Violence and Security

Danish Cartoon Anniversary Shows Global Effects of Islamic Blasphemy Laws

October 19, 2015

A review of the chilling effects on press and speech freedoms in the anniversary decade since the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten's publication of cartoon depictions of Islam's prophet Mohammed points to the globalized, corrosive impacts on democracy caused by Islamist blasphemy.
Modern Oil Economics and Jihad Converge in IS's Expanding Caliphate

October 19, 2015

Crucial to the success of the Islamic State ("IS") in expanding the territory of their Islamist caliphate has been the jihadis' control and meticulous management of sizable oil resources in Syria and Iraq, demonstrating the IS leadership's application of modern oil economics toward the goal of building state institutions and a war machine premised on medieval Islamist norms and practices.
Iraqi Escapees Describe Totalitarianism of Islamic State

October 19, 2015

Iraq citizens escaping the country from the area around Mosul, which is under full control of the Islamic State ("IS"), describe conditions defined by Islamist totalitarianism and a brutal extractive state, with suffocating taxes and oppressive religious laws applied with impunity, at penalty of amputations, executions, and a culture of terror.
UN Group Raises Red Flags About Belgium's Jihadis

October 19, 2015

A UN expert Working Group is urging the government of Belgium to move expeditiously to develop a national action plan, with specific focus on preventive programs and post-conflict rehabilitation, to address the causes and consequences of the country's comparatively high levels of jihadis fighting in Syria.
Islamist Civil War Will Determine Future of Iraq

October 19, 2015

The Islamist civil war in Iraq between Shiite and Sunni factions reflects a complex political struggle that will determine the viability of a unified Iraq, with geopolitical implications extending well beyond the Middle East.
Islamic State on Af-Pak Border Gaining Ground with Arms and Brutality

October 14, 2015

The Islamic State in the Khorasan (the ancient region encompassing Afghanistan and Pakistan) is making incremental gains in a guerrilla war against both the Taliban and the Afghan government and is using extreme, systematic brutality to subdue populations captured in those areas.
Islamic State Shops for WMD Materials in Black Market

October 09, 2015

Transatlantic intelligence authorities are raising concerns that the Islamic State's ("IS") declared willingness to use weapons of mass destruction ("WMD") for a nuclear jihad may be abetted by the active black market for WMD materials in the former communist states of Eastern Europe.
Saudi Imams Call for Jihad Against Russia Because of Syria

October 08, 2015

A group of Muslim clerics in Saudi Arabia have issued an open call to all Sunni Muslims to unite in Islamic holy war against Russia for its intervention in Syria.
Extremist Islamism Is on the Uptick in Bangladesh

October 05, 2015

A recent series of violent attacks against pro-free-speech bloggers and foreign diplomats in Bangladesh reflects the increasing influence of extremist Islamism in the country, where Saudi Arabia routinely funds mosques and educational curricula and a melange of radical Islamist groups has actively engaged in violence against civilians.
Radicalization of China's Uighur Muslims Reflected in Death Threats Against Novelist

October 05, 2015

The measurable Islamist radicalization of China's large ethnic-Uighur Muslim population, aggravated by the penetration of foreign extremist-jihadi groups and Beijing's reactionary repression, is reflected in the blasphemy accusations against a renowned Uighur novelist.