Religious Extremism

Turkey & Iran Sunni-Shiite Islamist Regimes Unite in Anti-US Front

September 09, 2020

The two Islamist regimes of Turkey and Iran appear to be putting aside their respective Sunni and Shiite sectarian differences in forming a united front defined by a shared anti-American position, announcing "strong foundations for high level cooperation" that includes joint support for Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Muslim Brotherhood Policies and Foreign Funding Disproportionately Impact Europe

September 08, 2020

A spate of recent academic and policy research and operations of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in European countries reveals the MB to be a loose network of organizational cells punching above its weight in terms of impact when it comes to Islamist radicalization and violence.
Amnesty International Report Details Human Rights Abuses by Iran's Islamic Regime in Crackdown on Protests

September 08, 2020

Globally recognized human rights group Amnesty International released a new report detailing widespread human rights abuses, including rape and arbitrary detention and killings of adults and children, that state officials of Iran's Islamic theocracy perpetrated in last year's crackdown against protestors challenging rising fuel oil prices and other economic measures.
Charlie Hebdo Trial Highlights Free Speech and Free Press Tensions

September 08, 2020

As the Paris trial of accused perpetrators of the 2015 Islamist attacks on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo begins, President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need for rigorous protections of speech, press, and thought freedoms, while, at the same time, avoiding "dialogues of hate."
Turkey Demolishes Church in Erasure of Christian Cultural Heritage

September 08, 2020

Turkey's Directorate of Foundations approved the demolition of the 19th century Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in the country's northwestern city of Bursa, continuing the acceleration of state policy of erasure of Christian cultural heritage under the current Islamist government.
Kurdish Dissident's Story in Netherlands Highlights Iran's Global Reach in Silencing Opposition to Islamist Regime

August 31, 2020

The near-lethal assault on a Kurdish Iranian dissident living in the Netherlands points to the long arm of Iran's IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and intelligence and military apparatus, working in tandem with the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah, in targeting for extraterritorial killings any Iranians abroad who are deemed by the Tehran's theocratic regime to be traitors to the Islamic Revolution.
Islamic Scholars Protest UAE-Israel Deal in Show of Division Among Islamist Regime's Religious Experts

August 31, 2020

Prominent Islamic scholars from the United Arab Emirate's (UA) main religious bodies issued a firestorm of criticism about the announced normalization of UAE-Israel relations, underscoring the deep divisions regarding pluralism and inclusion among the religious establishment of the Islamist regime of the UAE.
Al-Azhar Pressure Forces Egyptian Parliament to Table Bill to Shift Control over Islam to State

August 26, 2020

Egypt's Parliament buckled under pressure from the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University, who challenged new legislation aimed at shifting control over religious affairs for the country's Sunni-Muslim majority to the State by curtailing the expansive financial, legal, and social powers of the global center of Islamic learning.
German Prosecutors Identify Islamist Connections & Mental Health Issues as Cause of Berlin Motorway Attack

August 24, 2020

German prosecutors have identified Islamist motivations and mental health issues as the cause for a series of serious accidents on a major Berlin thoroughfare, with the perpetrator identified as an Iraqi asylum seeker who shouted Islamist slogans at the attack site.
Turkey Pushes Islamist Agenda in Messaging to US Presidential Candidates

August 18, 2020

Turkey’s Islamist government is pushing its geopolitical agenda by messaging Washington’s presidential election candidates.