Clothing

German conservatives renew calls for a burqa ban The deputy leader of the conservative Christian Democrats has joined other CDU members in calling for a burqa ban in Germany. The calls come after the Netherlands imposed its own ban on face-covering clothing.

(Deutsche Welle) As the neighboring Netherlands begins policing the wearing of burqas, Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) are calling for a burqa ban of Germany’s own. Julia Klöckner, who leads the provincial Rhineland-Palatinate branch of the party and is the No. 2 […]

Children & Teens

FGM cases on the rise across France

(Breitbart) The number of cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) has risen substantially in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the French National Public Health Agency. The rise in risk cases was highlighted in the agency’s 21st Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin […]

Clothing

Civil rights groups seek appeal of judge’s refusal to freeze parts of Quebec’s religious symbols law Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Muslims sought injunction hours after law passed in June

(CBC) Two civil rights groups are seeking an appeal after a Quebec Superior Court justice refused their emergency request to temporarily freeze parts of the province’s new religious symbols law. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the Canadian Civil Liberties […]

FGM

Rep. Ilhan Omar was asked to condemn female genital mutilation — again. She was not happy Omar said she was 'disgusted' that she keeps getting asked questions that wouldn't be asked of non-Muslim politicians.

(BuzzFeed) Rep. Ilhan Omar gave a polite verbal thrashing to an audience member who asked her to condemn female genital mutilation during a conference in DC on Tuesday, saying she’s “disgusted” by some of the questions asked solely of Muslim politicians. The […]

Clothing

Will federal leaders back the legal challenge to Quebec’s religious symbols ban with an election looming? Jewish group wants Ottawa to intervene after emergency injunction denied

(CBC) The Canadian wing of an international Jewish organization wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to send government lawyers to join the legal fight against Quebec’s secularism law. B’nai Brith Canada published an open letter Thursday after a Quebec Superior Court justice denied […]

Clothing

Quebec’s religious symbols law passes 1st legal test as judge refuses injunction Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Muslims sought injunction hours after law passed in June

(CBC) A Quebec Superior Court justice has rejected a request to temporarily suspend parts of the province’s new religious symbols law, though he did agree it raises “serious” constitutional questions. Justice Michel Yergeau said Thursday the court must defer, at this stage, […]

Clothing

Montreal police removed Muslim woman’s hijab during search, Human Rights Commission says The Quebec Human Rights Commission says a Montreal police officer asked Aicha Essalama if she had any weapons on her, then removed her hijab and prayer robe without her permission.

(Montreal Gazette) Claiming a Montreal police officer removed a Muslim woman’s hijab and prayer robe without her permission, the Quebec Human Rights Commission is seeking to have the force ordered to update its search policies to better accommodate religious minorities. According to […]

Clothing

As fight over Quebec’s religious symbols law shifts to courts, legal experts debate best way to challenge it Bill 21 invokes notwithstanding clause, complicating how opponents can challenge law's constitutionality

(CBC) Quebec’s religious symbols law was not yet 12 hours old when it became the subject of a Superior Court motion seeking to have it struck down. On Tuesday, the motion, filed last month by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and […]

Children & Teens

Gov. Tom Wolf signs Murt bill outlawing ‘ghastly practice’ Pennsylvania is ranked 11th in the nation for those at risk of female genital mutilation, with 6,000 girls under the age of 18 at risk for the procedure, according to the AHA Foundation.

(Bucks County Courier Times) State Rep. Tom Murt, R-152, of Upper Moreland, first encountered female genital mutilation while he was stationed in Iraq in 2003, and saw a father carrying his young daughter who was covered in blankets and suffering extreme blood […]

Crime

Unveiling the truth behind Tariq Ramadan’s rape allegations As new evidence continually piles up in the Tariq Ramadan case, it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction on both sides of the allegations against the reformist scholar.

(Morocco World News) The controversy surrounding the case of Tariq Ramadan has reached new heights, as the rape allegations against the reformist scholar have been called into question following an investigation by the Parisian Criminal Brigade (BC). Revealing inconsistencies in his accusers’ […]