Demonstrations

Rep. Ilhan Omar hopes to inspire diversity in politics at Bellevue event Rep. Ilhan Omar spoke at Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center about breaking down barriers for people of different faiths in politics.

(KING) Hundreds … turned out Saturday night to hear Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speak at Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center. Omar is one of three Muslim members of Congress and she hoped to inspire other minority communities to get involved in politics. “You never […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Muslim candidates feel the effect of Trump attacks on Ilhan Omar Some Muslim Americans running for office in Virginia have seen a rise in death threats since the controversy.

(HuffPost) President Donald Trump’s decision to vilify Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has had real, harmful effects not just on the first-year congresswoman, but on Muslim candidates running for public office at the state and local levels as well. In March, Omar faced […]

Academics & Education

Germany: Leading politicians call for a ‘European Islam’ Everyday measures are key to preserving the European way [of] life, say Germany's health minister and the premier of Schleswig-Holstein state. Jens Spahn and Daniel Günther want a faith that shares the continent's values.

(Deutsche Welle) Two senior German politicians have called for a more progressive form of Islam in order to align the religion with the European way of life. Health Minister Jens Spahn and Schleswig-Holstein State Premier Daniel Günther published the appeal Thursday in […]

Academics & Education

Austria: Opinion leaders condemn Muslim headscarf ban Law bans headscarves for girls under age of 10 at all primary schools across country, including private schools

(Anadolu) Opinion leaders say the ban in Austria on religious headscarves in primary schools is clearly discriminatory against Muslims and contradicts with the principles of equality and freedom of religion. The bill, which was passed in Austria’s parliament on May 15 and […]

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a work in progress as election nears Document used by newcomers to prepare for citizenship test has historical gaps, outdated information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 That leaves newcomers to the country with the existing guide — which is riddled with historical gaps and outdated information — as […]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 […]