Academics & Education

France: Proposal to ban Islamic veil sparks criticism Macron’s controversial draft of ‘separatism’ bill causes heated debate, with amendments suggesting ban on Islamic veil

(Anadolu) An ongoing debate on the controversial draft of a “separatism” bill has sparked criticism, [and] resulted in a diversion, dividing the house on the question of [the] veil, whether to include amendments to ban veiled students at the university and accompanying […]

Government & Politics

French mayor criticizes decision to shut down mosque Denouncing incompetence of gov't to close mosque in Montmagny, mayor says it has nothing to do with 'radicalism'

(Anadolu) A French city’s mayor has lashed out against the government’s “Islamist separatism” campaign after a mosque in his jurisdiction was accused and shut down to combat radicalism. Patrick Floquet, the mayor of the Montmagny town in northern France, “denounced the incompetence […]

Government & Politics

US Muslim group decries Trump’s pardon of contractors It ‘is an unconscionable act of moral insanity,' says CAIR's head about Blackwater contractors

(Anadolu) The US’s largest Muslim civil rights organization on Wednesday condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to grant clemency to four former Blackwater contractors convicted of killing Iraqi civilians. National executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Nihad Awad said the […]

Government & Politics

Austria drops ‘political Islam’ from controversial bill Gov't replaces contentious phrase with 'religiously-motivated extremism' in revised terrorism draft law

(Anadolu) Austria’s coalition government on Wednesday revised its controversial “anti-terror” law, using the phrase “religiously motivated extremism” instead of “political Islam.” Following a cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer, Justice Minister Alma Zadic and Integration Minister Susanne Raab announced a package of […]

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 […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

French government shuts down anti-racist group Collective Against Islamophobia in France forced to close as government seeks continued crackdown on Muslim groups

(Anadolu) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Wednesday announced the dissolution of anti-racist group Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF). “In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic, the CCIF was dissolved in the Council of Ministers. For several […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

‘Insulting beliefs far from freedom’: Turkish president Ideological fanaticism has gained more ground, Turkish president tells annual convention of Muslim American Society

(Anadolu) Decrying rising Islamophobia in Western countries, the Turkish president said Saturday that insulting people’s beliefs has nothing to do with freedom. “You have been closely following the meanness in France towards the Prophet [Muhammad] under the label of ‘freedom of thought’,” […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

CAIR warns American Muslims against traveling to France Country's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization issues travel advisory on its website

(Anadolu) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) warned American Muslims on Tuesday against traveling to France, saying they may face danger and discrimination there. The country’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization issued a travel advisory on its website “amid the […]

Government & Politics

Turkish president files complaint against Dutch MP Geert Wilders, known for his anti-Islam stance, tweeted insulting cartoon of President Erdogan

(Anadolu) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday lodged a criminal complaint against Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders over an insulting tweet. The president’s lawyer Huseyin Aydin filed the complaint over Wilders’ insulting contents targeting Erdogan. In a criminal complaint submitted to […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Erdogan lambasts Dutch ‘fascist’ politician Fascism not in our book, it's in yours, says President Erdogan to Dutch politician Geert Wilders over insulting cartoon

(Anadolu) Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday hit back at Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders over an insulting cartoon he shared. “Fascism is not in our book, it’s in your book. Social justice is in our book,” Erdogan said at a […]

Government & Politics

Turkey condemns police raid on Berlin mosque Berlin prosecutor's office, police should apologize to Muslim community for this attitude, says Turkey's vice president

(Anadolu) Turkey on Thursday condemned a police raid on a mosque in Berlin, Germany. “I strongly condemn the immoderate police raid on the Berlin Mevlana Mosque during the fajr prayer time,” Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter. The Berlin prosecutor’s […]

Academics & Education

French MP warns of generalized suspicion of Muslims Lawmaker urges unity in fight against terrorism, says terrorists aim to divide society, provoke anti-Muslim sentiments

(Anadolu) French lawmaker Adrien Quatennens has warned against a climate of generalized suspicion toward the country’s Muslims after the murder of teacher Samuel Paty by an extremist last Friday in the suburbs of Paris. Quatennens, an LFI Party member of the parliament […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

‘Macron’s remarks on Islam a provocation’ Turkish president says French leader’s remarks claiming 'Islam is in crisis' go beyond disrespect

(Anadolu) The French president’s recent claims about Islam amount to a dangerous provocation, Turkey’s president said on Tuesday. “[Emmanuel] Macron’s statement on ‘Islam is in crisis’ in a city where Muslims are the majority go beyond disrespect and are a clear provocation,” […]

