Tag: Islamic extremism

Who speaks for Islam in Pakistan – and where does that leave non-Muslims?

April 19, 2017 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Barelvi, Blasphemy, Deobandi, Islamic extremism, Mumtaz Qadri, Pakistan Muslim League, Salmaan Taseer, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Taliban

Last week, a Muslim student was killed by a mob after posting allegedly “blasphemous” content on social media. His murder was the latest in a long line of religiously motivated attacks in Pakistan, many of which were inspired by the country’s strict blasphemy laws. Below, World Watch Monitor takes a look at . . . Read More

Indonesia’s Christian governor Ahok fails in re-election bid, as ‘blasphemy’ trial continues

April 19, 2017 Indonesia Ahok, Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Jakarta

Preliminary results suggest that Jakarta’s Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as “Ahok”), has failed in his re-election bid, as his trial for “blasphemy” goes on. Ahok is accused of insulting a Qur’anic verse during a campaign speech. Hard-line Islamist groups have rallied large crowds against him in recent . . . Read More

Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh’s abduction has increased fears of ‘religious vigilantism’

April 13, 2017 Malaysia Islamic extremism, Raymond Koh

The abduction two months ago of Raymond Koh, a Malaysian pastor, is believed by many to be part of an “unprecedented” spate of disappearances in the country, reports the BBC. Koh was last seen on 13 February. A widely-circulated CCTV clip appears to show that he was taken in what . . . Read More

Muslims in Egypt speak out against Palm Sunday attacks

April 12, 2017 Egypt Copts, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Tanta

More than 20 people lost their lives in the Palm Sunday attack on the St George Cathedral in Tanta, Egypt.

As Egypt’s Coptic Church lays to rest the victims of the Palm Sunday bomb attacks on two churches, voices from the Muslim community in the country have condemned the attacks and Muslim citizens have lined up to donate blood for the injured. Writing a blog for the website Patheos, Khwaia . . . Read More

Why were Pakistani politicians considering giving higher marks to veiled female students?

April 7, 2017 Pakistan Hijab, Imran Khan, Islamic extremism, PTI

The commotion around whether girls should wear a hijab' in schools, shows the confusion around the role of religion in Pakistan's public life.

The role of Islam in Pakistani public life is fiercely fought over, especially in areas that are home to non-Muslim communities. One example is Punjab province, where most Pakistani Christians, as well as much of Pakistan’s Hindu minority, live. Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani was last month . . . Read More

Islamist extremism: a growing phenomenon in East Africa

April 5, 2017 Al-Shabaab, East Africa, Islamic extremism, Salafism, Somalia

Islamist extremism in East Africa frequently centres on Somalia and the violent actions of Al-Shabaab, yet local adherents to extremist versions of Islam can now be found throughout East Africa, reveals the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, in a new report. The growth of the Salafist ideology in the region has . . . Read More

Croatian government urged not to expel Iranian Christians

April 5, 2017 Asylum seekers, Calais, Converts, Croatia, Europe, Iran, Islamic extremism, Youcef Nadarkhani

Iran is not a safe place for those who have converted to Christianity. Photo: Open Doors Netherlands

Activists and representatives of the Croatian Baptist Church are urging the state not to deport Christian asylum-seekers to Iran, saying they could face serious consequences because of their faith, reports Balkan Insight. Iran is known to be a country where living as a Christian is difficult, especially for those who . . . Read More

Concerns about tolerant Indonesia: 3 more churches closed

March 22, 2017 Indonesia Ahok, Bandung, Bekasi, Bogor, Churches, GKI Yasmin, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, JAD, Java, Joko Widodo, Santa Clara, Saudi Arabia

Church members of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) of Yasmin Bogor and the Batak Christian Church (HKBP) of Filadelfia Bekasi, along with inter-faith human rights activists and students of the Jakarta Art Institute, held the 100th open-air Sunday Service in front of State Palace in September 2015 after their church buildings were sealed in 2010. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Indonesian authorities in Bogor, West Java, have banned three churches from holding religious activities. According to UCANews the Methodist Church Indonesia, Huria Batak Protestant Church and a house used by Catholics for catechism classes were ordered to close their doors. Local authorities said they could not guarantee the safety of the . . . Read More

‘If Bin Laden’s disciples are seen as terrorists, why should we wonder about the ADF in DRC?’

March 20, 2017 Democratic Republic of the Congo ADF, Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Islamic extremism, UN

World Watch Monitor speaks to Nicaise Kibel’Bel Oka, editor of “Les Coulisses” (Behind the Scenes) magazine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Oka recently published a book (in French): “The advent of jihad in DR Congo – the unknown Islamist terrorism of the ADF” (Allied Democratic Forces). WWM: Is . . . Read More

Islam to overtake Christianity as world’s largest religion by 2070?

March 17, 2017 Asia-Pacific, India, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Middle East, North Africa, RSS, Vishva Hindu Parishad

Islam is the world’s second-largest religion, after Christianity, but this could change if current demographic trends continue, as Islam would overtake Christianity by 2070, reports the BBC. New reporting from the US-based Pew Research Center shows that Islam is the fastest growing major religion. The reason, it says, is simply . . . Read More

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