Citizenship

Revamped citizenship guide still a work in progress as election nears Document used by newcomers to prepare for citizenship test has historical gaps, outdated information

(CBC) A promised overhaul of Canada’s citizenship guide remains a work in progress with just months left in the Liberal government’s mandate. That leaves newcomers to the country with the existing guide — which is riddled with historical gaps and outdated information — as […]

Books

Former far-right politician who converted to Islam says EU must be realistic about immigration Joram van Klaveren worries that the ideas he contributed to may become policies after the next EU elections

(National-UAE) With Europeans approaching the next parliamentary vote split down the middle on the benefits of immigration, few can claim to have the perspective possessed by Joram van Klaveren. As a spokesman for right-wing Geert Wilders’s anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV) a […]

Alcohol & Drugs

Islam on beer mats angers Muslims in Germany Using coasters in pubs to improve understanding of the teachings of Islam in Germany is not going down well with some Muslim groups. They believe the connection between alcohol and the religion is unwise.

(Deutsche Welle) The distribution of Islam-related questions on beer mats in the towns of Maintal and Offenbach near Frankfurt has been harshly criticized. The mats show questions on Islam written in the local Hesse dialect. On the back, a QR code can […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Two years after M103, a recap on Islamophobia

(Toronto Sun) Two years ago our federal parliament passed M103, a motion condemning Islamophobia. Part of the non-binding text referred to the need to reduce or eliminate “systemic racism and religious discrimination,” with a specific reference to Islamophobia. Conservatives offered a more […]

Academics & Education

French Senate votes to ban headscarf on school trips Upper house adopts bill that prohibits mothers from wearing headscarf while accompanying students on school trips

(Anadolu) France’s upper house of the parliament on Thursday adopted a bill that prohibits mothers from wearing headscarf while accompanying the students on school trips. The bill was presented in the country’s senate by the conservative Republican party. The bill was passed […]

Academics & Education

Bill 21 won’t apply to us, Quebec’s English school boards say QESBA cites Supreme Court ruling in arguing English boards exempt from proposed law

(CBC) An organization representing all nine of Quebec’s English school boards says the province’s proposed ban on religious symbols can’t be imposed on them, potentially opening a new front in the legal resistance to the legislation. Like some of their French counterparts, English schools boards […]

Arts & Entertainment

Muslim group calls out ‘Law & Order: SVU’ for episode ‘enflaming Islamophobia’ One of the episode’s storylines involved a character who appeared to be an exaggerated version of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

(HuffPost) A Muslim advocacy organization wants the producers of NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU)” to meet with Muslim community leaders, in response to a controversial episode that aired last week, which viewers criticized for promoting Islamophobia and perpetuating harmful […]

Employment

Merkel marks German constitution anniversary by celebrating diversity Angela Merkel celebrated 70 years since the signing of the German Basic Law with a speech before young immigrants taking part in an integration program. She said Germany had learned it was a country of immigration.

(Deutsche Welle) Chancellor Angela Merkel joined dozens of young people of immigrant background in Berlin on Tuesday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Germany’s Basic Law, or constitution. The event was hosted by Deutschlandstiftung Integration (DSI), a foundation that in 2012 founded […]

Government & Politics

Congressional Leadership Fund attacks vulnerable Dems for not condemning ‘hateful comments’ by Omar, Tlaib Slotkin: Far-left members 'doing what is right for their districts'

(Free Beacon) A pro-Republican super PAC is going after a group of first-term House Democrats for not condemning anti-Semitic rhetoric from far-left members of Congress, particularly after one dismissed the party’s fringier members as “doing what is right for their districts.” The […]

Clothing

CAQ government ignoring Montreal’s diversity with secularism bill, Plante tells lawmakers Montreal mayor says Quebec hasn't thought enough about how Bill 21 will impact immigrant women

(CBC) The mayor of Quebec’s biggest city accused the provincial government on Tuesday of rushing ahead with a controversial proposal to restrict religious symbols without considering the harm it will cause Montreal’s diverse population. At a legislative hearing in Quebec City, Valérie Plante said the […]

Government & Politics

Rep. Rashida Tlaib defends Holocaust comments to Seth Meyers: ‘Racist idiots’ twisted my words The congresswoman joked that next time she’ll speak at a fourth-grade level so the ‘racist idiots’ will understand her better.

(Daily Beast) Last week, during his fateful interview with Meghan McCain, Seth Meyers urged The View host to be “careful” with the language she has used to criticize Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who has been repeatedly accused by the right of promoting […]

Government & Politics

German intelligence agency warns of ‘Islamic State’ attacks From a military point of view, the 'Islamic State' has been defeated in the Middle East. However, the group remains a dangerous terrorist organization in the West, warns Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

(Deutsche Welle) It was the first time Thomas Haldenwang, president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, had hosted his agency’s traditional symposium. The event on Monday in Berlin was entitled “Mobilization Capability in Political Extremism” — […]