Questions tagged [islam]

Islam is a religion predominant in the Middle East and some parts of Asia and Africa. It centers around a belief that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (God). Use for questions regarding Islam in politics, and/or Sharia (Islam-based) law. Questions about the religion itself may be asked on https://islam.stackexchange.com/

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Why is the Muslim world focusing on Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, yet expresses virtually no interest in the Uighurs?

All over the world, we witness public marches in support of the Palestinians from Gaza. Yet the Muslim Uighurs (and Myanmar Rohingya) attract virtually no attention, in fact Muslim leaders explicitly ...
torahmike's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Where is the Coordination Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus located? And who runs it?

I'm confused by this: Daghestani officials accused "enemies of Russia" of instigating the anti-Semitic sentiments after the Coordination Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus called on ...
Fizz's user avatar
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4 votes
6 answers
3k views

History or events likely triggering or being used by Koran-burning anti-Muslim groups in Denmark and Sweden?

notability: This is not intended to be another "why is there racism" question. The Koran-burning and related activities have had direct impact on NATO membership discussions and delays. ...
uhoh's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
257 views

Why would some Turkish official saying that the "Mahdi will return" be reason for resignation nowadays?

In the rather religiously inclined AKP government, I'm curious how credible this resignation reason is: SADAT, officially the SADAT International Defense Consultancy, describes itself on its website ...
Fizz's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
924 views

Are Iranian citizens subject to their regime's laws on dress, etc., when they are publicly on view outside the country?

There have been countless images of female Iranian supporters dressed in party-hats and looking every bit as casually turned out as any Western women. In view of the recent severe, and brutal, actions ...
WS2's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
590 views

Why does Indonesia have a Hindu national emblem when the country is 86% Muslim?

National emblem of Indonesia The Wikipedia article says that -- Garuda, the disciples carrier or vehicle (vahana) of the Hindu god Vishnu, appears in many ancient Hindu-Buddhist temples of ancient ...
user366312's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Do Muslim countries other than Pakistan officially protest when there are anti-Muslim riots in India? More so than "the West"?

As a companion to this question are there examples of official protests (or calls for investigations etc.) by Muslim countries other than Pakistan when anti-Muslim riots happen in India? Most ...
Fizz's user avatar
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4 votes
4 answers
367 views

Does Hindutva have a concept roughly equivalent to Sharia and do they push for it to be included in the constitution?

In many countries with a Muslim majority the constitution mentions at least Islam or both that and Sharia. And inclusion of the latter is often a plank of some Islamist parties e.g. Contrary to Egypt,...
Fizz's user avatar
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-1 votes
5 answers
695 views

Why is the political Islam considered bad by some people in the west?

I have seen some books and listened to some speeches on YouTube by some western writers and government officials. It seems to me that they possess a very negative connotation of political Islam. Why ...
user366312's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is Darfur genocide religious/racial in nature?

It seems to me that political correctness obfuscates objective presentation of the Darfur genocide. I have heard oral narratives that frame it in terms of race (Arab vs Black) and religion [Muslim vs ...
amphibient's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
184 views

Did any high-level French politician come out against the burkini ban in public swimming pools?

As far as I can tell the Macron government and National Rally (Le Pen) have been against the burkini (thus calling for the ban). The high-profile left-wing candidates appear to have been very good at ...
Fizz's user avatar
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40 votes
3 answers
7k views

Does the Taliban government of Afghanistan have a written legal code?

Since the Taliban took effective control of Afghanistan in 2021, I've been reading various sources claiming that they are restricting the movements of women and girls in public, but it is unclear if ...
Robert Columbia's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
137 views

Are there well-known Islamic theoretical works about deception in politics (or at least in war)?

After reading this bit of commentary about the recent Taliban "charm offensive": That's the thing with the Taliban - they're deceptive, they're charming, they know how to use the right ...
Fizz's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
248 views

What states that base their government on Shariah law allow women in government?

One of the more interesting turns in Afghanistan has been the announcement that the Taliban would allow women to serve in government "The Islamic Emirate doesn't want women to be victims," ...
Machavity's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
820 views

Is there a known/stated reason why Saudi Arabia did not declare itself a Caliphate?

Their closest political competitors that the Saud dynasty defeated in the 1924-25 war did claim the title of "Sharifian Caliphate" for themselves. Although Saudi Arabia is an absolute ...
Fizz's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
121 views

Is Caliphate as same as Islamic government or are they different?

Essence of Islamic governments the above Wikipedia link says that: (...) most Muslim scholars are of the opinion that Islamic al-Shura should consist of the following: Meeting or consultation that ...
user366312's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
812 views

Is there evidence of on-going legislation specifically targeting Muslims in France?