Government & Politics

Turkey issues report on Turkish minority in Greece Parliament elaborates on cultural, religious issues of Turk community living in Western Thrace and Dodecanese Islands

(Anadolu) The Turkish parliament on Tuesday issued a report elaborating on religious and cultural problems faced by the Turkish minority in Greece. The report by the Department of Research Services also examined the difficulties in protecting joint heritage sites in the southeastern […]

Academics & Education

Turkey slams Greece over closing minority schools Shuttering minority schools is part of Greece's assimilation, oppression of Turks in Western Thrace region, says Turkey

(Anadolu) Turkey slammed Greece on Wednesday over systematically closing down Turkish minority schools in the country’s Western Thrace region, depriving the minority of the education of their choosing. Athens’ practice of “temporary suspension” of minority schools in Western Thrace — a region […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Ankara, EU can work against Islamophobia: Turkey Turkey ready to support EU efforts to achieve equality for Muslims, other religious communities, says Turkish official

(Anadolu) Turkey and the EU have worked closely together in many areas and can do so against anti-Muslim racist movements, Turkey’s communications director said Saturday. Fahrettin Altun attended a presentation in Ankara of the European Islamophobia Report 2019 of the Foundation for […]

Government & Politics

Turkey deports 2 German nationals over terror links Terrorists deported as part of Turkey's ramped-up efforts to return foreign fighters, says Interior Ministry

(Anadolu) Turkey on Saturday deported two foreign terrorists to their home country of Germany, the Interior Ministry said. Turkey continues to deport foreign terrorists, said a ministry statement. The issue of the handling of Daesh/ISIS terrorists and their families detained in Syria […]

Clerics & Preachers

Turkey: Parliament head slams Macron over Islamophobia French president said he will stop practice of bringing in Muslim preachers from foreign countries

(Anadolu) Turkey’s parliament speaker on Wednesday slammed French President Emmanuel Macron’s Islamophobic remarks. “Macron’s remarks on struggling with Islamic separatism are [an] example of crude Islamophobia,” Mustafa Sentop said in a tweet. “France should first confront its racist and massacrist history,” he […]

Government & Politics

Turkish speaker slams Greek president’s racist remarks I strongly condemn racist remarks of Greek president which ignore Western Thrace’s Turks, Mustafa Sentop says

(Anadolu) Turkey’s parliament speaker on Tuesday slammed Greece’s president for calling the Turkish Muslim minority in the country … a “Greek Muslim minority.” “I strongly condemn the racist remarks of Greek President [Prokopios] Pavlopoulos that ignore the Western Thrace’s Turks,” Mustafa Sentop […]

Government & Politics

Turkey deports 229 foreign terrorist fighters Migration chief says 75 EU-origin foreign terrorists sent back since beginning of anti-terror operation last year

(Anadolu) Turkey has deported 229 foreign terrorists, 75 of whom are EU citizens, since its anti-terror operation in Syria, an official from the country’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. Abdullah Ayaz, head of Turkey’s migration department, told Anadolu Agency that the struggle […]

Government & Politics

Greece cannot deny Muslim Turkish minority: Turkey Turkish leaders blast Greek president for referring to Muslim Turkish minority in Western Thrace as 'Greek Muslim minority'

(Anadolu) Top Turkish officials on Tuesday slammed Greece’s president for mislabeling the Muslim Turkish minority in a region of Greece bordering Turkey as a “Greek Muslim minority.” “The president of a country said to be the cradle of democracy again called the […]

Government & Politics

Turkey deports 2 German citizens over Daesh/ISIS links Continuing program of returns, Turkey repatriates 2 foreign terrorist fighters with German citizenship

(Anadolu) Turkey has deported two German citizens over links to the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group, Turkish officials announced on Wednesday. An Interior Ministry statement said the extradition process continues for other foreign terrorist fighters in Turkey. The issue of the handling of Daesh/ISIS […]

Crime

Islamophobia poses ‘real danger’: German official Germany's Muslim community 'not feeling safe enough' amid growing far-right hate crimes, says integration minister

(Anadolu) Germany’s integration minister on Tuesday expressed concern over Islamophobia, warning that it poses a “real danger” to social cohesion. Presenting the annual government report on the state of integration in the capital Berlin, Annette Widmann-Mauz said: “Right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism, and hostility […]

Government & Politics

Turkey repatriates 5 foreign terrorists to Germany Extradition of foreign terrorist fighters to their countries continues, says Turkish Interior Ministry

(Anadolu) Turkey repatriated five foreign terrorist fighters to Germany on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the German nationals were sent back to their countries of origin as part of Turkey’s ramped-up efforts to repatriate foreign terrorist […]