-
IS Uses Chemical Weapons in Fight for Mosul
March 08, 2017
Medical aid workers in Iraqi Kurdistan are reporting that burns on civilians transported from the city of Mosul are consistent with "blistering chemical agents," suggesting that Islamic State (IS) militants are using crude chemical weapons in the battle to hold the city against advancing Iraqi government forces.
-
Islamic Finance Continues Expansion into Africa
March 08, 2017
The growth of sharia-compatible/compliant finance methods and banking services on the African continent continues apace as Morocco's Central Bank approved a range of Islamic banking services designed to grow investment and liquidity.
-
Internet Debates Signal Mideast Culture Wars
March 08, 2017
Security experts anticipate that the launch of the first online forum for the LGBT community in the Middle East and North Africa will produce an intense "cultural tsunami" between hardline Islamists and their critics.
-
Coptic Christians Flee IS Cleansing Campaign
March 08, 2017
Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians are accelerating their exodus from the North Sinai in the face of an escalation in targeted violence against them by Islamic State (IS) militants carrying out a religious cleansing campaign to eradicate the Mideast's largest remaining Christian community.
-
Australian Police Arrest IS Weapons Researcher
March 08, 2017
The Australian police's arrest of an electrician charged with assisting Islamic State (IS) networks on research and design for laser-guided warning systems has raised concerns among Australian officials about the reach of radical Islamism as far afield as rural Australia.