Tag: Philippines

Philippines: Marawi, a year after Islamist siege, 50,000 still in temporary shelter

May 23, 2018 Philippines Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Catholics, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Marawi, Maute, Mindanao, Philippines

Street in battle-scarred Marawi in a still taken from a video.

People in the battle-scarred Southern Philippines city of Marawi are trying to rebuild their homes and lives one year after the place was stormed by Islamist militants. On 23 May 2017, militants belonging to the Maute group, an affiliate of Islamic State, took over Marawi. In what followed, five . . . Read More

Philippines: Marawi Catholics accompany Muslims in Ramadan fast

May 15, 2018 Philippines Catholics, Islamic extremism, Marawi, Mindanao, Philippines, Ramadan

Catholic and Muslim residents of the battle-scarred city of Marawi, in the southern Philippines, started the Islamic month of fasting together this week, as part of a local tradition dating back almost 40 years. As Ramadan began on 13 May, Christian families were encouraged to “accompany their Muslim neighbours in . . . Read More

Philippines cathedral bomb attack followed warning of ‘very real’ terrorist threat

May 3, 2018 Philippines Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Marawi, Mindanao, Philippines, South Cotabato, Southeast Asia

The situation in Mindanao has been tense for many years. Military personal stand guard in front of a church in Davao City, Mindanao, after a bomb attack killed 14 people here in 2016. (Photo: MANMAN DEJETO/AFP/Getty Images)

Two people were injured after a bomb went off outside a Catholic cathedral in the southern Philippines a day after regional leaders heard that the risk of terrorist attacks remains “very real”. The explosion at St. Anthony’s cathedral took place on Sunday (29 April) in the City of Koronadal, capital . . . Read More

Persecuted Christians celebrate Easter with mixed emotions

April 3, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Aleppo, Bashar Warda, Catholics, Easter, Erbil, Gaza, Hanoi, Hmong, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Israel, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Ludhiana, Maluku, Marawi, Middle East, Mindanao, Minorities, Philippines, Pope Francis, Prince Charles, Southeast Asia, Syria, Vietnam

Flag of Syria is waving as sign of victory over the destroyed heavily damaged city of Aleppo. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Easter this year was a time of mixed emotions for the Christians who live under pressure for their faith. While political and religious leaders called for peace, reconciliation and brotherhood, Christians in countries like Syria and the Philippines continued to face violence and its consequences. Below, World Watch Monitor gives . . . Read More

Philippines: Mindanao gets first deputy governor for Christians

March 15, 2018 Philippines Bangsamoro, Islamic State, Marawi, Mindanao, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Philippines

(Photo: Getty Images/AFP/Ferdinandh Cabrera)

The autonomous Muslim region in the southern Philippines has named its first deputy governor for Christians. The governor, Mujiv Hataman, said the appointment of Edgardo Ramirez, a known human rights activist and radio broadcaster, would ensure the voices of Christians – a minority in the region – are heard. After . . . Read More

Marawi’s rebuilding yet to start, despite warning that defeating extremism depends on it

March 2, 2018 Philippines Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Marawi, Maute, Mindanao, Philippines, Southeast Asia

Four months after the battle ended over the southern Philippines city of Marawi, Muslim leaders have called on people to stop posting divisive information on social media. Rumours were spread via social media in recent weeks, saying that the Catholic cathedral, which was severely damaged during the conflict last year, . . . Read More

Amnesty: ‘Discrimination rife in all regions of the world … with deadly consequences’

February 23, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Boko Haram, Censorship, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Fulani herdsmen, Gujrat, Human rights, Iran, Lakshan Dias, Marawi, Mardan, Nadeem Masih, Nawaz Sharif, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Religious freedom, Sri Lanka, Sub-Saharan Africa

Buddhist flags are waved during a mass demonstration against Christianity in Sri Lanka, April 2017. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A review of the human-rights situation in 159 countries during 2017, published by Amnesty International yesterday (22 February), shows that religious persecution continues in the form of threats, attacks, extrajudicial killings and even genocide, while harsh sentences continue to be handed out – sometimes even death sentences – for changing . . . Read More

Malaysia church attacks highlight growth of Islamic extremism

January 31, 2018 Malaysia Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Kota Bharu, Kuching, Malaysia, Myanmar, Petaling Jaya, Philippines, Sabah, Thailand

Located within easy reach of three active centres of Islamic extremism – Mindanao in the Philippines, Arakan in Myanmar and the southern provinces of Thailand – Malaysia has become a breeding ground for IS recruitment, weapon smuggling and communication, according to the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research. . . . Read More

Philippines: Marawi hostage recalls escape from IS killers

January 23, 2018 Philippines Islamic State, Marawi, Maute, Philippines, Teresito Suganob

Tuesday 23 May 2017 started like any other day for Henry*, a carpenter in the southern Philippines city of Marawi. He was working upstairs in his home when he heard a knock at the door. He left his tools in the sawdust and went downstairs. He opened the door to . . . Read More

‘Unprecedented’ persecution of Egypt’s Christians heads 2018 World Watch List

January 10, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Anti-conversion law, Boko Haram, Cairo, Central Asia, Churches, Converts, Copts, Egypt, Eritrea, Fulani herdsmen, Hindu nationalism, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Jharkhand, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Marawi, Middle Belt, Middle East, Mindanao, Minorities, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Philippines, Somalia, Southeast Asia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Upper Egypt

More Christians abused in India than in all other countries combined; Nepal enters list Islamic extremists driven out of Iraq and Syria are behind a new intensity of Christian persecution in surrounding countries, says global charity Open Doors in its latest annual survey of countries where it is most difficult . . . Read More

Catching Our Eye