Crime

Germany: Freiburg gang rapists to spend years in prison Ten of 11 men accused in the gang rape of a woman in the southern city of Freiburg in 2018 have been sentenced to jail terms. The case was seized upon by anti-immigration populists, as most of the men are refugees.

(Deutsche Welle) A German regional court on Thursday handed jail sentences of up to five and a half years to members of a group of men accused of jointly raping an 18-year-old woman in the southern city of Freiburg in October 2018. […]

Academics & Education

German state bans burqas, niqabs in schools Baden-Württemberg will now ban full-face coverings for all school children. State Premier Winfried Kretschmann said burqas and niqabs did not belong in a free society. A similar rule for teachers was already in place.

(Deutsche Welle) The government of the western German state of Baden-Württemberg agreed on Tuesday to ban full-face coverings, often known as burqa or niqab, in schools. The new rule comes as the topic of Muslim face coverings has been hotly debated in […]

Children & Teens

Female genital mutilation: Report shows 68,000 victims in Germany A report estimates that the number of victims of female genital mutilation in Germany has increased by 44% since 2017, and nearly 15,000 girls may be at risk. The minister responsible linked the increase to migration.

(Deutsche Welle) The amount of women and girls in Germany who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) has increased to 68,000, the families minister announced Thursday. The increase, up 44% from the last estimated total calculated in 2017, was attributed to greater […]

Clothing

Muslim woman arrested in Miami protest forced to remove hijab for booking photo A civil rights attorney called it a 'severe violation of religious freedoms,' but a police spokesman said the department was following protocol.

(NBC) A Muslim woman arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Miami was forced to remove her hijab for a booking photo, which a Muslim civil rights advocate called a “severe violation of religious freedoms.” It also prompted supporters to start […]

Clothing

Protesters gather to oppose religious symbols ban, one year after Bill 21 became law Law bans wearing of religious symbols such as a hijab or kippah by public servants in positions of authority

(CBC) Dozens of people gathered outside Quebec Premier François Legault’s Montreal office on Sunday to stage a sit-in, in opposition to the province’s ban on religious symbols that became law one year ago. The most controversial section of the law, known as […]

Gender Separation

Muslim women renew calls for more inclusive programs as mosques reopen As the coronavirus pandemic offers time to step back, Muslim Americans rethink how mosques can be more welcoming to women and adapt financially.

(HuffPost) As the coronavirus outbreak spread, mosques, like many houses of worship, were required to close their doors even during the holy month of Ramadan in compliance with statewide shutdowns. American Muslims across the country were forced to celebrate at home. With […]

Academics & Education

FGM declining in Finland, school health survey suggests Eighty out of over 35,000 girls who responded to the survey said they had been subjected to female genital mutilation.

(Yle) Some 80 girls in Finland reported having undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), according to a school health survey by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. The agency’s 2019 school health survey asked over 35,000 girls in upper secondary and […]

Clerics & Preachers

Inquiry against controversial imam abandoned

(Swiss Info) The justice authorities have dropped a legal inquiry against an imam in central Switzerland suspected of making controversial statements about wife-beating. The cantonal prosecutor’s office in Lucerne announced that it could not find evidence supporting allegations raised by the SonntagsZeitung […]

Crime

France: Scholars, activists call for dismissal of rape case against Tariq Ramadan The signatories say the process 'has gone on far too long,' and accuse the justice system of 'prejudice'

(i24) Nearly 150 university professors, intellectuals, and activists from around the world have signed a letter addressed to France’s justice minister urging her “to put an immediate end to the masquerade of justice” against a Muslim academic. The document, which was published […]

Arts & Entertainment

Jeff Goldblum faces social media backlash over Islam comments on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ 'Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality? And anti-woman?' the actor and special guest asked during Friday night's episode.

(Hollywood Reporter) Jeff Goldblum has come under fire on social media for asking if Islam was “anti-homosexuality” and “anti-woman” during Friday night’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The comments came after the seven remaining queens on the show, now in its 12th […]

Clothing

Muslim woman sues police in Yonkers, New York, for forced hijab removal In an exclusive interview with HuffPost, a Muslim woman talks about the trauma she faced after police confiscated and photographed her without her hijab.

(HuffPost) When Yonkers, New York, police demanded Ihsan Malkawi remove her hijab for her booking photograph, the 42-year-old Muslim woman became distraught. She tried through tears to explain to the officers that she wore her hijab for religious reasons and it was […]

Interfaith

ViacomCBS cancels event with Linda Sarsour as part of Women’s History Month 'The fact remains that the folks at ViacomCBS thought that a woman who lauded an anti-Semite like Louis Farrakhan is a symbol of "inclusion,"' said Dexter Van Zile, a researcher at CAMERA.

(JNS) ViacomCBS canceled an event this week featuring former Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour, who is known for her support of the anti-Israel BDS movement and has been accused of spreading anti-Semitism. The Women’s History Month event on Wednesday was specifically going to be […]