Religion News Service
28 April 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
New York, New York, United States
The coronavirus pandemic has caused mass shutdowns of businesses and organizations around the world, and in New York City that includes mosques which typically offer nightly "communal iftar meals" during Ramadan. Knowing that many in the city rely on those free meals, New York City Muslims have begun collaborating and creating mutual aid programs. One such effort includes distributing gift cards from Arab, South Asian and Muslim-owned businesses, which helps both the individual and community.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/fbi-muslim-outreach-terrorism-213765
Michael Hirsh
Politico
24 March 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
“Stepping Up” is an “outreach-and-informant” program in that gives Muslim residents in Dearborn a place to call if they suspect someone begins to show signs of alienation or an interest in extremism. This approach is part of a cooperative network through which the Department Homeland Security obtains information to keep the country safe and empowers Muslim communities in the process. The FBI is also piloting a program that helps Muslims on the edge, providing them with social services for mental health and education to locate the roots of the alienation and anxiety that they feel in the United States.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-06/former-islamic-extremists-tries-save-others-his-mistakes-popular-online-cartoon
Deepa Bharath
Public Radio International (PRI)
6 January 2016
Radio / 3-5 Minutes
"The Abdullah-X Show" on YouTube is the creation of a former Islamic extremist who says he was attracted precisely to the kind of ideology terrorists espouse these days. He has used the medium to warn potential extremists away from the ideology.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2015/0218/How-is-Europe-countering-radical-Islam
Peter Ford
Sara Miller Llana
Christian Science Monitor
18 February 2015
Text / Over 3000 Words
Teenagers around the world are at risk of indoctrination by Islamic extremism and volunteering to fight for the Islamic state. Different European nations seek to make Islamic extremism unattractive to youth by bolstering surveillance efforts, internet outreach, and teaching the Islam of peace.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/in-egypt-sowing-the-seeds-of-gender-equality
Elizabeth Stuart
The New York Times
22 January 2015
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Muslim women in Egypt are expected to marry young and to stay close to home, and if they do not, they can be subjected to abuse or heavy criticism by men in the household. Save the Children’s Choices program offers educational workshop sessions for boys and girls, ages 10 to 14, which help them explore gender identity. Through discussions, the program hopes to change gender norms.
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/15/485900076/how-a-danish-town-helped-young-muslims-turn-away-from-isis
Hanna Rosin
NPR
15 July 2016
Radio / Over 15 Minutes
Muslim youths in Denmark were leaving to join ISIS in Syria, feeling they were being persecuted in Europe. Then the police in Aarhus responded in a completely unexpected way: They apologized.
http://www.startribune.com/what-maryland-s-test-lab-can-teach-minnesota-about-thwarting-radical-recruiters/379484141
Mila Koumpilova
Minneapolis Star Tribune
16 May 2016
Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words
Following terror attacks around the world, a community nonprofit is working to counter violent extremism by bringing diverse communities together with law enforcement to address underlying causes of radicalization and training neighborhoods to create watch systems.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2015/0519/An-antidote-to-IS-recruitment-of-women?cmpid=TW
The Christian Science Monitor Editorial Board
Christian Science Monitor
19 May 2015
Text / Under 800 Words
The Islamic State's recruitment of women draws big attention. But less noticed and more important are efforts in Islamic countries to raise the number of women in religious leadership, despite a long tradition against it, as a potential, effective antidote to the IS recruitment efforts – preventing young women (and men) from joining radical groups.
http://www.startribune.com/london-feels-strain-of-its-aggressive-fight-against-extremism/388564201
Mila Koumpilova
Minneapolis Star Tribune
1 August 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Non-profits like Active Change Foundation in London leverage community outreach and personal relationships to intervene on extremist behavior and prevent radical recruitment. But when attempting to partner with the government for resources and funding, they face challenges of credibility, discrimination, and mismanagement. As anti-radicalization efforts are stepped up in the USA, Twin Cities looks to learn from the mistakes and successes of this tricky parity.
https://www.israel21c.org/jerusalem-jews-and-arabs-bond-over-backgammon
Abigail Klein Leichman
Israel21c
19 March 2017
Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words
The Middle East has long been the site of conflict, but 'Jerusalem Double' is trying to ease tensions by having people from all backgrounds come together to play in backgammon tournaments. These tournaments have been very successful in sparking empathy, mentorship, discussion and bringing groups together.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-06-08/muslim-and-latino-communities-southern-california-mix-during-ramadan-thanks-taco
David Leveille
Public Radio International (PRI)
8 June 2017
Radio / 3-5 Minutes
Under an administration that frequently spouts racist rhetoric and enforced divisive legislation such as the Muslim ban and the border wall, minority communities - particularly Islamic and Latino communities - are having to work harder than ever to combat the dichotomy of their neighborhoods. In Santa Ana, the Islamic Center has created a clever way to unite the varied demographics of the community: taco trucks - once the punch line of a derogatory quip from a Trump supporter - open during Ramadan to help foster cultural exchange and neighborly relations.
Our issue area taxonomy was adapted from the PCS Taxonomy with definitions by the Foundation Center, which is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International License.
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Fondriest Environmental, David De Wit / Community Eye Health, Linda Steil / Herald Post, John Amis / UGA College of Ag & Environmental Sciences – OCCS, Andy B, Peter Garnhum, Thomas Hawk, 7ty9, Isriya Paireepairit, David Berger, UnLtd The Foundation For Social Entrepreneurs, Michael Dunne, Burak Kebapci, and Forrest Berkshire / U.S. Army Cadet Command public affairs
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license, and are credited to the following photographers:
Ra'ed Qutena, 段 文慶, Fabio Campo, City Clock Magazine, Justin Norman, scarlatti2004, Gary Simmons, Kathryn McCallum, and Nearsoft Inc
Photos are licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Burak Kebapci and SCY.
Photos are licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) and are credited to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Conference attendee listening to speaker, Jenifer Daniels / Colorstock getcolorstock.com.
Photo Credit: Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Sonia Narang