German army’s special forces partly disbanded due to far-right links

Politics surrounding Germany’s armed forces – the Bundeswehr – is fiercely contested: politically, some (not least the U.S. President) are demanding a reversal of decades of cutbacks, while others view such plans with scepticism and distrust. Operationally, the forces have been much affected by severe staff and materiel shortages, as well as by corruption scandals…

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‘Islamophobia’: A contested term in UK discourse

Recent claims that Islamophobia does not exist has prompted questioning over whether the term, which some argue conflates the anti-Muslim and the anti-Islam, is a useful one to use.

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BBC Radio 4’s ‘Too Young to Veil?’ examines controversy around primary school age girls wearing the hijab

Shaimaa Khalil discusses the rising trend in the UK of primary school girls wearing the hijab, whether there is a need for concern about this, and who, if anyone, has the right to decide what young girls wear.

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‘The Silence of the Liberals’ criticises the British left-wing for damaging the voices of progressive Muslims, but this criticism lacks a nuance

Nick Cohen discusses how the British left-wing fail to support, and sometimes undermine, liberal progressive Muslims who are fighting inequalities endorsed by culture and religion in their community. But his argument fails to appreciate the nuances of the current debates surrounding British Muslim communities.

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Sentencing of Darren Osborne sparks discussion about right-wing extremism in the UK, and the role of the mainstream media in popularising it

Osborne, who killed a worshipper outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in 2017 in an act of terrorism motivated by Islamophobia, was reportedly radicalised by online content from far-right movements. The British mainstream media has been criticised for popularising this content through engaging with it in their coverage.

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