April 9-15- Islam in Media Roundup

The American Optimism of a Kansas Muslim

The American Optimism of a Kansas Muslim

Bloomberg View

In the aftermath of a killing in Kansas, local cardiologist Moussa Elbayoumy works extensively to bridge Muslim and American communities through discrete acts of kindness and outreach.
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Istanbul’s Acclaimed Modern Art Museum Enters New Era

Istanbul’s Acclaimed Modern Art Museum Enters New Era

Pakistan Today

The Istanbul Modern, or Antrepo No. 4, will be demolished and relocated to another area of historic Istanbul, signaling a new era in the museums cultural mission.
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Islamic Scholars Debate Validity of Cryptocurrencies

Islamic Scholars Debate Validity of Cryptocurrencies

Nasdaq

The world’s top Islamic finance scholars are scrutinizing the validity of cryptocurrencies, as debate grows in the industry as to whether such fast emerging financial tools can be deemed sharia compliant.
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The Arab World’s Star Student

The Arab World’s Star Student

Foreign Policy

Understanding Tunisia’s relative political success can be partially traced back to it’s stellar education system which pushes a dynamic, secular teaching that allows for the crucial ‘why’ to be asked.
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Islamist Parties Re-Create Coalition to ‘establish sharia’ In Pakistan

Islamist Parties Re-Create Coalition to ‘establish sharia’ In Pakistan

Asia Times

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a coalition of Islamist parties in Pakistan, has announced its revival with a focus on implementation of sharia in the country along with defeating secularism and eradicating corruption.
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Hopeful Signs For Religious Reform In the Arab World

Hopeful Signs For Religious Reform In the Arab World

The Hill

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to the U.S. generated much press and excitement about the future monarch, a leader who appears to be committed to religious, socio-economic and political reforms, which might inspire struggling Arab rulers to follow in path.
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Is Saudi Arabia Turning Against Wahhabism?

Is Saudi Arabia Turning Against Wahhabism?

Albawaba

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s push for a more ‘moderate Islam’ in his kingdom is signaling a shift away from Wahhabism, the religious thought that has dominated of Saudi politics.
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HHS Staffer Described Islam As A F**King Cult And Believed Pizzagate Conspiracy Theory

HHS Staffer Described Islam As A F**King Cult And Believed Pizzagate Conspiracy Theory

Newsweek

A deputy at the Dept. of Health and Human Services has been placed on administrative leave after it emerged she was a PizzaGate conspiracy theorist who described Islam as a ‘f**king cult.
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State And Local Republican Officials Have Been Bashing Muslims. We Counted.

State And Local Republican Officials Have Been Bashing Muslims. We Counted.

BuzzFeed News

A BuzzFeed News analysis found that Republican officials in forty-nine states have openly attacked Muslims with words and proposed legislation since 2015, and few have faced repercussions.
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Nigeria: Shiites’ Protest: Intensifying Protests Against Perceived Injustice

Nigeria: Shiites’ Protest: Intensifying Protests Against Perceived Injustice

New Telegraph

In the last couple of weeks, members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as the Shiites, have raised the tempo of their protests, raising fears that the group is running out of patience and might, one day, become violent.
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America's Next Generation Of Muslims Insists On Crafting Its Own Story

America's Next Generation Of Muslims Insists On Crafting Its Own Story

NPR

In one of the most racially and nationally diverse groups in the U.S., Muslim American youth insist on both consuming and producing their own unique brand of culture into fashion, communities, and beyond.
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Islamic Scholar Says Bitcoin is Compliant With Sharia Law as Price Surges

Islamic Scholar Says Bitcoin is Compliant With Sharia Law as Price Surges

CCN

A recent declaration by an Islamic scholar that Bitcoin is compliant with Sharia law could be the cause behind today’s One thousand dollar price surge, opening the market to Muslim investors who were previously unsure if the cryptocurrency qualified as money under the strict definitions outlined by scholars.
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Uzbek Government Eases Restrictions on Muslims

Uzbek Government Eases Restrictions on Muslims

The Jamestown Foundation

Under new political authority, Uzbek authorities are pulling back on restrictions on the practice of and access to Islamic traditions, hallmarked by a scheduled Quran recitation competition.
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The Queen May Be A Child of the Prophet Muhammad

