Religious Extremism

UNHRC Debate Focuses on Islamophobia

June 29, 2016

At a UN Human Rights Council general debate discussing "the rising trends of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism," multiple governments from the Middle East often implicated in human rights abuses, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Egypt, warned of growing intolerance of and racism against Muslim migrants.
Secular Turks Face Islamist Violence, Impunity

June 29, 2016

The Economist reports that an incident in which a group of Islamists violently stormed a record store during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to stop a gathering of young people from drinking outdoors signals the growing intolerance, and lack of police support, non-Islamists encounter in Turkey.
US Court Grapples with Reach of Islamist Extremism

June 28, 2016

An Oklahoma District Court's dismissal of a motion filed by an ex-Muslim from Syria against a local church alleging the church had endangered his life by reporting online his conversion to Christianity reveals challenges for US courts in dealing with Islamist responses to conversions from Islam.
MEPs Demand Turkish Reforms for Visa-Free Travel

June 23, 2016

Members of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee recently held a session with Selahattin Demirtaş, co-chair of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party in Turkey, to discuss the need for democratic reforms in the country before the EU grants its citizens visa-free access to the bloc.
Turkish Islamists Push for Conversion of Cathedral into Mosque

June 17, 2016

Hardline Islamist nationalists in Turkey have begun holding Ramadan prayers in the Byzantine Cathedral of Aghia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as part of the Islamization strategy of church conversions by the Turkish government.
UN Agents Spotlight Iranian Abuse of Religious Minority

June 16, 2016

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, have criticized the Iranian regime's "backlash" against the Baha'i religious minority following a recent visit by the daughter of a former Iranian president to the home of a Baha'i leader.
Turkey Condemns German Recognition of Armenian Genocide

June 07, 2016

EurActiv reports that Turkish officials have condemned the recognition by Germany's lower house of parliament of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities by the Ottoman Empire during World War I and have threatened retaliation against the decision.
Mob in Nigeria Murders Christian Man for "Blasphemy"

June 06, 2016

Nigerian officials report that a mob in the town of Pandogari killed a Christian man and burned down a church as part of a riot over "blasphemous" statements the man made on social media about the Prophet Muhammed.
UK Investigates Sharia-based Discrimination

June 03, 2016

The Guardian reports that the UK Home Secretary has launched an inquiry to investigate reports regarding harmful impacts of sharia law in Britain, including whether so-called "sharia councils" are discriminating against women by permitting forced marriage and granting unfair divorces.
Meeting Highlights Bahai Persecution in Iran

May 23, 2016

The New York Times reports that a high-profile meeting between Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of a prominent Iranian ayatollah and former president, and a member of the Bahai religious minority in Iran has sparked a conversation on the harsh treatment of the Bahai people in the country and has drawn condemnation from Iranian judges and clerics.