News and Analysis (7/12/20)

After decades of violating the Qur’anic commandment Sudan scrapes laws that made it illegal for non-Muslims to drink alcohol and that criminalized conversion from Islam “potentially punishable by death”:

• Sudan Allows Alcohol Consumption, Decriminalises Leaving Islam (APF / Deccan Herald)

Palestinian-Dutch supermodel Bella Hadid says that the removal her post reflects a trend “to restrict Palestinian digital rights and free expression” …

• ‘Palestine’ Is Not an Anti-Semitic Word (TRT World)

… and the failure in Palestine of the “international legal regime [that] was meant to help end colonialism … threatens its very existence”:

• To Resolve the Palestinian Question We Need to End Colonialism (Aljazeera)

Racial equality people still fight for today, reflects Muhammad’s revolutionary and the still unrealized racial message he outlined in his Farewell speech as “the basic religious and ethical ideals of Islam.”:

• Islam’s Anti-Racist Message from the 7th Century Still Resonates Today (The Conversation)

Founder Al-Khatahtbeth explains that the “Muslim platform doesn’t limit or restrict any expression of the faith”:

• Social Media Community ‘Muslim’ Looks to Attract Islamic Gen-Z (Forbes)

“Despite the past experience of the Bosnian War, and recent white supremacist attacks, many European experts, officials and pundits, appear to focus on extreme groups that have a Muslim background”:

• Was the Srebrenica Genocide Aimed at the Wider Muslim Presence in Europe? (TRT World)

“Off-screen, they have taken charge of their stories, proving that they never needed to be spoken for or rescued, but for a meaningful reflection of this reality in cinema, Muslim women will have to write their own stories”:

• The Unseen Muslim Women of Hindi Cinema (Indian Express)

Key among the many mistakes that contributed to the tragedy were a misaligned radar, traffic control’s failure to identify the plane as civilian, and a,military unite that fired without authorization:

• Iranian Report Details Chain of Mistakes in Shooting Down Ukrainian Passenger Plane (NPR)

The oppression of Jammu and Kashmir continues:

• Separatist Leader Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai Held in Kashmir (The Hindu)
• First Time in History, Jammu and Kashmir Gives Skip to Martyrs’ Day (Hindustan Times)
• Kashmir Gunfight Leaves 3 Militants Dead, Police Say (Andalu Agency)

Amendment introduced by Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey will provide aid to Palestinians through non-governmental organizations:

• US Congressional Committee Moves to Restore Aid to Palestinians (Aljazeera)