Religious Extremism

Sudan’s Islamists Mobilize for Sharia State

May 29, 2019

Sudan’s diverse Islamist groups have mobilized to demand that the country remain a sharia state as the regime transition continues after popular protests ousted the longtime dictator General Omar al-Bashir from power.
Indonesian Election Raises Red Flags on Islamist Radicalism

May 29, 2019

The expressions of Islamist radicalism in the recent Indonesian presidential election raise serious concerns about social fragmentation in violence provoked by hardline Islamists and also indicate the pernicious effects of Saudi Arabia's funding of education and infrastructure projects aimed to globalize Wahhabist fundamentalism.
Indonesia Arrests IS Affiliates Driving Violent Protests

May 29, 2019

Indonesian police have arrested individuals associated with local Islamic State (IS) cells in a wave of violent demonstrations and protests by Islamist groups that reject the presidential election results in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Islamists Push Back Against Newly Elected Indonesian President

May 29, 2019

Indonesian Islamists are contesting the country’s presidential election results, rejecting the non-Islamist president-elect and leading to a possible escalation in a cycle of Islamist militancy and government repression that could weaken democracy in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Muslim Leader Criticizes German Religious-Awareness Initiative

May 29, 2019

The Turkish-born Muslim chairman of a local advisory council for foreigners in the Western German city of Maintal has publicly criticized an initiative sponsored by city councils that aim to raise interfaith and multicultural awareness by posting religious FAQs in local pubs and restaurants.
Iran Opposes US Designation of MB as Terrorist

May 29, 2019

The criticism by Iran’s Islamist regime of the US for its consideration of designating the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) a terrorist organization shows that a shared ideological commitment to the global triumph of sharia law outweighs Islamic sectarian differences between Shiite Iran and the Sunni MB.
Islamist Bus Driver Sparks Debate About Islamism in France

May 29, 2019

A bus driver who refused to pick up two female passengers because of what he considered to be their immodest dress, followed by Facebook’s censuring of criticism about the arbitrary influence of Islamist norms in public life, has sparked a national debate in France about creeping Islamization in society.
Malaysian Police Hold Suspects in Attempted Ramadan Attack

May 29, 2019

Malaysian police are holding four men, individuals from Indonesia and Myanmar, belonging to a local Islamic State cell on evidence that they were planning high-casualty attacks during Ramadan on non-Muslim religious sites and public entertainment centers.
Political Transition in Sudan Involves Dismantling Islamist Deep State

May 29, 2019

Sudan’s political transition, jumpstarted by the overthrow of pro-sharia President Omar al-Bashir, has laid bare the need to dismantle the “deep state” through which Islamists continue to control the oil-rich, East African country’s military and security structures and key economic sectors.
Potential MB Terrorist Designation Reveals Islamist Factionalism

May 29, 2019

The US government's renewed policy discussion about labeling the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) a terrorist organization reveals the internal factionalism of Islamist politics, with Islamic theocracies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates keen to silence the MB's critique of their brand of Islam.