Religious Extremism

Changing Models of Islamism Reflect Generational Changes and Pragmatic Strategies

November 30, 2018

Islamist movements are diversifying their discourse, policies, and constituencies across the Middle East, as some Islamist parties consider generational shifts and pursue flexible religious interpretation and pragmatic, catch-all strategies.
Indian Supreme Court Strikes Down Instant Divorce

November 30, 2018

Muslim women's groups in India scored a victory for equal rights when India's Supreme Court criminalized the traditional Islamic practice allowing Muslim men to divorce their wives with a three-times-one-word declaration, as the Court aimed to protect women from arbitrary divorces that lead to violations in child-custody and property rights.
UN General Assembly Session Revealed Tensions in Iranian Regime

November 30, 2018

The UN General Assembly session in September revealed deep tensions between hardliners and moderates in Iran's Islamist government disagreeing over how attendance versus boycott would affect the theocratic regime's legitimacy at home and abroad, particularly in the face of the US’s return to sanctions.
Turkey Focuses on Bosnia as Soft Target for Islamist Influence

November 29, 2018

According to analysis by Dr. Alon Ben-Meir of NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, Turkish foreign policy is adding Islamist discourse and networking in Bosnia as a soft-power tool for expanding Ankara's increasingly anti-Western influence across Europe.
Lebanon’s Islamist Policies Lead to Women-Only Beaches

November 29, 2018

Lebanon’s establishment of women-only beaches reflects the growing cultural influence of conservative Islamism in Lebanon, especially under the significant political and social influence of Shiite Islamist militant group Hezbollah.
Indonesian Province Imposes Gender, Sexuality Restrictions in Dining

November 29, 2018

Sharia enforcement in Indonesia’s autonomous Aceh Province has taken a new turn with the reissuing of a local government order to restaurant owners to bar unmarried men and women from dining together and to ban the hiring of lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender people as waitstaff.
US Judge Declares Federal FGM Ban Unconstitutional

November 28, 2018

A federal judge has ruled in favor of a small Indian Muslim sect located outside Detroit, declaring unconstitutional a 22-year-old federal law criminalizing the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Malaysian State Authorities Cane Lesbian Women for Violating Islamic Law

November 28, 2018

Authorities in a Malaysia state publicly caned two women for violating Islamic law, although the country’s prime minister condemned the action as unrepresentative of Islam.
Pakistan's Elections Signal Mainstreaming of Islamist Extremism

November 28, 2018

The outcome of Pakistan's recent national elections marks the political mainstreaming of Islamist extremist parties and groups in the volatile Southwest Asian nuclear state.
Saudi Arabia Bows to Religious Conservatives on Satire

November 28, 2018

Saudi Arabia's Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution announced a new edict criminalizing online satire deemed detrimental to "public order, religious values, and public morals," a decision underscoring the continuing influence of the country's fundamentalist Wahhabi religious establishment.