Islam

State Department forced Muslim security guard to shave beard, lawsuit claims
By Kathryn Post — May 4, 2023
(RNS) — ‘Nobody should be forced to choose between their faith and their job,’ said Hannah Mullen, a staff attorney for CAIR.

The Muslim prayer hall that may spark the next Israeli-Palestinian battle
By Daoud Kuttab — May 4, 2023
(RNS) — In Jerusalem, small frictions can escalate quickly if the causes are not addressed.

Faith leaders ask Biden to mark Mother’s Day with prayer day against gun violence
By Adelle M. Banks — May 3, 2023
(RNS) — Fellowship of Reconciliation leaders, who organized the letter, also pointed out ties that have been found between Christian nationalism and opposition to gun control legislation.

Repression of women points to worsening religious freedom trends abroad
By Nury Turkel and Abraham Cooper — May 3, 2023
(RNS) — Denying religious freedom and women’s rights go hand-in-hand.

Yeshiva University spans Muslim/Jewish divide in new UAE-based conference
By Kathryn Post — May 2, 2023
(RNS) — The flagship Modern Orthodox university is joining the Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities in Dubai for the first conference of its kind.

How women have cultivated religious authority at LA’s Women’s Mosque of America
By Alejandra Molina — May 2, 2023
(RNS) — Author Tazeen M. Ali said the Women’s Mosque of America ‘has global implications for how we study Islam.’

Jews, Muslims, Sikhs get coronation role as king reaches out
By Danica Kirka — May 2, 2023
(AP) — Charles, the supreme governor of the Church of England, faces a very different country than the one that adoringly celebrated his mother’s coronation in 1953.

Iran, 27 other countries critiqued by watchdog for religious freedom violations
By Adelle M. Banks — May 1, 2023
(RNS) — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom decried Iran’s use of violence against protesters in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death.

Caste discrimination laws remain fraught. Here’s why they shouldn’t be.
By South Asia Scholar Activist Collective — April 28, 2023
(RNS) — Caste is one of the least visible yet most pernicious sources of anti-Asian hate in the US.

How King Charles’ coronation will be unlike any seen in England
By Catherine Pepinster — April 27, 2023
LONDON (RNS) — Charles will be crowned in an England different from that of his mother, 70 years ago, and details of the ceremony will reflect the new landscape.

Amid threats, California lawmaker calls bill barring caste discrimination ‘right thing to do’
By Alejandra Molina — April 25, 2023
(RNS) — Groups such as the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America say the bill targets Hindus and Indian Americans who are commonly associated with the caste system.

New study suggests thinking about God can make people more generous to outsiders
By Bob Smietana — April 24, 2023
(RNS) — The study was a collaboration among researchers looking into how religion affects human behavior. Some thought religion might make people generous to just those who share their faith. Others thought the generosity could extend to people from other groups.

Muslim rideshare drivers improvise prayer spaces amid lack of relief stations in NYC
By Tori Luecking — April 24, 2023
NEW YORK (RNS) — For Muslim Uber and Lyft drivers in the city, daily prayer obligations and the associated rituals have a big impact on their driving.

Muslim students lead protest for adequate prayer space at New York’s Baruch College
By Heerea Kaur Rikhraj — April 21, 2023
NEW YORK (RNS) — Thursday's protest, coming on the final day of Ramadan, was one of the larger weekly protests students have organized over the past two months.

Celebrate that it’s over: Why Eid al-Fitr matters to Muslims
By Haroon Moghul — April 21, 2023
(RNS) — Ramadan strengthens us to bring our values into the hard work of ordinary life.