Crime

Dutch court to rule on legality of discussing Muslim Jew-hate 'Facts can never be a criminal offense,' said Deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer, who has appealed after being charged with incitement to intolerance in July.

(JNS) A Dutch court will need to determine if it’s illegal to discuss antisemitism in the context of Muslim culture, following an appeal by a deputy prime minister regarding hate crime allegations leveled against her. Mona Keijzer, who is also the minister […]

Academics & Education

After religious symbols law, Quebec eyes ban on public prayer: Where the province is headed on secularism Existing laws, jurisprudence appear to provide plenty of ammo for Quebec to address school controversies

(CBC) After the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government tabled its secularism bill, Premier François Legault recorded a video address that intended to reassure people who felt the proposed legislation was going too far. “I feel like saying ‘finally,’” the premier said in […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

US Islamophobia strategy doesn’t list Jewish groups, though CAIR advised Jew-hatred approach 'The strategy contains more than 100 executive branch actions and more than 100 calls to action to every sector of society,' per the White House.

(JNS) The White House’s first-ever “U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate,” which the Biden administration announced on Thursday, runs for 67 pages. It features “more than 100 executive branch actions and more than 100 calls to action to every […]

Government & Politics

Europe’s Syrians shaken by debate over repatriation to their war-ravaged homeland For many Syrian refugees in Europe, joy at the fall of Assad has been tempered by immediate calls for them to go home.

(Politico) When Osama Sabsabi learned that opposition forces had captured the city of Homs, where he grew up, he did something that would have been unthinkable just days earlier: He booked a ticket home. “We, the Syrian people, are experiencing an indescribable […]

Academics & Education

MPs call for crackdown on student protest encampments, ban on display of terror symbols Many recommendations in the antisemitism and Islamophobia reports were rejected by Conservative, Bloc MPs

(CBC) In two reports on antisemitism and Islamophobia in Canada, Liberal and NDP MPs on the House of Commons justice committee said Ottawa should take steps to keep student protest encampments off university grounds, criminally ban the display of terrorist emblems and recognize […]

Government & Politics

MP speaks out against proposal to ban first cousin marriages Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed said first cousin marriage should not be stigmatised, but should be treated as a 'health awareness issue.'

(Sky News) An MP has spoken against calls to ban first cousin marriage in the UK, suggesting instead that advanced genetic screening is made available to prospective married couples. Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed said while “freedom of women must be protected at […]

Academics & Education

France’s only Muslim high school faces potential contract termination France’s Muslim community has been grappling with the country’s increasing anti-Islamization measures.

(Morocco World News) Al Kindi, the only Muslim private high school in France, is facing the threat of contract termination by the Rhone prefecture. The threat could potentially end the school’s official association with the state. According to the website Lyon Capitale, […]

Demonstrations

Labour urged to investigate MP Kim Johnson over promotion of Islamist group Liverpool Riverside MP also spoke at the latest pro-Palestine demo where she accused Israel of using drones to 'deliberately target children'

(Jewish News) Labour has been urged to investigate the conduct of the MP Kim Johnson after she promoted the activities of Islamist advocacy group CAGE on social media. Last weekend the firebrand MP also sparked further communal anger when she told a […]

Children & Teens

Germany: Muslim seminar to prepare 13-year-old girls for marriage sparks backlash The right-wing AfD says 'Girls’ Evenings in the Mosque' is clear proof that migration and integration policies have failed.

(European Conservative) An invitation by a mosque in Germany for girls as young as thirteen to take part in a “preparatory marriage course” has sparked a huge backlash, with centre-right and right-wing parties demanding an explanation. The invitation was sent out by […]

Government & Politics

Germany’s Faeser calls for ‘vigilance’ at Christmas markets German security authorities said that while there were no indications of a 'concrete' threat, the country's popular Christmas markets could be a target for Islamist terrorist groups.

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Thursday called for “great vigilance” at Germany’s popular Christmas markets. However, she stressed that there was no “concrete” evidence of a threat. What did Faeser say about the threat to Christmas markets? Faeser said […]

Christians

Finland reverses quota refugee policy, accepts half from Muslim-majority countries Finnish media previously reported that the Interior Ministry planned to favour refugees from Christian-majority nations over Muslim-majority countries.

(Yle) Finland will take in 500 quota refugees next year as part of the UNHCR’s resettlement programme, the Interior Ministry confirmed in a press statement released on Thursday. The statement also revealed the allocation of the quota, meaning which refugee groups will […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Trump backs staunchly anti-Muslim Florida lawmaker to run for US Congress Florida State Senator Randy Fine, who celebrated Israel’s killing of a US citizen, gets president-elect’s support.

(Al-Jazeera) United States President-elect Donald Trump is encouraging a Florida legislator who celebrated the killing of an American citizen by the Israeli military to run for Congress. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that if State Senator Randy Fine […]

Government & Politics

Sebastian Gorka to be Trump’s counter-terrorism chief with controversial views on Islam The staunchly pro-Israel defender of the Muslim ban is set to return to the White House without Senate confirmation

(National-UAE) President-elect Donald Trump has picked Sebastian Gorka, a staunch defender of his so-called Muslim ban who has said there is [no] such thing as Palestine, to be his counter-terrorism chief at the National Security Council. Mr Trump called Mr Gorka “a […]

Christians

Interior Ministry to review refugee quota plans following backlash According to media reports, the Finns Party had proposed reducing the number of quota refugees accepted from Muslim-majority countries while increasing the intake from Christian-majority nations.

(Yle) Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has requested that the Interior Ministry review its plans on how Finland’s refugee quota will be allocated next year. Finnish media reported last month that the Finns Party has proposed reducing the number of quota […]

Government & Politics

‘Lacking the votes’: Schumer abandons embattled Biden judicial nominee Adeel Mangi Mangi faced Democratic opposition for his ties to anti-police groups

(Free Beacon) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has abandoned hopes of confirming Third Circuit Appeals Court nominee Adeel Mangi, whom some Senate Democrats opposed over links to anti-police groups uncovered by the Washington Free Beacon. Schumer struck a deal Thursday with Republicans […]

Government & Politics

Legal action against MI5 over Manchester Arena bombing cannot continue, judges rule In a ruling on Friday, Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Farbey said the cases could not proceed as they were brought too late.

(Sky News) Hundreds of people affected by the Manchester Arena bombing cannot continue legal action against MI5, judges have ruled. More than 300 people, including survivors and those bereaved by the 2017 attack at an Ariana Grande concert, brought a case to […]

Government & Politics

Pro-Palestinian Sanders ally to put forth bid for DNC vice chair The president of the Arab American Institute and longtime DNC member plans to run for a powerful position in the party.

(Politico) A pro-Palestinian advocate is running for vice chair of the Democratic National [Committee] — a bid that comes on the heels of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the critical swing state of Michigan. Trump carried Dearborn, a majority-Arab American city outside […]

Crime

‘Amsterdam riots were not pogrom,’ mayor says, defending Muslim population Femka Halsema accused the Israeli government and Dutch politicians of using the term 'pogrom' as propaganda to attack the Muslim community.

(Jerusalem Post) Amsterdam Mayor Femka Halsema said she regretted calling the riots in Amsterdam a “pogrom” because this was being used to discriminate against the Moroccan-Muslim population of the city, Dutch media reported on Monday. The riots that erupted following an Ajax-Maccabi […]