Arts & Entertainment

Ex-college student who left Alabama to join ISIS explains herself and why she wants to come home 'When you are brainwashed, you don't realize it until you snap out of it,' Hoda Muthana says in the new documentary The Return — though the U.S. government says there's not reason to be so sympathetic

(People) Six years ago, Hoda Muthana was a 20-year-old college student in Alabama who lied to her family about a trip and instead joined the Islamic State in Syria. When she arrived she was confined to a home for unwed women, with […]

Children & Teens

European Parliament calls for repatriation of children from Syrian camps Resolution marking 10 years of the conflict also dismisses forthcoming presidential election in Syria as 'completely lacking in credibility'

(Middle East Eye) The European Parliament has called for the repatriation of children from European Union countries held in Kurdish-run camps in northeastern Syria since the collapse of the Islamic State group. In a resolution on Thursday marking 10 years of conflict […]

Legal

Syrian pair appear in German court over filmed ‘execution’ Two suspected war criminals from Syria have appeared in court in the German city of Düsseldorf. They are accused of taking part in and filming the 'execution' of a Syrian regime soldier for propaganda purposes.

(Deutsche Welle) Two men appeared at a higher regional court in Düsseldorf on Thursday charged with committing a war crime and the membership and support of a terror organization. The pair are suspected of having taken part in the execution of a […]

Government & Politics

France cracks down on ‘Islamist separatism,’ shuts down 9 mosques The closing of mosques is part of France’s massive surveillance operation targeting its Muslim minority.

(Morocco World News) French authorities have shut down 9 mosques since the month of December. “Among the 18 places of worship that were particularly monitored at my request, 9 were closed down,” the French minister of interior [Gerald] Darmanin tweeted on January […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

HRW condemns France for shutting down anti-bias group ‘Whatever its intention, this measure risks further stigmatizing Muslims in France,’ says Human Rights Watch researcher

(Anadolu) Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Friday a decision by France to shut down a leading anti-discrimination group. The US-based rights advocacy NGO said the move threatens basic human rights and liberties including freedom of expression, association, religion and the principle of […]

Children & Teens

Families of French IS members in Syria battle to bring them back Families in France are growing more determined to bring back relatives who left to join the so-called Islamic State. Dozens of French women and children recently vanished from the radar, leaving relatives desperate.

(Deutsche Welle) Antoine* is used to standing his ground. The trade unionist has defended workers’ rights his whole life. But when his daughter M. suddenly left to join so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq five years ago, he hit rock bottom. “It […]

Government & Politics

PM rebukes Omar, Tlaib after they request help for BDS activist Netanyahu says radical anti-Israel congresswomen are 'antithesis to the strong support for Israel' in Washington. The two were among the signatories of letter asking Israeli government to renew visa for Human Rights Watch Israel director Omar Shakir.

(Israel Hayom) In a letter sent to U.S. lawmakers on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strong rebuke of Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), saying the two were “the antithesis to the strong support for Israel” on Capitol […]