Tag: Islamic extremism

Italian priest shot in Bangladesh

November 18, 2015 Bangladesh Bangladesh, Dhaka, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Jamaat-ul-Mujahedin Bangladesh, Luke Sarkar, Pabna, Rangpur

An Italian priest has been shot in Bangladesh, two months after another Italian was targeted in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. Fr. Piero Arolari, 57, suffered head injuries but is in a stable condition, reports AP. He was attacked by three men on motorcycles, as he cycled towards the mission hospital . . . Read More

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws ‘fundamentally unfair’

November 11, 2015 Pakistan Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Pakistan, Prisons, Religious freedom

Pakistan’s implementation of its controversial blasphemy laws is “fundamentally unfair”, according to a report by the International Commission of Jurists. The ICJ report documents problems including: intimidation and harassment of judges and lawyers, bias against defendants, undue rejection of bail and prolonged pre-trial detention, “incompetent” investigation and prosecution, the prosecution . . . Read More

Foreign jihadists are fighting in DRC

November 6, 2015 Democratic Republic of the Congo ADF, Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Islamic extremism, North Kivu

There are foreign fighters operating in the ranks of the ADF-NALU, a group of militants originally rooted in a rebel movement to overthrow Uganda’s government, but forced to re-locate over the border into North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reports Fides. On 16 October, a UN report said . . . Read More

Iraqi Christian MPs challenge their constitution

October 22, 2015 Iraq Children, Constitution, Converts, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Marriage, Minorities, Yazidis

Four Christian members of the Iraqi parliament have called for a change in the law to preserve the religion of dependent children whose fathers convert to Islam, reports Middle East Christian News. As the civil law now stands, children under the age of 18 become Muslim when their father converts. . . . Read More

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa

October 16, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Belarus, Boko Haram, China, David Cameron, Egypt, Eritrea, Europe, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, London, Middle East, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pope Francis, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UK, Ukraine, Vietnam

Christianity is fast disappearing from entire regions, most notably a huge chunk of the Middle East, and could vanish from Iraq within five years, according to a new report by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Released in the UK’s House of Lords on Tuesday, the report, “Persecuted and . . . Read More

Kazakh Christian could face 10 years in jail

October 14, 2015 Kazakhstan Astana, Central Asia, Islamic extremism, Kazakhstan, Seventh-day Adventists, Yklas Kabduakasov

A Seventh-day Adventist in Kazakhstan could face between five and 10 years in prison if convicted of “spreading religious discord”. Yklas Kabduakasov, 54, was arrested in August, after a year of police surveillance and the secret filming of a conversation between him and four Muslim students. His trial began in . . . Read More

DR Congo – Islamist militias threaten central Africa too

October 12, 2015 Democratic Republic of the Congo ADF, Africa, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Beni, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eringeti, Islamic extremism, Oicha, Sharia

In Africa, it isn’t only in the west that Islamist insurgencies are posing a security threat. While attention has been focused on Nigeria’s radical Islamist group Boko Haram (whose attacks have spread to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger), a relatively unknown militant group has intensified attacks in the Democratic Republic . . . Read More

West doesn’t understand terrorist ideology

October 7, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Education, Islamic extremism, New York, Sharia, Terrorism, Tony Blair, UK, Women

Speaking at New York’s 9/11 museum yesterday, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has appealed to the West to understand how terrorists are driven by jihadist ideology. Delivering a speech published by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Blair said: “we have spent the years since 9/11 trying to make sense . . . Read More

Bangladeshi pastor escapes murder attempt

October 5, 2015 Bangladesh Bangladesh, Dhaka, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Luke Sarkar, Pabna, Rangpur

A Bangladeshi Baptist pastor escaped an attempt on his life today (5 Oct.) in what seemed to have been a pre-meditated attack at his home by three youths. Luke Sarkar, 50, of the Faith Bible Church of God, told bdnews24 that two weeks ago two youths had phoned him to . . . Read More

Al-Azhar bans book on blasphemy in Egypt

September 28, 2015 Egypt Al-Azhar, Blasphemy, Cairo, Egypt, Islamic extremism

Egypt’s top Islamic authority visited a well-known bookshop in central Cairo last week, telling it to halt sales of the book “Blasphemy in Egypt” by two prominent Egyptian authors. “Officials representing Al-Azhar and the Egyptian Ministry of Islamic Endowments visited Madbouli Bookshop and asked them to stop selling the book . . . Read More

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