Clerics & Preachers

Norway jails controversial Iraqi preacher

(AFP) Norway on Wednesday provisionally jailed controversial Iraqi Kurdish fundamentalist preacher Mullah Krekar, following a conviction in Italy for “terrorist conspiracy,” his lawyer told AFP. Norwegian intelligence (PST) had arrested Krekar, 63, on Monday in Oslo under an international search warrant as […]

Employment

Majority of Canadians against accepting more refugees, poll suggests 76 per cent of respondents say Canada should do more to encourage skilled labour immigration

(CBC) A pre-election survey conducted for CBC News suggests Canadians are divided on immigration, with clear limits on the kind of migration they find acceptable. The government groups immigrants into three categories: economic, which are skilled workers and businesspeople, along with their […]

Government & Politics

UK minister Sajid Javid makes rare visit to Western Wall, Temple Mount In black skullcap, Muslim-born Cabinet minister visits Jewish holy site in contested Old City of Jerusalem, reassures Palestinians Britain still committed to 2-state solution

(Times of Israel) UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday made a rare visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall and Temple Mount on the last day of [his] three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. Javid, who comes from a Muslim family, […]

Clothing

Quebec government aims to define religious symbols in amendment to secularism bill Move is seen as a concession to ensure bill will pass on Friday

(CBC) The Quebec government is offering a first concession to critics of its proposed law restricting religious symbols worn by some civil servants. Tuesday afternoon, Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled the amendment which would define what a religious symbol is. The amendment seeks to define a religious symbol […]

Academics & Education

Austria: Opinion leaders condemn Muslim headscarf ban Law bans headscarves for girls under age of 10 at all primary schools across country, including private schools

(Anadolu) Opinion leaders say the ban in Austria on religious headscarves in primary schools is clearly discriminatory against Muslims and contradicts with the principles of equality and freedom of religion. The bill, which was passed in Austria’s parliament on May 15 and […]

Immigration

Three former Guantanamo prisoners were cleared by the U.S. — but will Ottawa let them join their Canadian wives? A ruling in the case of Ayub Mohammed, who wants to move to Montreal, could have an impact on two other Uyghur men once held at Guantanamo

(National Post) It’s been more than a decade since U.S. authorities freed Ayub Mohammed from their Cuban prison, having decided he was not, after all, an “enemy combatant.” In that time the ethnic Uyghur from China has earned a business degree from […]

Government & Politics

UN: Hungary depriving rejected asylum-seekers of food The UN has accused Hungary of illegally denying food for up to five days to failed asylum-seekers. Budapest replied it 'is not responsible' for people whose asylum requests have been denied.

(Deutsche Welle) The United Nations on Friday said Hungary was deliberately depriving rejected asylum-seekers awaiting deportation of food, in violation of international law. “According to reports, since August 2018, at least 21 migrants awaiting deportation had been deprived of food by the […]