The Muslim headscarf: France’s Republican dilemma

Mahmoud Ezzat, a top leader in the Muslim Brotherhood, is believed to have incited violence following the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. ⁣⁣

The map, showing the names and location of over 600 mosques and associations in the country, has sparked outcry.

Anger, misconceptions and a lack of trust in the government are behind vaccine hesitancy among Muslims in parts of northern Uttar Pradesh that have been ravaged by the coronavirus.

The charges come after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the murders "a terrorist attack motivated by hatred."

Shiite leader Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife have been in jail since 2015. On Wednesday, a Nigerian court acquitted the couple and ordered their release.

DW's Biresh Banerjee spoke to Nalin Kohli, spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), about coronavirus-related Islamophobia in India and allegations that the Indian government is exploiting the crisis to ramp up suppression of Muslims.

Pakistan hosted a conference of Muslim countries pledging financial assistance to stave off "chaos" in Afghanistan. They vowed to unlock frozen aid funds and set up a humanitarian trust.

The Indian state of Karnataka has seen major tensions after the regional government approved of a decision by schools to ban the hijab. Amid those tensions, some old videos have been doing the rounds. Also, on Saint Valentine's Day, heart-shaped icons and landscapes are being shared... but not all of them are real.

The two candidates vying to be the next French president have defended their position on Muslim headscarves. The covering is already outlawed in schools and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen wants a nationwide ban.

Government critics accuse the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP of using so-called demolition drives to intimidate the country's Muslim minority. But authorities say they are only targeting illegal structures.

In India, derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammed made two officials from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have sparked a mixture of deadly protests and diplomatic spats. Countries like Oman, Qatar, Malaysia and Indonesia have lodged complaints with India's ambassadors. We take a closer look and get analysis from Subir Sinha, a lecturer in development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.