News and Analysis (12/27/14)

“In Raqqa, once a city of more than 200,000 people, the militants have kicked locals out of their homes and doled out those houses as rewards to fighters and their families, many of whom come from impoverished backgrounds”: …

… but “Isis’s vaunted exercise in state-building appears to be crumbling, as living conditions deteriorate across the territories under its control”:

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld will reconsider its previous decision as to whether Evangelicals demonstrating shouting “crude messages at [Arab] festival attendees” engaged in “disorderly conduct” or merely practicing their 1st amendment rights to publicly express their hatred and ignorance”:

“More than one-third of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism, threatening letters, attempted arson, the placement of pigs’ heads, or other aggressive actions in the past 10 years”:

“The arrest of the boy … sparked an outcry, with opposition parties denouncing it as the latest example of the government’s descent toward authoritarianism and its crackdown on dissent. Dozens of lawyers volunteered to defend the teen and petitioned for his release”:

Kenya passes anti-terrorism laws where the country’s’ leading Muslim scholars must not make any negative speech against the government, and such meetings regarding this must be held. Any gathering that criticises the government will be considered a terrorist supported meeting.”:

Can new Muslim celebrate Christmas? The answer is “there is no reason for new Muslims to refuse to join their families on such festive occasions, as long as they do not practice rituals that are considered objectionable-from an Islamic point of view”; e.g., skip the rum in the egg nog:

In Nigeria, “More than 200 Muslim youth volunteers were part of those protecting Christians during church services to celebrate this year’s Christmas”:

The “Muslim community in Malawi has intensified efforts to use teachings from the Holy Quran in order to safeguard the sanctity of marriage and reduce soaring rates of divorce” sparked in part by gender-based violence:

Obama can make history if he recognizes Palestine’s statehood.  Citizenship, is a basic human right, and “Palestinians, as stateless, not only lack most basic human rights, they do not even have a right to have such rights”:

 

 


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