Academics & Education

Hamline University settles lawsuit over showing of Prophet Muhammad in art history class Instructor Erika López Prater sued the university for removing her after she upset a Muslim student

(Pioneer Press) Hamline University has agreed to settle the religious discrimination lawsuit brought by an art history instructor who lost her job after showing paintings of the Prophet Muhammad during an October 2022 class. The tentative deal was reached Monday night after […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Lino Lakes City Council pauses Muslim-focused housing development amid public pushback Several Lino Lakes residents say they’re concerned the project could overwhelm the water supply, increase traffic and harm the environment. Project supporters say the criticisms are steeped in Islamophobia.

(Sahan Journal) The Lino Lakes City Council voted Monday evening to halt development of a Muslim-focused community that has drawn resistance from several residents, and allegations from supporters that Islamophobia is delaying progress. The council voted 4-1 to enforce a moratorium after […]

Legal

St. Louis Park man sentenced to 10 years for joining, fighting for ISIS overseas Abdelhamid Al-Madioum has since said he 'joined a death cult' and has helped the FBI investigate terror cases around the country.

(Star Tribune) One sleeve of Abdelhamid Al-Madioum’s orange sweatshirt dangled where his right arm once was as he walked into a Minneapolis federal courtroom Thursday a decade older than he was when he began devouring the terror propaganda that led him to […]

Legal

Minnesotan will be sentenced for fighting for ISIS: ‘I joined a death cult’ As federal authorities stopped groups of Minnesotans from traveling to ISIS territory a decade ago, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum escaped detection. His survival and return home was no less astonishing.

(Star Tribune) The Islamic State group’s territory was wasting away five years ago when a member from Minnesota desperately dug a trench around his young family’s tent to protect against airstrikes in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. By then, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum […]

Holidays

CAIR MN removes Shaun King as event keynote speaker following backlash The decision came seven hours after the activist was announced as the speaker for the fundraiser.

(Star Tribune) Minnesota’s branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Thursday night it will remove activist Shaun King as its keynote speaker for an upcoming Ramadan fundraiser, hours after backlash over the announcement that King was selected. A little before noon, […]

Crime

Iranian man and two Hells Angels accused in murder-for-hire plot in U.S. An alleged hitman promised to shoot targets and 'erase his head from his torso,' according to a federal indictment.

(NBC) Two Canadian members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang plotted with an Iranian drug trafficker to kill a pair of dissidents who were living in Maryland, the Justice Department and federal officials said Monday. Naji Sharifi Zindashti, aka “Big Guy,” who […]

Government & Politics

Swing-state Muslim Americans threaten to vote against Biden Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Biden. But community leaders in swing states tell NBC News that the president's handling of the war in Gaza risks losing their support.

(NBC) As Israel’s U.S-backed war against Hamas intensifies and Palestinian civilian deaths mount, a growing number of swing-state Muslim American and Arab American leaders are warning President Joe Biden that he is losing support from their communities in ways that could cost […]

Academics & Education

Judge tosses four of five claims related to art history dispute at Hamline University, keeps case in federal court Erika López Prater, an art history professor, lost her teaching position at Hamline after showing images of the Prophet Muhammad in class. A federal judge will allow her religious discrimination claim to proceed.

(Sahan Journal) A lawsuit against Hamline University by a former art history professor will remain in federal court, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled Friday. But she dismissed four of the professor’s five claims that stemmed from a campus dispute last winter. […]

Government & Politics

Jeffries endorses Ilhan Omar amid AIPAC primary threat Democratic leadership is sending a message to progressives who are worried about primary challenges from the pro-Israel group: Caucus leaders plan to support all incumbents.

(Politico) When Pramila Jayapal faced fierce blowback in mid-July after dubbing Israel a “racist state,” it immediately unnerved fellow House progressives. Their concern: Would Democratic leaders recommit to the longstanding policy of backing all incumbents, including critics of Israel? The answer was […]

Government & Politics

Minneapolis City Council draws criticism for scheduling rent stabilization vote on Eid Three Muslim council members, who would have voted to move the policy forward, were all absent from the vote to honor the major religious holiday.

(KARE) With four “yeas” and six “nays,” the issue of rent stabilization was stopped from going on the ballot for Minneapolis voters this fall. That is news in and of itself, but at issue for many is that the council voted on […]

Academics & Education

Report: Adjunct who showed images of prophet was ‘vilified’ A new American Association of University Professors report says Hamline University administrators 'encouraged and promoted' a 'de facto campaign of vilification.'

(Inside Higher Ed) A new American Association of University Professors report criticizes Hamline University for its treatment of an adjunct professor who showed students images of the prophet Muhammad, saying she was academically justified in displaying them and the institution was wrong […]

Government & Politics

Minneapolis mayor signs ordinance allowing Islamic call to prayer year round Muslim leaders say Minneapolis is now the first major U.S. city to allow broadcasts of all five daily calls to prayer.

