Academics & Education
Leading Muslim figure claims he was fired over comments made on RTÉ (LINK ONLY)
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Women
Clothing
Muslim parliamentarian in Geneva quits party over differences on gay marriage
(Le News) Earlier this year, Sabine Tiguemounine, a parliamentarian from the Green Party, made news when she decided to sit in an area of Geneva’s parliament building open to the public, rather than in the main area where parliamentary members normally sit. […]
Academics & Education
English Montreal School Board to apply religious symbols ban after avoiding vote on the issue EMSB pushed back planned vote shortly before start of meeting
(CBC) The English Montreal School Board was expected to vote Wednesday night on whether it would enforce the province’s religious symbols ban, but the item was struck from the agenda shortly before the start of the meeting. “I guess the majority of the commissioners […]
Academics & Education
No shopping around for teachers who don’t wear religious signs: Quebec
(Canadian Press) The Quebec government is saying no to some parents who want to pull their children out of classrooms taught by teachers wearing religious symbols. About 50 parents signed an open letter published in Montreal newspaper Le Devoir Wednesday calling on […]
Crime
Norwegian mosque apologises to Crown Prince Haakon after three women refused handshake
(Royal Central) His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon visited the Al-Noor Islamic Centre last week to show support after the 10 August shooting attack on the mosque. Many people noticed that three women did not accept the crown prince’s outstretched hand as […]
Clerics & Preachers
Leuven Town Council opposes the withdrawal of recognition from the Al Ihsaan mosque
(Brussels Times) The Leuven communal council spoke out on Monday evening against the withdrawal of recognition from the Al Ihsaan mosque. This opinion was expressed in the context of the process begun by the Flemish minister-president Liesbeth Homans (N-VA) to withdraw official […]
Clothing
Kitchener city council denounces Quebec’s religious symbols law Bill is driven by ‘disdain’ of minorities, says community leader
(CBC) Kitchener councillors have voted unanimously to denounce the Quebec government’s secularism bill. Ward 8 Coun. Margaret Johnston introduced the motion at a council meeting Monday night. Quebec’s Bill 21 bans public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols such as […]
Clothing
Lawsuit claims DMV rule about head coverings violates religious, civil liberties The lawsuit’s plaintiff said she felt pressured to sign the form last year at a driver’s license facility in Rockford, and now fears losing her license if she’s seen without a head covering.
(Chicago Sun-Times) A civil rights group is suing Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White over a rule it claims violates people’s religious rights at driver’s license facilities across the state. The issue: Anyone wearing a religious head covering while taking a driver’s […]
Crime
Tariq Ramadan dismisses latest rape accusation, promises to ‘expose facts in coming days’ Ramadan has been adamant from the outset that all the allegations are politically and ideologically motivated
(Morocco World News) In response to the latest rape allegation facing his already bruised reputation, Tariq Ramadan is categorical that the accusation is baseless and part of a further smear campaign. Months after being released on bail, facing multiple rape accusations, world-renowned […]
Crime
Islamic scholar Ramadan targeted by new rape complaint
(AFP) Tariq Ramadan, a leading Islamic scholar charged in France with raping two women, has also been accused of taking part in the gang rape of a journalist, French judicial sources said Sunday. The sources confirmed reports on Europe 1 radio and […]
Crime
Grope doctor allowed to work again — despite being on the sex offenders’ register (LINK ONLY)
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Clothing
Jacinda Ardern dons hijab as she fronts Islamic Women’s Council national conference
(NZ Herald) The March 15 mosque attacks are at the forefront of the Islamic Women’s Council national conference. This morning’s session at the Zayed College for Girls in Auckland’s Mangere opened with a reflection on the tough year for the Islamic community. […]
Clothing
Green Party deputy leader calls for federal intervention in Quebec’s religious symbols law But Daniel Green's position is at odds with those of party leader Elizabeth May
(CBC) The deputy leader of the federal Green Party says he would like to see Canada’s attorney general intervene in court cases that challenge Quebec’s new law on religious symbols. But that position is at odds with the party’s official position on the legislation […]
Clothing
Niqab-wearing woman files complaint against Utrecht hospital
(NL Times) A niqab-wearing woman filed a complaint against the Diakonessenhuis hospital in Utrecht, saying that she was refused treatment and repeatedly asked by security to remove her niqab, the Telegraaf reports. The hospital confirmed that it is aware of the complaint. […]
Academics & Education
CSDM warns prospective teachers about religious symbols, despite saying it wouldn’t apply Bill 21 Commisioner says government threats of putting CSDM under trusteeship unfair
(CBC) Quebec’s largest school board appears to be falling into line when it comes to the province’s new religious symbols law, despite saying earlier this summer it wouldn’t apply the rules until holding further consultations. The Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) began quietly including a notice […]
Clerics & Preachers
The push to boot candidates accused of Islamophobia raises questions
(Toronto Sun) On Friday, the Green Party fired their candidate in the Quebec riding of Lévis-Lotbinière after he was labelled an “Islamophobe” because he dared to criticize a mosque leader. Luc Saint-Hilaire, who until recently was in Algeria giving professional training as […]
Clothing
Niqab-wearing woman shaken by removal from Limburg bus
(NL Times) Angela Kempeners, a 36-year-old Limburg woman who was removed from an Arriva bus in Stein on Monday because she was wearing a niqab, is shaken by the event, but will continue to take the bus to work. “I felt just […]
Clerics & Preachers
Muslim Executive drafts in women as teachers and preachers
(Brussels Times) The Muslim Executive, the body that represents Belgium’s Muslim community to the public authorities, is to take on 18 women in religion-related roles for the first time. The Executive will take on nine theological experts and nine preachers, who will […]
Clothing
Detention of Muslims at UK ports and airports ‘structural Islamophobia’ (LINK ONLY)
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Academics & Education
Helsinki preps schools, NGOs to spot FGM, forced marriage trips A working group survey revealed that at least 10 children had 'disappeared' from Helsinki primary schools in 2017.
