Refugees Tense Ahead of Trump Executive Order
Since the election of President Donald Trump in November, life has changed for Firas, a Syrian refugee living in Virginia. First, Firas and his family stopped telling people where they are from. They avoided “showing practices of our daily routine or culture as Syrian-Muslim people, like prayers or clothing or speaking our language loudly,” he […]
‘Jihad’ – a play which follows the odyssey of three young Muslims who go to Syria
A play called ‘Jihad’ has been on stage in Brussels and France. It follows the odyssey of three young Muslims from the streets of Brussels to the horrors of Islamic State-inspired martyrdom in Syria. Ismael Saidi, the stage director and writer of the play was born to Moroccan parents and raised in the Brussels district […]
Trump Looking for New Strategy Options to Counter Islamic State
President Donald Trump is heading to the Pentagon later Friday where he will likely ask for new options on how to defeat the Islamic State (IS) militant group in ways that were considered “off the table” during the previous administration, defense officials have told VOA. In turn, top defense officials will be looking for clear […]
French Court Affirms One Burkini Ban, Rejects Another
A sizzling summer controversy over burkini bans in France returned to the spotlight in midwinter Thursday, as a Corsican administrative court upheld a local decree against the Muslim swimming garment in one village, but struck down a similar ban elsewhere due to a lack of evidence that it was a threat to public order. The […]
Czech court rejects suit over school hijab ban
A Czech court has rejected a discrimination suit filed by a Somali refugee, who was banned from wearing her hijab in a nursing school, the first case of its kind in the EU state. “The suit which the plaintiff lodged seeking an apology and 60,000 crowns ($2,350) in compensation was rejected,” Justice Daniela Cejkova said, […]
FRANCE – New book claims halal is ‘invented tradition’, not a pillar of Islam
The halal market hasn’t stopped growing since the 1980s. But according to anthropologist Florence Bergeaud-Blackler, author of the new book “The Halal Market or The Invention of a Tradition”, buying halal is not a religious obligation. Food, clothing cosmetics, banks… The halal certification label is everywhere. But is it a religious obligation? Not according to […]
Trump’s Shifting Alliances Have Global Consequences
French and German leadership voiced major concerns Friday over President Donald Trump’s policies in a joint press conference Friday in Berlin where the heads of state highlighted the dual threats of Islamic terror and rising nationalism in Europe. Their remarks are the latest international reaction to what appears to be a significant shift in foreign […]
Trump Fan Charged with Hate Crime for Assault on Muslim
A Donald Trump supporter has been charged with hate crimes for allegedly assaulting a Muslim employee and telling her the new U.S. president would “get rid of all of you.” A Thursday statement from the Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown identified the man as Robin A. Rhodes, 57, from Worchester, Massachusetts. According to the […]
On World Holocaust Day, leaders warn against the rise of bigotry and intolerance
More than one million people, mostly European Jews were gassed, shot or hanged at Auschwitz. On World Holocaust Day, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo paid homage to the victims of the Nazi death camp. Surrounded by some of the last survivors, she said “memory and truth are our responsibility, they are our weapons against evil.”
Senators Oppose Education Secretary Confirmation
One of the most contentious picks for President Donald Trump’s cabinet is his Secretary of Education choice, Betsy Devos. The prominent Michigan Republican billionaire has a history of supporting charter schools and school choice, chaired the American Federation for Children and was condemned by the largest labor union in the U.S., the National Education Association.