Hundreds of fighters going to Syria ‘a threat to EU’

Speaking to the European Parliament’s home affairs committee, the EU’s anti-terror chief Gilles de Kerchove said the departure of hundreds of young Europeans to fight in Syria poses “a serious threat” to Europe’s security. A report released early this month by King’s College London said up to 600 people from 14 countries, including Austria, Britain,…

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NY Times Op ED: A Better Way to Talk About Faith

Is there a way to overcome religious intolerance? Given global demographic changes, it’s a vital question. “The most certain prediction that we can make about almost any modern society is that it will be more diverse a generation from now than it is today,” the political scientist Robert D. Putnam has written. “This is true…

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Muslim women requested to remove headscarf for new Irish immigration card

Several Muslim women were asked to remove their headscarves for a new type of the Irish immigration certificate, known as Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card which is issued by the Garda (Irish police). This card includes the name, a photograph and other details of the card holder and serves as proof that the card…

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Muslim families claim discriminatory admission policies of Catholic schools in Dublin

Four Muslim families claim that their sons were refused admission to secondary schools run by the Catholic Church in South Dublin due to their religious background. The denominational educational system of the Republic of Ireland, in which most primary and secondary schools – though state-funded – are under the patronage of the Catholic Church, allows…

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Local councillor calls for ban of full face veil in Ireland

Cork city councillor and former city mayor, Joe O’Callaghan, has called for a complete ban on the full face veil in Ireland. Following similar legislation in other European countries, O’Callaghan has submitted a motion in this respect to be debated at next month’s Cork city council meeting. His rejection of the full face veil is…

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