Is Europe setting up clash between Muslims and the West? Via CNN : Europe and the Muslim world seem to be on a collision course that could have major political, economic and ideological ramifications
Moscow: High-ranking Interior Ministry officials suspected of extortion from Muslim community Via Interfax : Federal Security Service officials have submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office materials stating that several high-ranking officials from the Interior Ministry’s Main Department for the Prevention of Extremism extorted a large amount of money from a Moscow Muslim community, Kommersant daily reports. “The Federal Security Service officers obtained information that a major extortion incident had occurred in the Moscow Lefortovsky market before the New year holidays. According to that information, a group of police officers went to the market under the pretext of an inspection, suspended the market’s operation and demanded 1 million rubles from traders for permission to resume work,” Kommersant writes
Germany: Muslim arbitration affects court decisions Via DW : Joachim Wagner, who has written a book on the topic called “Judges acting outside the law,” can see the positive aspect of that tradition, but his research has also yielded many negative examples.
Belgium: Muslim Executive asks mosques to shelter homeless Via HLN (Dutch) On Wednesday the Muslim Executive asked Belgian mosques to open their doors to the homeless and others in need during the cold wave.
Brussels: Israeli minister speaks with EU officials about combating Muslim antisemitism Via European Jewish Press : Israeli Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, was in Brussels this week to attend an event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the European Parliament. At this occasion, he also met with several European Union officials, including Viviane Reding, EU Commission Vice-President in charge of justice and fundamental rights, and Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy
Netherlands: Minister says imams should speak out against homophobia Via spitsnieuws (Dutch): Education Minister Van Bijsterveldt says all imams in the Netherlands should jointly speak against homophobic violence and support respecting gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders.
A New Beginning for Muslims in Europe? Via the Boston College Chronicle : Western Europe hardly seems a model for harmonious relations between Muslim minorities and the non-Muslim societies in which they reside
Netherlands: Burka ban might popularize it, warns Muslim politician Via JPost : It’s easy to see why Fatima Elatik dislikes burkas.
Hague: Muslim party wants dog ban via Spitsnieuws (Dutch): Hasan Küçük, Hague councilor for the Islam Democrats, says dogs should be banned as pets in the city, reports De Telegraaf.
Netherlands: Dutch plan ban on Muslim face veils next year Via Reuters : The Dutch minority government plans to ban Muslim face veils such as burqas and other forms of clothing that cover the face from next year. The ban would make the Netherlands, where 1 million out of 17 million people are Muslim, the second European Union country to ban the burqa after France, and would apply to face-covering veils if they were worn in public. “People should be able to look at each other’s faces and recognize each other when they meet,” the interior affairs ministry said in a statement Friday