In 2004, France banned wearing conspicuous religious symbols in schools. In particular, this bans the Muslim headscarf, the Jewish kippah, and the Sikh turban. The turban has now been exempted as ...
otah007's user avatar
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23 votes
2 answers
2k views

What actions have governments critical of Macron's response to the murder of Samuel Paty called for?

Following the murder of Samuel Paty in France two weeks ago, Emmanuel Macron gave a speech [fr] in which he defended freedom of expression and said "we won't give up on caricatures". This ...
Erwan's user avatar
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-10 votes
1 answer
249 views

Has there been any research conducted to understand the motivation behind discrete murders in France? [closed]

there had been numerous cases of knife attacks and stabbing sprees in France. A few days ago, there had been an attack in Paris. Has there been any research conducted to understand the motivation ...
user366312's user avatar
-10 votes
1 answer
245 views

Is freedom of expression more important than religious sensitivities? [closed]

Charlie Hebdo is planning to republish the blasphemous cartoons of Muhammad (P.B.U.H), and when the Fresh president Emmanuel Macron was asked whether he will condemn this action, he categorically ...
Abdul Muheet's user avatar
-2 votes
2 answers
174 views

Why are Iran and Pakistan members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)?

Although, OIC's web-site says: The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting ...
user366312's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
66 views

What are the details of Saudi Arabia's supposed plans to stop funding foreign mosques?

In January, Middle East Monitor reported that Saudi Arabia was to stop funding mosques in foreign countries. They point to an unspecified article on the Arabi21.com website, which I believe refers to ...
CDJB's user avatar
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49 votes
6 answers
11k views

What events led to the 2020 North East Delhi riots?

This article from the BBC describes appalling violence in the Indian capital, which has led to a death toll of 27 at the time of writing. The article mentions that the spark that ignited the riots ...
CDJB's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
54 views

Is there an official difference in Shia government vs Sunni government? [duplicate]

As a non Muslim,I do not understand the difference in preferred government style between the two branches of the Muslim religion. I understand the lines are very blurred in the Muslim world. There ...
Norman Potts's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
726 views

Does any Islamist party have policies in other areas that would be considered left wing?

Some Islamist parties such as Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt seems to be conservative and aligned with right political wing. Are there any Islamist parties that are aligned with left political wing or ...
user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
363 views

How did Wahhabism come into power as an influential movement in Islam?

Why does it have so many followers, and how does it contrast with other versions of Islam? How has it influenced the politics of Islamic (and non-Islamic) nations?
klojj's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
627 views

What is the reason for extreme antisemitism among Muslims? [closed]

The current Iranian regime, and many other middle eastern Muslim regimes regularly call for the destruction of Israel and slaughter of all the Jews, from CNN: A new document by Iran's supreme ...
YellowBadger's user avatar
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-5 votes
4 answers
394 views

In the non-Muslim world what are the origins of historical bias against the Ottoman Empire?

Some narratives of the recent terror attack in Christchurch imply that even though conflicts, battles, and invasions among various warring empires ravaged Europe throughout its history, somehow the ...
user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
1k views

Terrorist vs Lone wolf

There is a recurring narrative in the Muslim majority countries which essentially says this: When some non-Muslims are actors of a terror attack, the attacker(s) is mostly not called a terrorist ...
user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
563 views

Why do some Muslim countries criminalize atheism?

I've heard that in several countries, including Malay and Iran, being an atheist can get you a death sentence. All of these countries are Islamic countries. Now, Islam itself is already pretty close ...
user4951's user avatar
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35 votes
4 answers
2k views

Did any Muslim majority countries express an official position about the treatment of Muslims in China?

Members of the Arab League are well known for their boycott of Israel over their treatment of the Palestinians. They likewise frequently issue official statements whenever Muslims are mistreated in ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
871 views

What are some examples of Islamophobia in the UK Conservative Party

While researching a previous question (What are some examples of antisemitism in the Labour Party?), I found a lot of references to "Tory Islamophobia". The context of these accusations was sometimes ...
Tim's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Can Macron legally reform Islam in France?

In February 2018, french president Emmanuel Macron said : "I want to lay the foundations for the whole organization of Islam in France" He plans to do this to diminish the number of young ...
Laniakea's user avatar
  • 131
0 votes
1 answer
661 views

Brexit as result of concerns over Islam

I was curious about surveys that examine reasons for the Brexit and what different factors determined individual votes. In specific, was rising Islam in Europe one of the factors without which the ...
amphibient's user avatar
  • 1,797
1 vote
0 answers
76 views

What far-right politicians has Hassan Iquioussen endorsed?

