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 […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Arab-black relations: Floyd tragedy highlights ties and tensions Debate emerges about responsibilities of Arab American-owned businesses in mostly black neighbourhoods

(Middle East Eye) “Please, please, I can’t breathe,” George Floyd pleaded, gasping for air as a police officer’s knee pressed into his neck for several minutes until his life was lost. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis on Monday has touched the conscience of […]

Christians

‘Divisive’: Rights groups accuse Trump of stoking Islamophobia ahead of Ramadan US president suggests Muslims could get preferential treatment during the Muslim holy month, echoing a theme circulating on right-wing Twitter circles

(Middle East Eye) Muslim rights groups have accused US President Donald Trump of stoking Islamophobia after he said there “could be a difference” in how local authorities and politicians enforce coronavirus lockdown measures during the month of Ramadan. During his daily coronavirus news conference on Saturday, Trump referred […]

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 […]

Beards

CAIR Michigan advises Muslim health workers to shave, citing mask guidance The Centers for Disease Control says healthcare workers should wear masks when in contact with potentially infectious patients. But the directive puts Muslim men with beards in a tricky position.

(WDET) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Michigan chapter is advising Muslim medical professionals to shave off their beards. CAIR says it has received calls from Muslim medical professionals who’ve been asked by hospital staff to shave their beards in order to properly wear […]

Government & Politics

In battle for the Muslim vote, Sanders destroys the competition: poll Amid massive voter turnout of Muslim-Americans, Bernie Sanders takes the Muslim vote in landslide, recent CAIR survey shows

(Middle East Eye) US presidential candidates made unprecedented efforts to court the Muslim vote in the lead-up to Super Tuesday, but according to a recent poll, Bernie Sanders won that battle in a landslide. Sanders took 58 percent of the overall Muslim […]

Government & Politics

Meet the progressive Democrat running for Congress in the heart of Arab America Solomon Rajput, a medical student and congressional hopeful, is seeking to take down one of the longest-standing political dynasties in the US

(Middle East Eye) Congressional hopeful Solomon Rajput says his early morning commute to school, more than 20 years ago, left an indelible mark on his political outlook. Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a school bus would pick him up from his […]

Crime

‘We want our voices heard’: Muslims in Maryland showcase power of door-to-door lobbying Scores of Muslims from across Maryland converge on state capital and find some lawmakers willing to listen

(Middle East Eye) The energy was palpable at Maryland’s House of Delegates late Monday, as members of the Muslim community hurried through the building’s hallways and knocked on doors, trying to lobby politicians on key bills and issues under consideration in the […]

Clerics & Preachers

CAIR-Ga. names new executive director

(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Activist, educator and former imam Abdullah Jaber has been named the new executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Jaber, 29, assumes the post on March 1. Jaber plans to make his first public appearance […]