Violence and Security

Jihadists Continue Religious Cleansing in Mideast

December 10, 2014

Islamist jihadists under the banner of The Islamic State (“IS”) continue the violent religious cleansing of Christians from the Mideast, while Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's most renowned center of Islamic learning, echoed the joint statement of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew calling for an end to anti-Christian violence.
Militant Islamist Wing of Hamas Gets Support from NATO-Member Turkey

December 10, 2014

Command-and-control decisions for the militant Islamist wing of Hamas, including weapons, financial and investment deals, and political cover for attacks on Israel, are being consolidated and launched from inside NATO-member Turkey, where Hamas' radical-rejectionist leadership has set up headquarters in Istanbul.
Violent Islamist Groups Expand Footprint in Libya

December 10, 2014

The collapse of the Libyan state and the country's free-fall into civil war has seen the steady expansion and consolidation of a cluster of violent Islamist groups on Europe's Mediterranean littoral – under the administration of the MSSI, or the Islamic Youth Shura Council – loyal to the jihadi ideology and practices of both The Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
Islamist Militants Use Iraqi Churches as Prisons

December 10, 2014

Since its proclamation of an Islamic Caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, The Islamic State (“IS”) has followed its assault on Iraq's Christian population (ordering them to convert, pay a protection tax, be killed, or leave) by turning churches in the city of Mosul into prisons and detention sites and jihadi logistical centers.
Boko Haram Turns Attacks on Nigeria's Non-Militant Muslims

December 03, 2014

The Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, which is waging war to make Nigeria a sharia state, attacked a large mosque in the city of Kano, signaling that Muslims who reject militant jihad will now be targeted with Nigeria's Christian population long-victimized by Boko Haram.
Radical Islamists Making Headway in Youth Internet Recruiting in Europe

December 03, 2014

French intelligence officials are warning that radical Islamist groups are making measurable headway in internet recruiting that targets Muslim youth in Europe, raising particular concerns about recruitment appeals to teen girls to undertake jihadi activities within Europe as well as to fight in Syria and Iraq.
Islamist Sectarianism Sparks Violence in Australia

December 03, 2014

A Shiite Muslim community leader was shot in the face outside a local prayer hall in Sydney, Australia, by vigilantes claiming to support The Islamic State (“IS”), raising the possibility of Islamist sectarian violence as far afield as Oceania.
Islamic State Launches Attack from Turkey on Kobani

December 03, 2014

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (“SOHR”) is reporting that the Islamist jihadi group known as The Islamic State (“IS”) has launched attacks against Kobani, the predominantly Kurdish town in northern Syria, from inside Turkey's borders.
Islamist Militants Expanding Attacks in Egyptian Sinai

December 03, 2014

Islamist militants are ratcheting up attacks against Egypt's military in the Sinai Peninsula, signaling the expanding footprint of jihadi-salafist ideas and non-state actors committed to overthrowing the current government in Cairo.
Internet and Education Are Essential for Countering Violent Islamist Message and Recruitment

December 03, 2014

In the face of robust data indicating that Islamist extremists are effectively using the Internet and new social media to radicalize and recruit, experts in countering violent extremism are proposing the deployment of innovative internet analytics and educational reform policies to weaken the global networks and appeals of militant Islamism.