Latest Islam News
Iran pauses the process to implement a new, stricter headscarf law for women, official says
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has paused the process of implementing a new, stricter law on women’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab, an official said — a bill that many believe could have reignited the protests that engulfed the Islamic Republic after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. ...
AP PHOTOS: Majdal Shams, Israeli-controlled home to the Druze, perches uneasily at the edge of war
MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights (AP) — High in the mountains of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, the town of Majdal Shams is home to members of one of the Middle East’s most insular religious minorities: the Druze. With its roots in 10th century Ismailism, a branch of Shiite...
Netanyahu says Israeli troops will occupy a buffer zone inside Syria for the foreseeable future
JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli forces will stay in a buffer zone on the Syrian border, seized after the ouster of Syria's President Bashar Assad, until another arrangement is in place “that ensures Israel's security.” Netanyahu made...
Pakistani air ambulance delivers medicines to violence-hit district as roads remain closed
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani charity used an air ambulance on Tuesday to deliver medicines to a northwestern region where a doctor said 29 children had died in the past two months because life-saving supplies couldn't get through roadblocks following sectarian clashes. Air...
Syria's ousted leader Bashar Assad says he wanted to keep fighting but Russians evacuated him
DAMASCUS (AP) — Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a statement Monday he wanted to stay in the country after rebels captured the capital Damascus a week ago, but the Russian military evacuated him from their base in western Syria after it came under attack. The comments...
EU seeks assurances about a peaceful future from Syria's new leaders
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union nations want guarantees from Syria’s new leaders that they are preparing for a peaceful political future involving all minority groups, and where extremism, Russia and Iran have no place, top diplomats said on Monday. Since Damascus fell on Dec. 8,...
One week into a new Syria, rebels aim for normalcy and Syrians vow not to be silent again
DAMASCUS (AP) — At Damascus’ international airport, the new head of security — one of the rebels who marched across Syria to the capital — arrived with his team. The few maintenance workers who showed up for work huddled around Maj Hamza al-Ahmed, eager to learn what will happen next. ...
US officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that ousted Assad, Blinken says
AQABA, Jordan (AP) — American officials have been in direct contact with the terrorist-designated rebel group that led the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. Blinken, speaking at a news conference in Jordan, was the...
Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell
DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly...
White House releases national strategy to combat Islamophobia
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Thursday announced what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing more than 100 steps federal officials are taking to curb hate, violence, bias and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. The...