In France, Furor Over a Muslim Reality Show Star Reveals Deeper Tensions says that Hassan Iquioussen has endorsed far-right politicians. While I'm aware of the horseshoe theory in general, I assume ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
691 views

In Muslim-minority countries, is it unusual for Muslim MPs or lawmakers to vote in favour of gay marriage or related legislation?

In Did all of Germany's Muslim MPs voted in favor of same-sex marriage? on Skeptics.SE, someone was surprised by a claim that Germany's Muslim MPs voted in favour of gay marriage. I wasn't that ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
3k views

Do Sunnis support monarchy and Shias support republic?

In several accounts about the Sunni-Shia conflicts erupting in the Middle East (such as this one) the Sunnis are usually viewed as taking the side of a monarchy and the Shia the side of the rebels ...
usernameiwantedwasalreadytaken's user avatar
46 votes
10 answers
15k views

How do some countries make political laws against the burka but not against nun habits?

Throughout Europe, in recent years, the issue of the muslim burka and its potential ban has often been discussed. I have heard a couple of reasons at most, and they all pretty much sum up to 'burka -...
Imean H's user avatar
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10 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why do some muslim countries ban polygamy?

Islam allows men to have up to 4 wives (simultaneously). Why would an overwhelmingly Muslim country, such as Turkey or Tunisia, ban polygamy? Not banning it would of course not prevent most people to ...
Bregalad's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
772 views

Why are (proposals for) islamic garment bans focussed on the burqa, when the niqāb is far more common?

From the BBC: German parliament moves to partially ban the burka. Proposals or measures in France, Netherlands, UK, and elsewhere, have also focussed on a ban of the burqa. Although I have certainly ...
gerrit's user avatar
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16 votes
1 answer
1k views

What does it mean policywise to "Implement Sharia Law"?

When a Islamic country implements a form of Sharia law, what exactly does that mean in terms of the actual policies being put in place? I mean, I know exact definitions vary considerably, but what ...
Tirous's user avatar
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12 votes
15 answers
6k views

Why is the modern left defending Islam(ism)?

This might sound like a loaded question, but it isn't. We see left and right that present day leftists (progressives, liberals, etc.) are jumping in to defend Islam(ism) from legitimate critiques as ...
amphibient's user avatar
  • 1,797
4 votes
8 answers
2k views

Why is Islamophobia not as demographically widespread in the USA? [closed]

I've understood for a long time that the United States seemed to be more supportive of Muslims and Islam in comparison to Europe, particularly among youth and more educated people, by comparing the ...
gayhindu's user avatar
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26 votes
5 answers
7k views

Why is recent international (Europe, N-America, …) Islamist terrorism exclusively perpetrated by Sunnis?

According to the Global Terrorism Database, the number of terrorist attacks with fatalities in Western Europe has recently started to rise for the first time since the 1970s: Source: Global Terrorism ...
gerrit's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
323 views

Did George W. Bush ever backpedal when he referred to the war on terror as a "Crusade"? [closed]

When Bush said out and out about waging "Crusade" on (Mainstream Muslim/Sunni) "terrorists" in his 2001's statement, did he ever backpedal, apologize or say that this was a "slip of tongue"? If we ...
Failed Scientist's user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
2k views

Is there a Muslim majority country where Israel (and Jews) is received positively?

The common perception is that muslims don't perceive Israel (and Jews) in favorable light. But is there a Muslim majority country where Israel (and Jews) is received in positive light overall?
Graviton's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Do any countries have immigration policies that discriminate against a religious group?

Do any countries currently have immigration policies that directly or indirectly negatively discriminate against a religious group, akin to what Donald Trump and Pauline Hanson have been advocating ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
608 views

What does Islamic State offer that Saudi Arabia doesn't?

As a secular agnostic, I perceive both Islamic State and Saudi Arabia as extremely theocratic Sunni Muslim governments. But to some people, Islamic State must be offering something that Saudi Arabia ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
  • 13.4k
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why are most Islamic countries less democratic/more corrupt than most Western countries? [closed]

Why are most Islamic governments, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, less democratic and more corrupt than most Christian-aligned countries particularly in the West?
Paraney's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
455 views

Is anti-Islam sentiment predominantly associated with more traditional nationalities in Australia? [closed]

In Australia, is anti-Islam sentiment predominantly associated with people who have, or are descended from, nationalities more traditionally associated with Australia, such as the UK, Ireland, and ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
  • 13.4k