(KARE) With the stroke of a pen, the more than 20 mosques throughout Minneapolis are now allowed to publicly broadcast the Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, five times per day throughout the year. Mayor Jacob Frey officially signed the new ordinance […]

Government & Politics

The adhan, five times a day: Minneapolis City Council poised to vote on allowing a full daily set of Muslim prayer calls year-round Minneapolis has limited the broadcast of the Islamic call to prayer to three or four times a day. The City Council will vote next week on a proposal to expand that to five times a day.

(Sahan Journal) Minneapolis mosques would be able to broadcast the adhan — the Islamic call to prayer — five times a day under a proposed ordinance unanimously approved March 29 by the City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee. The resolution would […]

Government & Politics

CAIR-MN, religious leaders support noise ordinance change to allow Islamic call to prayer in Minneapolis Dozens showed up to testify to allow the Islamic call to prayer to be broadcast from loudspeakers for all five daily prayers.

(KARE) It was standing room only, as dozens of people packed inside Minneapolis City Council chambers. “I want to thank Councilmember Aisha Chughtai and the two other Muslim councilmembers,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on […]

Academics & Education

Hamline files motion to dismiss lawsuit from professor fired in Prophet Muhammad controversy University attorneys claim Erika López Prater has failed to state claims upon which relief can be granted.

(KARE) Hamline University is asking a federal judge to toss a lawsuit filed by the former adjunct professor who lost her job and was called “Islamophobic” by school officials after showing her art history class a painting of the Prophet Muhammad considered […]

Academics & Education

Lawsuit concerning Hamline adjunct professor, Prophet Muhammad controversy moved back to federal court Erika López Prater claimed religious discrimination, reprisal, and defamation after Hamline dismissed her amid student complaints about a painting shown in class.

(KARE) After already ping-ponging between state and federal court multiple times, the lawsuit filed by former Hamline University adjunct professor Erika López Prater was moved back to federal court last week. López Prater’s suit alleges religious discrimination, reprisal, and defamation after she […]

Academics & Education

Art history professor moves to dismiss federal lawsuit against Hamline, plans to file new suit A federal judge dismissed the case at the art history professor’s request. The professor’s lawyer told Sahan Journal his client would file a new case in state court.

(Sahan Journal) A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit Erika López Prater filed against Hamline University after the school criticized her for displaying two images of the Prophet Muhammad in her art history class. David Redden, an attorney for López Prater, […]

Academics & Education
Academics & Education

Hamline U. faculty call on President Miller to step down over Islamophobia controversy Hamline’s full-time faculty say the dismissal of an adjunct professor has harmed the university’s reputation.

(Pioneer Press) Hamline University’s full-time faculty on Tuesday asked President Fayneese Miller to resign over her administration’s handling of a Muslim student’s complaint about an adjunct professor who showed ancient art in class that depicted the Prophet Muhammad. Various Hamline administrators have […]

Academics & Education

CAIR says Hamline University teacher is not Islamophobic The statement comes after CAIR's Minnesota chapter said the classroom viewing of a painting of the Prophet Muhammad was bigoted and disrespectful.

(Religion News) The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement Friday (Jan. 13), saying an art history instructor at Hamline University did not act with bigoted intent when she showed a 14th-century painting of the Prophet Muhammad in a class last semester. […]

Academics & Education

CAIR MN backs student who says she was hurt by instructor showing image of Muhammad At a press conference held by the Minneapolis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the student said she was shocked and pained by an art history instructor.

(Religion News) Hamline University senior Aram Wedatalla held back tears as she described how hurt she felt when her art history instructor informed the class she would briefly show a painting of the Prophet Muhammad last semester. Speaking at a news conference held […]

Academics & Education

Academic freedom vs. rights of Muslim students An instructor at Hamline U showed an image of Muhammad in an art history class. The president criticized the instructor for doing so. Another professor, who tried to explain the situation with an essay in the student paper, had his piece removed.

(Inside Higher Ed) This fall, an instructor at Hamline University, in Minnesota, was teaching global art history. For one class, the instructor (who has not been named) was discussing Islamic art and included for a brief period (under 10 minutes) a screen […]

Academics & Education

An academic is fired over a medieval painting of the Prophet Muhammad The dismissal of an instructor at Hamline University on baseless charges of 'Islamophobia' raises concerns about freedom on campus

(New Lines) On Nov. 18, Hamline University’s student newspaper, the Oracle, published an article notifying its community members of two recent incidents on its campus in Saint Paul, Minnesota, one indubitably homophobic and the other supposedly Islamophobic. Both occurrences were placed under […]