Report: left-wing think tank urges days off for Muslim and Jewish holidays

The French left-wing think tank Terra Nova recently published a report in which it urges a “less centralized Islam” in France, as well as additional days off for Muslim and Jewish holidays. The study, entitled “the Emancipation of French Islam,” notes the limits to the French Council of the Muslim Faith’s ability to represent the country’s Muslim population. The…

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Sadiq Khan speaks for peaceful Islam at Trafalgar Square Eid festival

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2016/jul/10/sadiq-khan-speaks-for-peaceful-islam-at-trafalgar-square-eid-festival Just a few months ago, before the EU referendum triggered earthquakes across the UK political landscape, the Conservative party and its press allies were seeking, unsuccessfully, to portray Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, and at that time Labour’s candidate to become London mayor, as having questionable “links” with Islamist fanatics in one of the most…

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‘RIP the Republic’: debate over postponing French Muslim students’ exams for religious holiday

Ile-de-France region’s decision to allow those celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr to postpone graduation exams has sparked controversy. Critics of the move say France is ignoring the principles of secularism. The measure was proposed by Maison des Examens, which manages the bac in the Ile-de-France region. This year one of Islam’s most important…

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‘Happy Ramadan’: Postal worker threatens to destroy mail featuring Muslim holiday stamps

The US Postal Service is investigating threats made online by a woman identifying herself as one of its mail carriers, Buzzfeed reported. The woman identifying herself online as Catherine An Ray threatened to tamper with mail on Monday after sharing a post by anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller complaining about the release of a stamp commemorating the Muslim…

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To kill a sheep or donate? The dilemma of Muslims on Eid

Eid is traditionally a holiday during which a Muslim is expected to slaughter a sheep, however there is a growing problem surrounding the holiday due to the limited capacity of slaughterhouses in France. Only one hundred machines would be approved in France as appropriate for slaughter. As a result, the French Council of the Muslim…

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