(Yle) The city of Helsinki has announced a programme to help schools and children’s NGOs better recognise situations where planned trips by migrant-background families might endanger children’s safety. According to a report by tabloid daily Ilta-Sanomat, the guidelines will advise adults working […]
Arts & Entertainment
Sonia Kruger outburst in focus as Muslim leaders urge PM to outlaw Islamophobia
(New Daily) Television host Sonia Kruger’s vilification of Muslims, and men telling women wearing hijabs on trains they are “terrorists,” should be against the law, Islamic groups say. Australian Islamic leaders have urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to tackle Islamophobia as he […]
Clothing
Dutch Jewish leader protests comparisons between burqa ban and the Holocaust
(JTA) A leader of Dutch Jewry protested a Muslim activist’s claim that authorities’ partial ban on wearing face-covering veils is a repetition of Holocaust-era persecution. The activist made the claim in a speech on Aug. 9 while wearing a niqab at a […]
Children & Teens
Former North Texas Muslim cleric ordered to pay $2.55M in sexual exploitation lawsuit
(Dallas Morning News) A judge ordered a North Texas Muslim cleric to pay millions of dollars to a woman he is accused of sexually exploiting after counseling her for years. Zia ul-Haq Sheikh, who has served as an imam at Dallas-area mosques, must pay […]
Clothing
Face covering arrest should not have happened: Den Haag police
(NL Times) A man was arrested in Den Haag Centraal on Friday for wearing a balaclava in the station. But the arrest was unjustified, the police in The Hague said on Twitter on Monday. The arrested man was a demonstrator. He was […]
Beards
Cuomo signs law barring discrimination based on religious attire or facial hair
(NY Daily News) Gov. Cuomo signed new legislation Friday prohibiting employee discrimination based on religious attire or facial hair. Known as the “Religious Garb Bill,” the measure puts the onus on an employer to show that appearance, such as facial hair, or […]
Clothing
Protest held in The Hague against ‘burqa ban’
(Xinhua) Around one hundred people protested in The Hague on Friday against the so-called “burqa ban,” which came into effect in the Netherlands on Aug. 1. Around 30 women wore a niqab and carried plates with texts like “I am getting robbed […]
Children & Teens
Sikh charity urges journalists to stop referring to ‘Asian’ grooming gangs
(Hold the Front Page) A Sikh charity has called on journalists to stop using the term “Asian” in their coverage of sexual grooming gang cases. The Network of Sikh Organisations has made the plea in new media guidelines published following a meeting […]
Clothing
Dutch headwear ban sparks vigilantism fears
(VOA) Dutch rights activists and Muslim groups fear nativist vigilantes will try to enforce a controversial headwear ban that took effect last week. Dutch police, transport companies and municipal authorities have expressed a reluctance to enforce the ban on face-covering clothing. The […]
Clothing
Majority of Canadians disapprove of Bill 21, but Quebecers are in favour: poll A Forum Research survey of 1,733 people conducted from July 26-28 concludes 59 per [cent] of Canadian voters disapprove of the law
(Montreal Gazette) A new poll shows a majority of Canadians living outside Quebec do not approve of the province’s religious symbols law. But as other polls have revealed in the past, those living in Quebec say they strongly approve of Bill 21 […]
Clothing
Labor councilor criticized over burka action at Canal Pride
(NL Times) The PvdA faction in Amsterdam received a storm of negative reactions because of a photo posted on the party’s Twitter account on Saturday. In the photo, PvdA councilor in Amsterdam Hendrik Jan Biemond is posing in a yellow burka with […]
Clerics & Preachers
From Canada with hate: Terror sympathizer Tariq Abdelhaleem
(Arab News) It may seem strange that a prominent Sunni Salafi jihadist and preacher of hate has lived unmolested in the West since the 1980s. Yet Dr. Tariq Abdelhaleem probably sees nothing odd at all about promoting Islamic radicalism while enjoying the […]
Clothing
Confusion over burka ban; woman refused at Nijmegen playground
(NL Times) There seems to be some confusion around exactly what the so-called burka ban, implemented in the Netherlands on August 1st, entails. The municipality of Nijmegen had to apologize to a niqab-wearing woman on Sunday, after she was stopped at the […]
Employment
Islam party chairman sacked by Bruxelles Propreté over expressed views
(Brussels Times) Abdelhay Bakkali Tahiri, president of the Islam party, has been fired from his job with Bruxelles Propreté for reasons which the agency denied were politically motivated. Tahiri (photo, centre) had worked for the regional waste management agency for nine years, […]
Koran
German Islamic community recommends men hit ‘unruly’ women The Islamic Center Munich told Bavarian Broadcasting 24 that it plans to modify its website within two weeks.
