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Need a Quran teacher? There's an AI for that

Aysha Khan

May 20, 2020 |

Religion News Service |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

An AI app is potentially eliminating the need for Quran teachers by offering precise feedback to those who are learning to recite or memorize the holy book of Islam. Tarteel uses machine learning technology to enable speech recognition, allowing it to test users' knowledge of the Quran and to receive feedback on recitation without a teacher. The tool can identify mistakes and has a memorization mode, only revealing words as they are recited. Building such an accurate tool "requires a vast data set to train a deep neural network" so users who opt in are crowdsourcing the data set needed to power Tarteel.

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New York City Muslims work to build food security during Ramadan

Aysha Khan

April 28, 2020 |

Religion News Service |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

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.

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During Ramadan in isolation, Muslims get creative to preserve community

Aysha Khan

April 23, 2020 |

Religion News Service |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

As the Ramadan season begins, Muslim communities around the world are making adjustments to how they observe it in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Minneapolis, the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is broadcasting the call to prayer by speaker and in the U.K., the National Huffadh Association has created an online toolkit on how to pray at home. With connection and community a key part of Ramadan, a Reddit thread has started, connecting people for a Secret Santa-style Eid gift exchange, and a Minneapolis programmer has started an online service matching people in time zones to break fast together.

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Halal donations start for Muslim medical front-liners

Jhesset Enano

April 20, 2020 |

Philippine Daily Inquirer |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Philippines, Manila

Alzaky Foods is providing free halal meals to Muslim medical workers in metro Manila. Many Muslim frontline workers were surviving on fast food, crackers, or chips since food donations were not halal. Alzaky has provided more than 2,400 halal meals to over 60 government and private hospitals across the city. The company provides some of the funding in combination with external donations. Identifying Muslim medical workers is a challenge. So far they have identified 200 doctors, nurses, and other medical staff, which they believe is only about 20-30% of the actual number.

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The law of generosity combatting coronavirus in Pakistan

Aysha Imtiaz

April 01, 2020 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Karachi

In Pakistan, where many citizens earn a daily wage from street businesses that have now been forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistanis are continuing to contribute zakat, "the traditional Muslim charity tax." The contributions – regarded as "one of the most important religious duties for Muslims" – are used to create packages containing basic grocery items and anti-bacterial soap for the daily-wage workers.

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Zoom Shabbat, drive-through confessional: Faith during coronavirus

Harry Bruinius

March 27, 2020 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Many religious institutions have to come up with creative ways to "congregate" amidst the coronavirus breakout and strict quarantine restrictions around the country. From drive-through confession to virtual Shabbat, congregations find a way to practice their faith, despite questions about the morality of practicing without an in-person community.

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'Pray At Home!' Houses Of Worship Close Physical Doors, Open Virtual Ones

Zainab Iqbal

March 24, 2020 |

Bklynr |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In New York City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, houses of worship are urging their followers to pray at home. Synagogues, mosques, and churches alike are looking at alternative ways to worship, like teleconferencing and public access television.

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Islam Finds a Home in German Classrooms

Isabelle de Pommereau

March 18, 2020 |

Are We Europe |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Frankfurt, Hesse

Germany is unusual amongst countries in its attitude towards religion—it considers faith to be "sociologically and psychologically important and part of both individuals and society." In these advances, it has begun to teach the religion of Islam in its German-speaking public schools, within state-supervised curriculum that also covers Catholicism and Protestantism. This helps the German people to get to know their large Muslim population better and helps weed out radicalism with education. This is part of a larger strategy to better integrate their Muslim residents, which has a lot of public support.

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A Muslim women's netball team brings competition — and a sense of inclusion

Aysha Khan

January 30, 2020 |

Religion News Service |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Grassroots initiatives are empowering Muslim women to bring their faith onto the court. Across several universities in London, new clubs are offering a safe and inclusive space for Muslim women to participate in sports like netball. The ISOC club team, started by students at the London School of Economics, accepts Muslim women from other universities and participates in matches against other university clubs. Several other initiatives provide Muslim women with access to sports clubs, from kickboxing to fencing.

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New Reddit project makes mental health care accessible to young Muslims

Aysha Khan

September 25, 2019 |

Religion News Service |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Illinois

Reddit has long been home to an Islam-focused message board that helps to connect people over a shared belief, but the online community is now expanding to include a twice monthly mental health discussion. Hosted by a licensed clinical psychologist, this "Ask Me Anything" style subreddit helps to eliminate barriers for those seeking help by "providing psychology services 'rooted in Islamic principles.'"

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