Government & Politics

Muslim, Jewish voters leaning away from the federal Liberals as Gaza war grinds on: poll Poll also shows leaders of the big three parties aren't impressing Jewish, Muslim voters

(CBC) A new poll suggests Muslim and Jewish voters are leaning away from the federal Liberals in voting intentions — a possible sign that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts to straddle gaps in public opinion over the Israel-Hamas war are falling short. The […]

Clothing

NYC agrees to $17.5 million settlement over forced removal of hijabs for mugshot photos Men and women who were forced to remove any religious head coverings for NYPD photographs are eligible for approximately $7,000 to $13,000 in settlement payments from the city.

(Courthouse News) New York City agreed on Friday to pay a $17.5 million settlement to resolve a class-action civil rights lawsuit brought by New York women who were forced to remove their religious headscarves in NYPD mugshot photos for the department’s facial […]

Academics & Education

Appeal Court upholds Quebec law that bars teachers, police from wearing religious symbols Civil liberties groups argued law discriminates against Muslim women who wear head coverings

(CBC) The Quebec Court of Appeal has upheld the province’s controversial secularism law in a ruling on challenges to the law’s constitutionality released Thursday afternoon. The heavily anticipated judgment is 290 pages long and quashes a previous exception, made by Superior Court […]

Academics & Education

Laval high school denies banning students who wear religious symbols However, Collège Citoyen de Laval says parents must file a 'religious accommodation' request if their child wears a hijab, for example.

(Montreal Gazette) Embroiled in controversy, a private high school in Laval says it has not forbidden students from wearing religious symbols — but it does require that parents request a “religious accommodation.” An online petition that collected 6,900 signatures over two days […]

Clothing

California senator announces bill to protect religious practices of incarcerated individuals Backers of the bill say that allowing religious detainees and prisoners to wear religious garb does not constitute 'coddling' them.

(Religion News) Rami Nsour, an advocate for the incarcerated, has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for those being held in California’s jails and prisons to practice their faith. As his clients are transferred from one facility to another, he said, […]

Beards

Sailors, Marines seek religious accommodation to wear beards One Orthodox Jewish sailor and three Muslim sailors joined in a lawsuit alleging the Navy’s beard policy amounts to a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

(Religion News) Shave or be shaved. Aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, sailor Edmund Di Liscia faced a stark choice. According to his lawyers, he was told to either shave his beard voluntarily or be held down by his bunk mate and forcibly […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Democrats introduce resolution condemning racism in government 20 years after 9/11 attacks The government 'unfairly profiled and targeted Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities'

(Fox) A group of four Democratic congresswomen on Friday introduced a resolution condemning racism in the U.S. government and outlining relief for victims of racism 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Ilhan Omar [of] […]

Academics & Education

Quebec Superior Court upholds most of religious symbols ban, but English-language schools exempt Government plans to appeal, saying exemption will create a more divided Quebec

(CBC) Quebec’s secularism law violates the basic rights of religious minorities in the province, but those violations are permissible because of the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause, a Superior Court judge ruled on Tuesday. But the ruling by Justice Marc-André Blanchard also declared that […]

Clothing

Calgary task force finds Quebec’s Bill 21 has far-reaching impacts for religious minorities Focus groups say concerns include psychological trauma and potential for copycat laws

(CBC) A task force comprised of faith groups, think-tanks and community organizations in Calgary says Quebec’s Bill 21 has impacted religious minorities across Canada since it came into law in 2019. The secularism law bans religious symbols, like hijabs and turbans, prohibiting public teachers, lawyers, police […]

Academics & Education

Quebec’s religious symbols ban dashed dreams and sparked hate, witnesses testify on 1st day of Bill 21 trial Groups argue secularism law unfairly bars Muslim women from public sector jobs, such as teaching and law

(CBC) A test of the constitutionality of Quebec’s secularism law began Monday amid tearful testimony from Muslim and Sikh teachers who said the law derailed their careers and made them targets of bigotry. The law, which was passed last year despite protests from civil […]

Government & Politics

Supreme Court receptive to damages battle over no-fly list Forecasting a win for four men whom the FBI put on the no-fly list after they refused to spy on fellow Muslims, several U.S. Supreme Court justices saw an implication of private damages in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

(Courthouse News) Several justices with the U.S. Supreme Court hinted Tuesday that a law protecting religious freedoms includes a subtext that would allow individuals to sue government agents for money damages. In the underlying 2013 suit, Muhammad Tanvir accused FBI agents of violating […]

Beards

RCMP reverses mask policy for bearded officers Prime minister said policy discriminated against officers who keep beards for religious reasons

(CBC) The RCMP has reversed its policy on mask-wearing after being accused of discrimination over the rule, which saw bearded Mounties — including Sikh and Muslim officers — reassigned to desk duty. The policy, which was condemned by both activists and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, required front-line officers to wear […]

Beards

RCMP mask policy for bearded front-line officers is discriminatory and ‘shouldn’t have happened,’ Trudeau says PM and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair say Mounties need to 'rectify' policy

(CBC) The prime minister says the RCMP’s policy requiring front-line officers to wear properly fitting N95 respirator masks amounts to discrimination and “shouldn’t have happened,” because the rule disfavours officers who keep beards for religious reasons. Justin Trudeau said Friday he was “very disappointed” to hear about […]

Interfaith

44% of UK Muslims back anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, poll finds London-based Henry Jackson Society think tank report says integration may be key to tackling anti-Jewish prejudice in Muslim community

(Times of Israel) Nearly half of British Muslims endorse some anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, a newly published report has found. However, anti-Semitic sentiments drop sharply — by as much as 12 percentage points — among those Muslims who are more integrated into British […]

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 […]