Month: December 2020

Many states are beginning to elect their first Muslims as more individuals from the community run for public office: Indianapolis Democrat Is First Muslim State Lawmaker In Indiana History (WBAA) First Muslim Sworn Into Wisconsin Legislature (TMJ4 Milwaukee) In an effort to curtail freedom of speech, Canada adopts the IHRA definition of antisemitism which conflates criticism of…

The Iranian government hopes to pass bills to allow them to join the Financial Action Task Force in order to streamline access to COVID-19 vaccines and promote free trade: Iran’s President Claims Washington Demanding that Coronavirus Vaccine Transaction Run Through U.S. Bank (Radio Farda) Rouhani Anticipates Passing Laws That Allow Iran to Join FATF (Ash-Sahrq…

President-elect Biden plans to continue the close relationship with Modi established by Trump while being wary of growing anti-Muslim hostility in India … Biden Is Expected to Expand U.S.-India Relations While Stressing Human Rights (The New York Times) … and seems to be backing off his earlier immigration pledge that included ending the Muslim ban on…

Young members of Indonesia’s largest Islamic group protect churches from violence during Christmas, and in the process, “renew and strengthen interreligious relations”: Islamic Militias Are Protecting Churches in Indonesia (Hudson Institute) Muslim advocacy groups in the U.S. condemn Trump’s decision to pardon four Blackwater contractors jailed for massacre of Iraq civilians: US Muslim Group Decries Trump’s…

Al-Azhar has submitted to Egyptian government controlled media demands that they follow the lead of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars to declare membership in the Muslim Brotherhood religiously prohibited: Al-Azhar Bans Joining the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ (Asharq al-Awsat) Muslim advocacy group is now demanding Alaska Airlines to apologize for kicking out two Muslim men from…

“Israel bears moral and humanitarian responsibility for vaccinating the Palestinian population under its control” — Physicians for Human Rights: Israel Is Starting to Vaccinate, but Palestinians May Have to Wait Months (Washington Post) Many imams were sacked for not complying to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance’s order to condemn the Muslim Brotherhood:…

Iran released a statement denouncing “any destructive action against maritime security and safety.” and the Houthis declared that the “U.S. and the U.K. have failed to protect Saudi Arabia’s ports, and that they would be prepared to shield them if the kingdom asks”: Iran Breaks Silence on Saudi Port Attack, Condemns It as Threat (Bloomberg)…

After upholding the death sentence of French-based journalist accused of instigating nationwide economic protests in 2017, Ruhollah Zam, was executed on Saturday. The EU and UN released statements condemning the execution, and German and French envoys were summoned to Iran as a result: Iran Summons EU Envoys for Protesting Reporter’s Hanging (AP) UN Human Rights…

SCOTUS has unanimously ruled that “Muslims put on the no-fly list after refusing to act as informants can sue federal officials for money damages under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act”: Supreme Court Says Muslim Men Can Sue FBI Agents in No-Fly List Case (NPR) After a Muslim woman in a hijab was not allowed into…