Schools in Québec are now required to note the passage of holidays like Eid al-Adha, Hanukkah, Diwali and the birth of Sikh guru Nanak. These dates are part of a controversial new course on ethics and religious culture making its debut in classrooms this fall. One school, Loyola High School in Montreal, is going to…
After having been taken away in January, the Belgium Executive is once again receiving subsidies. A Royal Order in the Belgian Official Journal granted 150,000 Euro to the Muslim Executive; the money was taken from the federal budget for religions. Minister of Justice Jo Vandeurzen, who is responsible for the administration of religions, postponed the…
Cologne’s city council has approved building plans for what is slated to be Germany’s largest mosque. Politicians hope the structure’s glass design and bilingual program will help integrate the Islamic community. Cologne’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Left Party all voted for the construction of the mosque,…
Last week the Guardian uncovered a report by MI5 suggesting there is no single pathway to Islamic extremism. What a surprise! And in a further deconstruction of preconceptions, the report found evidence that a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalisation. If this is the case, what are the implications for racial and religious…
A one day conference to mark the launch of the Association of Muslim Chaplains in Education was hosted at Brunel University in West London. The conference, held on June 25, was attended by over 80 participants of different faith communities and from different parts of the UK. Bill Rammell, MP for Lifelong Learning and Education…