(Jerusalem Post) The Islamic community in Munich issued guidelines on its website that encourage men to assault their wives or female partners if they are “unruly.” The Bavarian Broadcasting 24 outlet published the shocking report on Saturday, writing, “In the case of […]
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 […]
Clothing
One year on: What happened after Denmark’s ‘burqa ban’ came into force?
(Local) A controversial ban on wearing face-masking garments in public, widely referred to as the “burqa ban,” came into effect in Denmark on August 1st last year. Since then, 23 people have been fined under the law, according to National Police figures […]
Clothing
Small victory in court for groups fighting Bill 21
(Global News) Organizations trying to challenge Bill 21 won a small victory in court on Thursday. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), along with Ichrak Nourel Hak — a university student who wears a […]
Children & Teens
Afghan migrant to remain in France despite conviction for three sex attacks
(Breitbart) An 18-year-old Afghan migrant is not at risk of deportation despite being found guilty of sexually assaulting three people, including a 14-year-old girl. The Afghan teen was found guilty of the assaults earlier this week in the Criminal Court of Fontainebleau […]
Clothing
Dutch ‘burqa ban’ rendered largely unworkable on first day (LINK ONLY)
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Clothing
Burqas banned in Dutch government buildings — what will it mean in practice?
(Dutch News) A ban on wearing face-covering garments such as a burqa or niqab in government buildings, schools and on public transport comes into effect in the Netherlands on Thursday. The ban has been 13 years in the making and dates back […]
Clothing
Columbus Police reconsidering ban on officers wearing headscarves
(WOSU) Columbus Police Interim Chief Tom Quinlan says he is considering changing a department policy that forbids officers from wearing headscarves. Quinlan says officers cannot currently wear headscarves because of safety concerns. “Some of our concerns are, again, wearing gas masks, wearing […]
Clothing
Burqa ban, introduced on August 1, to be evaluated in three years
(Dutch News) The ban on wearing face-covering garments such as a burqa or niqab in government buildings and on public transport will be evaluated after three years, rather than the customary five, broadcaster NOS said on Wednesday. The ban, 13 years in […]
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
Police want alternative for burka wearers after ban; against the law, says ministry
(NL Times) The police want to offer an alternative for burka or niqab wearers who want to come to a police station to make a report after the ban on face-covering clothing takes effect on August 1st. A police directive states that […]
Children & Teens
The shocking new figures on female genital mutilation in Coventry (LINK ONLY)
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Clothing
Muslim woman sues city over removal of hijab for published mug shot
(Insider Louisville) A Muslim woman arrested during an immigration protest last summer has sued Louisville Metro Corrections and the city, asserting that the forced removal of her hijab for her published mug shot violated her constitutional rights, as well as state and […]
Clothing
Woman arrested over footage of suspected homophobic abuse at east London Pride march (LINK ONLY)
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Clothing
Woman shouts ‘shame on you despicable people’ at Pride participant in east London (LINK ONLY)
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Children & Teens
Birmingham has high[er] female genital mutilation rate than anywhere in UK (LINK ONLY)
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Clothing
Muslim activists continue to push against Quebec secularism law
(Religion News) Quebec’s Superior Court recently rejected civil rights advocates’ legal request to suspend the Canadian province’s controversial new ban on religious symbols for state workers. But activists in Canada and around the world say the fight is not yet over. “We […]