Asia

As Japan’s Muslim population grows, so does the demand for burial plots that align with Islamic practices, which prohibit cremation, Japan Today reported. Local governments are exploring the establishment of new cemeteries, but some community leaders express concerns over sanitary…

Thai authorities have denied any immediate plans to repatriate 48 Uyghur refugees back to China, following warnings from UN experts about the potential for torture upon their return, DW news agency reported. The group has been held in immigration centers…

Dozens of Uyghur men detained in Thailand have entered the second week of a hunger strike, protesting against what they fear is imminent deportation to China, where they could face torture and imprisonment, New York Times reported. The detainees began…

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its World Report 2025, noting a year of significant yet uneven progress for democracy and human rights in the Asia-Pacific region. The report highlights encouraging signs, including citizen activism in India, Bangladesh, and South Korea,…

China’s population decreased for the third straight year, reaching 1.408 billion at the end of 2024, a decline of 1.39 million from the previous year, Arab News reported. This trend poses significant challenges for the government and economy, as the…

Kazakhstan launched the region’s first Shariah-compliant exchange-traded fund (ETF), the ITSS, on January 14, marking a significant milestone in Islamic finance, The Astana Times reported. The ETF, listed on the Astana International Exchange, aims to replicate the performance of the…

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the sentencing of Seylihan Rozi, a 49-year-old Uyghur Muslim woman in China, to 17 years in prison for teaching her children and a neighbor verses from the Quran, the organization’s website reported.…

Sri Lankan civil society groups are mobilizing to protect over 100 Rohingya refugees rescued off Indian Ocean island nation last month, Arab News reported. Following the government’s announcement on January 3 regarding potential deportation talks with Myanmar, protests erupted in…

A group of 43 Uyghur men detained in Thailand is at imminent risk of deportation back to China, where they fear persecution and torture, Arab News reported today. Recent recordings reveal that Thai immigration officials presented the men with voluntary…

Galagodaatte Gnanasara, a hardline Sri Lankan monk and ally of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has been sentenced to nine months in prison for insulting Islam and inciting religious hatred, BBC reported yesterday. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court convicted him for derogatory…