The Queen May Be A Child of the Prophet Muhammad

The Times UK

A Moroccan newspaper has declared that the Queen is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, claiming to have traced her lineage back more than forty generations.
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India: Muslim Groups Call Protest Rally to ‘save religion, save country’

India: Muslim Groups Call Protest Rally to ‘save religion, save country’

Times of India

Imarat Shariah and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board have jointly organized a mega protest titled Deen Bachao, Desh Bachao (Save Religion, Save Country) to protest the increasing political strife faced by Muslims in India.
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Amid Growing Interest in Halal Food, Navy Pier Festival to Celebrate Muslim Lifestyle

Amid Growing Interest in Halal Food, Navy Pier Festival to Celebrate Muslim Lifestyle

Chicago Tribune

Thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims alike are expected to attend the inaugural I Heart Halal festival on Navy Pier this weekend, an event that’s billed as the first halal lifestyle festival in America.
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The Koran According to the Israeli Army: A Good Palestinian Woman Stays Away From Protests

The Koran According to the Israeli Army: A Good Palestinian Woman Stays Away From Protests

Haaretz

In an interview with an IDF spokesperson, he questionably draws from the Quran in an attempt to morally detract from women’s participation in the recent politically charged protests.
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Swiss Woman Files Rape Complaint Against Islamic Scholar Tariq Ramadan

Swiss Woman Files Rape Complaint Against Islamic Scholar Tariq Ramadan

Straits Times

A Swiss woman has filed a criminal complaint in Geneva for rape against the Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan – already being held in custody in France on similar allegations.
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Multiculturalism Has Failed, Believe Substantial Minority of Britons

Multiculturalism Has Failed, Believe Substantial Minority of Britons

The Guardian UK

A new study finds that a large minority of Britons appears to believe that multiculturalism has failed and different communities generally live separate lives, drawing worrying conclusion about integration with Muslim communities.
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How Islam Shaped the Enlightenment

How Islam Shaped the Enlightenment

The New Republic

In his new book, The Republic of Arabic Letters: Islam and the European Enlightenment, author Alexander Bevilacqua highlights the contributions of Islam and Muslims in the emerging philosophies and thought of the Enlightenment era.
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How Muslims, Often Misunderstood, Are Thriving in America

How Muslims, Often Misunderstood, Are Thriving in America

National Geographic

In this story by National Geographic, several cases of Muslim American communities that are excelling in tradition, community building, and culture are brought to show a clear progress despite the heavy prejudice.
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Muslims Find Jews Standing Behind Them In Opposition To Pompeo’s Confirmation

Muslims Find Jews Standing Behind Them In Opposition To Pompeo’s Confirmation

Religion News Service

As members of the Senate begin hearings on whether to confirm Mike Pompeo as secretary of state, they will consider dozens of objections from Muslim groups and a number from prominent Jewish ones.
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A Mosque For LGBTQ Muslims

A Mosque For LGBTQ Muslims

SDPB Radio

In her reporting about Muslims in America, reporter Leila Fadel is interviewed on a local Chicago mosque for LGBTQ Muslims, where the community can gather to worship in spite of discrimination from traditional mosques.
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The Blue Muslim Wave: American Muslims Launch Political Campaigns, Hope to Deliver ‘sweet justice’ to Trump

The Blue Muslim Wave: American Muslims Launch Political Campaigns, Hope to Deliver ‘sweet justice’ to Trump

The Washington Post

Muslim candidates are running for a wide range of offices across the country, from local school boards to the U.S. Senate, making their Muslim identity central to their campaigns, as a broad response to the Presidency of Donald Trump.
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Professor Tariq Ramadan and France's Islamophobia

Professor Tariq Ramadan and France's Islamophobia

Daily Sabah

The current imprint on Western society is a function of latent Islamophobia, which worked to produce the manifest Islamophobia that professor Ramadan is currently experiencing
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Maydan editors selected some of the most thought-provoking news items on issues around Islam, religion and public-life for you. Let us know what you have been reading. Drop us a line at mediaroundups@themaydan.com!