Proposed Icelandic ban on circumcision accused of attacking religious freedom of Muslims and Jews

The proposed ban on circumcision in Iceland has been accused by Muslim and Jewish religious leaders of attacking religious freedom. Concerns have been raised that the criminalisation of religious practices could act as a proxy for Islamophobia and antisemitism.

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Independent review examining the application of Sharia councils in the UK invites conflicting responses, including from the Home Office

The recently published independent review was set up to examine the manner in which Sharia law was being applied in conjunction with UK law, and in particular, whether it is facilitating discriminatory practices against women.

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The Police and the Headscarf Debate in the Netherlands and the Case of Sarah Izat

Can you be a “neutral” policewoman and still wear an Islamic headscarf? According to young Dutch Muslim Sarah Izat (26), these two are not in contradiction with each other. Izat, who has worked for the Dutch police force since she was twenty-one years old, has become prominent in Dutch public debates about wearing a headscarf…

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Islam in crisis: Observations by German religious scholar Michael Blume

The assumption that ‘Islam’ – usually conceived as a monolithic force – is on an expansionary path is widely shared. Islamists herald the onset of an age of Islamic renewal and dominance; anxious Westerners take to the streets against the ‘Islamisation’ of the occident; and colourful videos highlighting that Islam is set to overtake Christianity…

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Islamic theology at German universities: successes and limitations of an unprecedented experiment

For many decades after the arrival of Muslim ‘guest workers’ from Turkey, Morocco, and other Muslim-majority countries, German authorities were happy to outsource the provision of religious services to Imams and preachers sent by the Muslim immigrants’ countries of origin. Since the Muslim workforce would ultimately return home, it was unnecessary and even counterproductive to…

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