Clothing

Opposition to Quebec’s Bill 21 intensifies as minister pleads for calm Hampstead mayor likens proposed ban on religious symbols to 'ethnic cleansing'

(CBC) A week after tabling the legislation, opposition to the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s plan to ban certain public workers from wearing religious symbols is growing more organized — and more vitriolic. Politicians in Montreal’s west end at the federal, provincial and municipal level came […]

Children & Teens

Germany brings home ‘Islamic State’ children from Iraq Germany has started repatriating the children of jailed 'Islamic State' fighters from conflict zones [in] the Middle East. European countries are grappling with how to handle returning foreign fighters and their families.

(Deutsche Welle) The German Foreign Ministry said Friday it had brought several children of convicted “Islamic State” (IS) militants back to Germany from Iraq. The returns were carried out with the consent of the parents, a ministry source said, adding that the number of […]

Academics & Education

Germany to push for imams to be trained locally, not abroad In an effort to curb foreign influence and foster integration, the German government is pressing for imams to be educated locally, in Germany. Are German Muslim communities willing to back the idea? DW investigates.

(Deutsche Welle) Forty-three-year-old imam Murat Gül is president of the Islamic Federation of Berlin and teaches Islam at the local Rosa Parks primary school. “Ever since I was a young boy, I had a love for the Koran,” said Gül, who was […]

Government & Politics

Senate censures ‘pathetic’ Fraser Anning

(AAP) Independent senator Fraser Anning has been censured by parliament for “shameful and pathetic” comments linking the Christchurch terror attacks to Muslim immigration. The Queenslander was rebuked by his colleagues on Wednesday for blaming Muslim migrants for the horrific attack last month […]

Citizenship

Germany approves stripping dual national terrorist fighters of citizenship Germany's cabinet has approved a change to the law allowing dual nationals to lose their citizenship if they fight for a foreign terrorist militia. The new law will not be applied retroactively.

(Deutsche Welle) Germans with dual nationality who join foreign terrorist militias will lose their citizenship in the future, the cabinet decided on Wednesday. “Someone who goes abroad and actually participates in combat operations for a terrorist militia shows that they have turned […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Judge: Troy mosque lawsuit can move forward

(Detroit News) A federal judge has denied Troy’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a Muslim community group that claims the city was discriminatory when rejecting plans to build an Islamic center there last year. The order that U.S. District Court […]

Government & Politics

Rashida Tlaib praises her Islamist entourage

(IPT) Last month, an entourage featuring anti-Semitic activist Linda Sarsour and Council on American-Relations (CAIR) executive director Nihad Awad protected U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., from an outspoken critic. Sarsour has espoused anti-Semitic smears worse than U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a […]

Government & Politics

Rabbis demand Sarsour apologize for ‘anti-Semitic narrative’ 'There has never been a country called Palestine,' says Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, responding to brouhaha over NY Councilman Yeger tweet.

(Arutz Sheva) The Coalition for Jewish Values, representing over 1000 traditional rabbis in matters of public policy, is demanding a public apology from activist Linda Sarsour for “peddling in anti-Semitic falsehoods” in order to attack an observant Jewish New York City councilman, […]

Clothing

Civil liberties groups explore ‘creative’ ways to challenge Quebec’s charter-proof secular bill 'We are studying the law, and we are studying what possible recourses we might bring': lawyer

(CBC) The mayor of Montreal calls it “very concerning.” Religious groups say it’s discriminatory. And civil liberties groups have vowed to fight. But what legal options do these groups have in the face of the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s secularism bill, and what […]

Government & Politics

Scott Morrison vows crackdown on social media giants, threatening jail terms and multimillion-dollar fines Facebook, Twitter and YouTube executives face jail time and enormous multimillion-dollar fines in an unprecedented crackdown.

(AAP) Australia is to become the first country in the world to introduce jail terms and multimillion-dollar fines for social media giants that do not quickly remove violent material. In what is expected to be the final week of parliament before the […]

Clothing

Religious and civil rights groups plan to challenge Quebec’s secularism bill Public school teachers and principals to be banned from wearing religious symbols

(CBC) Civil rights activists in the National Capital Region say they will challenge Quebec’s secularism bill introduced Thursday by the Coalition Avenir Québec government. The legislation bans public workers from wearing religious symbols such as the kippa or hijab. This includes judges, crown prosecutors, teachers and principals, although the bill […]

Clothing

Quebec government’s proposed secularism law would ban public workers from wearing religious symbols Bill invokes notwithstanding clause to block any potential charter challenges

(CBC) The Coalition Avenir Québec government is proposing a new law that would prohibit public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols such as a hijab, kippa or turban. The stated aim of the bill, titled, “An act respecting the laicity of […]

Clothing

Notwithstanding clause could stop debate over Quebec’s secularism bill before it starts Province poised to ban teachers and judges, among others, from wearing signs of their faith

(CBC) As the Quebec government prepares to table its secularism bill, constitutional experts are raising concerns about Premier François Legault’s reported plans to pre-emptively invoke the notwithstanding clause to ensure public workers in positions of authority are banned from wearing religious symbols. Robert Leckey, dean of McGill […]

Government & Politics

Omar hits back at Pelosi over BDS remarks

(Hill) Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Tuesday pushed back against Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for denouncing the global boycott and sanctions movement against Israel during an appearance before the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. During a speech before the […]

Academics & Education

Public school teachers, principals to be banned from wearing religious symbols Sources have told Radio-Canada the CAQ's secularism bill will go further than initially expected

(CBC) Quebec public schools teachers and school principals will be prohibited from wearing religious symbols such as the hijab or kippa, under a bill likely to be tabled later this week in the provincial legislature. The long-awaited legislation from the Coaltion Avenir […]