Government & Politics

Is migration the EU’s biggest challenge in 2024? Few topics were as influential in shaping social discourse last year as migration. It's likely to dominate the EU's agenda again in the new year.

(Deutsche Welle) The number of asylum applications to the European Union has risen over the past two years. While there were just under 1 million in 2022, the European Union Agency for Asylum has predicted that this mark could now have hit […]

Clerics & Preachers

France to cease acceptance of foreign-appointed imams starting 2024 France’s history of controversial measures has fueled concerns that this latest move is a continuation of policies targeting Islamic practices.

(Morocco World News) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has announced that France will no longer accept new “detached imams” from foreign countries starting on January 1, 2024. The announcement follows President Emmanuel Macron’s 2020 decision to end the presence of around 300 […]

Legal

Man accused of terror spying trip to London claims he took video of TV station in ‘wonder’ of architecture Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 31, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with attempting to collect information useful for terrorism. He claims he was 'in wonder' at the architecture in West London and was 'set up.'

(Sky News) A Chechen-born man accused of being an “international terrorist” conducting hostile reconnaissance against a dissident Iranian TV station in West London has claimed he was “set up.” Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 31, is accused of conducting surveillance on Iran International at the […]

Children & Teens

Austria arrests 16-year-old on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack The teenager was allegedly planning an attack against a synagogue in Vienna, authorities have said.

(Local) Austrian authorities have arrested a 16-year-old boy from Upper Austria on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack against a synagogue in Vienna. The arrest was made last Thursday, December 7th, and the teenager is in custody. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) […]

Citizenship

Germany: CDU fears Islamist bloc as millions of Turkish migrants to be granted voting rights Progressive plans to naturalise millions of migrants, many of them Turkish, [are] unsettling German conservatives as Turkey continues its collision course with the West.

(European Conservative) New German citizenship laws that expand voting rights to up to 2.5 million recent migrants are unnerving even the usually complacent CDU, with one conservative lawmaker airing fears that the new arrangement could enable a potential Islamist bloc to attain […]

Demonstrations

MOT: Russia planned Islamophobic campaigns in Finland, Sweden to delay Nato membership The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) confirms that they were aware of the Russian intelligence service's plans to incite such demonstrations.

(Yle) Russia made plans to disrupt Finland and Sweden’s accession to joining Nato, according to a secret intelligence report obtained by an Yle MOT investigation. The report found that a Russian intelligence service planned to organise disruption campaigns disguised as demonstrations before […]

Government & Politics

Far-right leader’s anti-mosque remarks could undermine Sweden’s NATO bid: former Swedish envoy Jimmie Akesson's suggestion to demolish mosques is extreme, unfortunate, says Michael Sahlin, Sweden's former ambassador to Türkiye

(Anadolu) A far-right Swedish politician proposing blocking new mosques and demolishing existing ones could undermine the country’s NATO hopes, warned a former Swedish diplomat on Sunday. Jimmie Akesson, leader of the country’s far-right Sweden Democrats, on Saturday proposed a ban on the […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Faeser seeks Hamas condemnation at Islam conference Germany's interior minister has said she will seek clear positions on Hamas from faith groups at the government's annual Islam conference. Nancy Faeser said they should assume 'their responsibility in society.'

(Deutsche Welle) The ongoing conflict in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks against Israel looked sure to overshadow the German government’s annual Islam conference in Berlin on Tuesday. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said ahead of the event on […]

Demonstrations

Danish opposition parties ask MPs to ensure parliament attendance to reject bill banning Quran burning Government's bill expected to be moved for voting during current parliamentary session, which begins after autumn recess

(Anadolu) Five Danish opposition parties announced on Tuesday that they will mobilize as many of their MPs as possible to oppose the government’s bill to criminalize defaming religious symbols, including the Muslim holy book, Quran. The bill is expected to be moved […]

Academics & Education

Germany’s first cohort of locally trained imams graduates Germany set up its own training school for imams due to the large number of foreign-trained Islamic religious leaders. The issue now is the lack of jobs for the graduates.

(Deutsche Welle) Twenty-four Muslims from across Germany formally passed their imam training at the country’s new Islamkolleg Deutschland in the northwestern city of Osnabrück on Saturday. The graduates, who included men and women, received their first certificate of completion after attending a two-year part-time course. […]

Government & Politics

Athens wants to revamp EU-Turkey migrant deal Greek interior minister says now is time to ‘reenergize, rejuvenate and expand’ pact that returns migrants to Turkey.

(Politico) Athens wants to expand a migration deal with Turkey, Greek Interior Minister Dimitrios Kairidis said. The European Union reached the contentious agreement with Turkey at the peak of the migration crisis in March 2016. It foresaw that all undocumented migrants arriving […]

Legal

Alleged Aussie terrorist Neil Prakash ‘refuses’ to appear in court An alleged Islamic State recruiter has refused to face court on terrorism charges, with a prison guard saying 'he states he does not attend court.'

(NCA NewsWire) A Melbourne-born alleged Islamic State fighter has again refused to appear in court, claiming he “does not attend court.” Neil Prakash, 32, was due to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon, but a prison officer appeared on […]