“The Trojan horse Affair”: The call for an independent inquiry

The Trojan Horse scandal centred on an anonymous letter that was leaked to Birmingham’s City Council (United Kingdom) in 20131. It alleged that teachers and governors in certain schools, within predominantly Muslim areas of Birmingham, were being “systematically overthrown and replaced by people who would run the schools according conservative Islamic principles”2. The photocopy of…

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“Civilized versus Uncivilized Refugees”: The Political Consequences of the narrative on the Ukrainian crisis

The conflict in Ukraine has created another refugee crisis. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in two weeks (since 24 February), over 2 million people have fled Ukraine. Many of them are being welcomed by neighboring countries, particularly Poland (1,2 million), but also Hungary (over 191,000), Slovakia (over 140,000), Moldova and Romania (over 82,000…

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French Government’s New Initiative: The Forum of Islam in France

The French government launched on February 5 2022, a new governing body for Islam: the Forum of Islam in France (FORIF), which replaces the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) as the official interlocutor between the government and the Muslim community. [1] It will address strategic issues such as: security of places of worship,…

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The never-ending debate on the hijab: Latest trends in Europe

For decades now, the hijab has become a symbol of the tensions between Islam and secular European cultures [1]. Out of the 27 EU member states and the United Kingdom, 9 countries currently enforce some type of restriction on religious dress for Muslim women. Some of these are national bans (Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands)…

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The consequences of COVID-19 on Muslim burials

The death toll during the COVID-19 pandemic has been alarming across Europe, and all over the world, since early 2020. In this context, burying loved ones has become a difficult task for many Muslim communities in Europe, as it has added a further challenge to an already precarious situation. For years now, Muslim communities have…

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