STRASBOURG — A ban on face-veil would violate individual privacy rights and alienate Muslim women, the European rights chief has warned, urging politicians to promote understanding of different cultures. "A general ban on such attires would constitute an ill-advised invasion of individual privacy," Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. ... more.

BERLIN – The stereotypical media cliches about Islam, cultural identity, fundamentalism and honor killing are taking the central stage in this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. "It has taken nearly 10 years after 9/11, but these issues are finally going from the headlines into the cinemas," German director Burhan Qurbani told Reuters. "These are things we have to talk about." Q... more.

LONDON — A British venture capital firm plans to launch Europe's first halal industrial park, tapping an under-served market worth up to $6.27 billion a year. "If you look at some figures, the halal sector in the UK is worth between 2 to 4 billion pounds, the majority of that is imported," Mahesh Jayanarayan, chairman of Halal Industries, told the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit. ... more.

CAIRO — After banning hijab in public places, France’s ruling party is preparing to draft a bill to ban the face-veil across the southern European country. "The proposed measure would prohibit the covering of the face in public places and on the streets," Jean-François Cope, head of the Union of a Popular Movement (UMP) party’s parliamentary bloc, told Le Figaro in an interview. Under... more.

Muslims leaders will meet Minister Widmer-Schlumpf next week to discuss the fallout of the minaret ban. CAIRO – Despite a surprise vote to ban mosque minarets, Swiss Muslims believe talks with the government and outreach with the broader society hold the key for better future. "We have to retake control of the debate, reassure people and move forward," Hafid Ouardiri, General Secretary of ... more.

BUCHAREST — Making use of the state-of-the-art technology to spread the true teachings of Islam, Romanian Muslims have launched an online school to teach Islamic studies in the south-eastern European country. “This is the first online school to allow Romanian Muslim youth to study Islamic sciences,” Cherim Enghin, co-founder and head of the Muslim Association of Romania, told IslamOnline.... more.

MILAN – Plans by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s allies to prosecute Muslim women for wearing burqa, a loose outfit covering the whole body from head to toe, is infuriating the political establishment in the southern European country. "A ban (on the burqa) would be xenophobic and discriminatory,” Mario Scialoja, the chair of the Islamic Culture Center of Italy, told Reuters lat... more.