Hajj row escalates as Iran and Saudi Arabia miss new deal
RIYADH (Reuters) It's the second failure by the rival Middle East powers to strike a deal.
View ArticleIran says its pilgrims will not attend hajj in Saudi Arabia
DUBAI (Reuters) Saudi Arabia, which oversees the pilgrimage to Mecca by more than 2 million Muslims from around the world, accused Iran of effectively depriving its citizens from the religious duty.
View ArticleHijab is not another word for freedom
Let’s not be fooled by Ramadan clothing ads or well-intentioned intellectuals into thinking that hijab is a means of self- or fashion expression.
View ArticleSuicide bombers hit three Saudi cities
RIYADH — The explosions targeting U.S. diplomats, Shi'ite worshippers and a security headquarters at a mosque in the holy city of Medina follow days of mass killings claimed by the Islamic State group.
View ArticleTop Saudi clerical body renews fatwa against Pokemon
DUBAI (Reuters) The fatwa made no mention of the successful new "Pokemon Go" mobile game.
View ArticleGulf tourism frenzy in Bosnia polarises locals
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina -- In a secular country where many Muslims drink alcohol and wear European-style clothing, the arrival of a Saudi-built mall where no alcohol is sold and the sight of...
View ArticleUS commission: Russia a major violator of religious freedom
WASHINGTON (RNS) A dissenting report criticizes the commission for failing to investigate Israel.
View ArticleAtheist sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia
(RNS) Ahmad Al-Shamri lost two appeals after being charged with atheism and blasphemy, both punishable by death.
View ArticleTrump to give speech on Islam in Saudi Arabia
(RNS) The speech will come during an afternoon lunch with leaders of more than 50 mostly Muslim countries.
View ArticleSATIRE: Donald Trump’s speech on Islam — LEAKED!
(RNS) "I read the Quran on YouTube. Saw a video. Made by Muhammad, a great Prophet. Really great. He's doing great things."
View ArticleTrump trip to Middle East, Vatican offers religious opportunities and pitfalls
(RNS) Whether the president's time abroad will appease faith groups upset by his proposed Muslim travel ban and his waffling over the possibility of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem — among other...
View ArticleIn speech to Muslim leaders, Trump condemns ‘Islamic extremism’
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (USA Today) In an ornate conference hall in the Saudi capital, and speaking to a group of leaders from 50 Islamic nations, Trump called on Muslims to confront 'the crisis of...
View ArticleWhat Trump missed in his address on tolerance — American Muslims
(The Conversation) Can a message of tolerance to Islam abroad be persuasive without a corresponding affirmation of American Muslims at home?
View ArticleBomber planning to attack Mecca’s Grand Mosque blows himself up
DUBAI (Reuters) The interior ministry said that three cells had planned the attack on worshippers and security forces at the mosque as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan nears its climax.
View ArticleSaudi woman in miniskirt video arrested after public outcry
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The woman was detained by police in the capital, Riyadh, for wearing 'immodest clothes' that contradicted the country's conservative Islamic dress code.
View ArticleA look at why a Saudi woman’s miniskirt sparked an outcry
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The woman was eventually released without charge, but the incident and the online debate it ignited point to the tension in Saudi Arabia between proponents of its...
View ArticleNo visa, no veil? Saudi Arabia may ease rules for tourists
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia plans to build a "semi-autonomous" visa-free travel destination along its northwestern Red Sea coast where restrictions on women's dress and other...
View ArticleHajj pilgrimage offers US traveler a reset
(RNS) — In public and private messages on Facebook, Salman Azhar described the pilgrimage that he and his wife are set to conclude on Sunday, one that included lessons in self-restraint, humility and...
View ArticleStudy finds Saudi government still tolerates hate speech
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —The report said Shiites and Sufis who practice Islam differently from conservative Sunnis in Saudi Arabia are a 'prime target of Saudi-sponsored hate speech and...
View ArticleWhat Trump missed in his address on tolerance — American Muslims
(The Conversation) Can a message of tolerance to Islam abroad be persuasive without a corresponding affirmation of American Muslims at home? The post What Trump missed in his address on tolerance —...
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