet was ‘vilified’ A new American Association of University Professors report says Hamline University administrators 'encouraged and promoted' a 'de facto campaign of vilification.'

(Inside Higher Ed) A new American Association of University Professors report criticizes Hamline University for its treatment of an adjunct professor who showed students images of the prophet Muhammad, saying she was academically justified in displaying them and the institution was wrong […]

Academics & Education

Hamline files motion to dismiss lawsuit from professor fired in Prophet Muhammad controversy University attorneys claim Erika López Prater has failed to state claims upon which relief can be granted.

(KARE) Hamline University is asking a federal judge to toss a lawsuit filed by the former adjunct professor who lost her job and was called “Islamophobic” by school officials after showing her art history class a painting of the Prophet Muhammad considered […]

Academics & Education

Lawsuit concerning Hamline adjunct professor, Prophet Muhammad controversy moved back to federal court Erika López Prater claimed religious discrimination, reprisal, and defamation after Hamline dismissed her amid student complaints about a painting shown in class.

(KARE) After already ping-ponging between state and federal court multiple times, the lawsuit filed by former Hamline University adjunct professor Erika López Prater was moved back to federal court last week. López Prater’s suit alleges religious discrimination, reprisal, and defamation after she […]

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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

Art history professor moves to dismiss federal lawsuit against Hamline, plans to file new suit A federal judge dismissed the case at the art history professor’s request. The professor’s lawyer told Sahan Journal his client would file a new case in state court.

(Sahan Journal) A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit Erika López Prater filed against Hamline University after the school criticized her for displaying two images of the Prophet Muhammad in her art history class. David Redden, an attorney for López Prater, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

Academics & Education

Hamline U. faculty call on President Miller to step down over Islamophobia controversy Hamline’s full-time faculty say the dismissal of an adjunct professor has harmed the university’s reputation.

(Pioneer Press) Hamline University’s full-time faculty on Tuesday asked President Fayneese Miller to resign over her administration’s handling of a Muslim student’s complaint about an adjunct professor who showed ancient art in class that depicted the Prophet Muhammad. Various Hamline administrators have […]

Academics & Education

CAIR says Hamline University teacher is not Islamophobic The statement comes after CAIR's Minnesota chapter said the classroom viewing of a painting of the Prophet Muhammad was bigoted and disrespectful.

(Religion News) The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement Friday (Jan. 13), saying an art history instructor at Hamline University did not act with bigoted intent when she showed a 14th-century painting of the Prophet Muhammad in a class last semester. […]

Academics & Education

CAIR MN backs student who says she was hurt by instructor showing image of Muhammad At a press conference held by the Minneapolis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the student said she was shocked and pained by an art history instructor.

(Religion News) Hamline University senior Aram Wedatalla held back tears as she described how hurt she felt when her art history instructor informed the class she would briefly show a painting of the Prophet Muhammad last semester. Speaking at a news conference held […]

Academics & Education

Academic freedom vs. rights of Muslim students An instructor at Hamline U showed an image of Muhammad in an art history class. The president criticized the instructor for doing so. Another professor, who tried to explain the situation with an essay in the student paper, had his piece removed.

(Inside Higher Ed) This fall, an instructor at Hamline University, in Minnesota, was teaching global art history. For one class, the instructor (who has not been named) was discussing Islamic art and included for a brief period (under 10 minutes) a screen […]

Academics & Education

An academic is fired over a medieval painting of the Prophet Muhammad The dismissal of an instructor at Hamline University on baseless charges of 'Islamophobia' raises concerns about freedom on campus

(New Lines) On Nov. 18, Hamline University’s student newspaper, the Oracle, published an article notifying its community members of two recent incidents on its campus in Saint Paul, Minnesota, one indubitably homophobic and the other supposedly Islamophobic. Both occurrences were placed under […]

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Swedish legislator aims to pass bill banning headscarves in police force Richard Jomshof and his far-right Sweden Democrats party have been pressing for ban, which could apply to all public employees in future

(Anadolu) A prominent politician in Sweden is pushing for the passage of a bill that would ban headscarves in the Swedish police force. The proposed law may also be extended to all public employees, Richard Jomshof, the chairman of parliament’s Justice Committee, […]

Academics & Education

English-language school boards argue Quebec’s secularism law should not apply to them Lawyer for EMSB argues religious diversity is part of cultural DNA of boards

(CBC) English-language school boards argued before the Quebec Court of Appeal Wednesday they should be exempt from Quebec’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — because religious diversity is part of the cultural heritage of English schools in Quebec. “The examples […]

Academics & Education

Muslim women most affected by Quebec’s secularism law, Court of Appeal hears School board lawyer tells court only Muslim women have lost jobs due to Bill 21

(CBC) As the court challenge of Quebec’s secularism law — commonly known as Bill 21 — continues this week before the Quebec Court of Appeal, groups contesting the law argued Tuesday Bill 21 overwhelmingly discriminates against Muslim women. The Quebec government and several civil […]

Academics & Education

Hearings on constitutionality of Quebec’s secularism law underway in Court of Appeal Opponents of law argue government's use of notwithstanding clause to protect law goes too far

(CBC) Opponents of Quebec’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — argued before the province’s Court of Appeal Monday that the CAQ government went too far in pre-emptively invoking the constitutional notwithstanding clause in order to protect the law from court […]

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EU high court upholds workplace headscarf ban The ruling marks the second time in as many years that the European Union’s top court has sided against women who want to wear an Islamic head covering at work.

(Courthouse News) Bans on head coverings are allowed in European Union workplaces as long as they apply to all employees, the bloc’s top court ruled Thursday. The European Court of Justice sided with Belgian housing organization SCRL, which refused to move forward […]