Faith Matters General

Pakistan ministry seeks ban on new party backed by prominent Islamist
October 1, 2017 By Faith Matters

Pakistan ministry seeks ban on new party backed by prominent Islamist

Pakistan’s interior ministry has called for the electoral commission to bar from politics a new party backed by an Islamist with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, a government document seen by Reuters showed on Thursday. In a letter dated Sept. 22, the ministry recommended that the Election Commission of Pakistan reject the […]

Continue Reading
Far-right party likened to Nazis to shake up German parliament
September 21, 2017 By Faith Matters

Far-right party likened to Nazis to shake up German parliament

The first far-right party set to enter Germany’s parliament for more than a half a century says it will press for Chancellor Angela Merkel to be “severely punished” for opening the door to refugees and migrants. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has also called for Germany’s immigration minister to be “disposed of” in Turkey […]

Continue Reading
Pakistan army pushed political role for militant-linked groups
September 21, 2017 By Faith Matters

Pakistan army pushed political role for militant-linked groups

A new Pakistani political party controlled by an Islamist with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head is backing a candidate in a by-election on Sunday, in what a former senior army officer says is a key step in a military-proposed plan to mainstream militant groups. The Milli Muslim League party loyal to Hafiz […]

Continue Reading
Inspired by ‘blasphemy killer’, new Pakistani party eyes 2018 vote
September 21, 2017 By Faith Matters

Inspired by ‘blasphemy killer’, new Pakistani party eyes 2018 vote

The head of a new Pakistani Islamist party that lionizes the killer of a provincial governor said it would take its rallying cry of “death to blasphemers” to next year’s general election, after its surprisingly strong showing in a recent vote. The Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan party, which won more than 7,000 votes at a weekend by-election, […]

Continue Reading
Extremists change narrative to attract vulnerable youths to cause
September 5, 2017 By Faith Matters

Extremists change narrative to attract vulnerable youths to cause

LONDON: The latest wave of terror attacks across Europe has drawn the spotlight on popular platforms being used as a recruiting tool for groups like Daesh to spread their message of hate and recruit young extremists with increasingly sophisticated narratives. As the front lines of conflict extend from the Middle East to the streets of […]

Continue Reading
Hezbollah uses drones against IS in Syria – Hezbollah-run media
August 22, 2017 By Faith Matters

Hezbollah uses drones against IS in Syria – Hezbollah-run media

Lebanon’s Hezbollah used drones to strike Islamic State in Syria close to the border with Lebanon, a military media unit it runs said on Monday, their first public declaration that they had used such a weapon. Hezbollah deployed the drones to hit Islamic State positions, bunkers and fortifications in the Western Qalamoun area near the […]

Continue Reading
Trump clears way for troop increase in Afghanistan as part of retooled strategy
August 22, 2017 By Faith Matters

Trump clears way for troop increase in Afghanistan as part of retooled strategy

President Donald Trump was likely to open the door on Monday to a modest increase in U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan, where America is fighting its longest military conflict. In the past, Trump, who took office in January, was critical of former Democratic President Barack Obama’s approach to Afghanistan, saying the United States should not […]

Continue Reading
Istanbul police enforce ban on gay, transgender pride march
June 25, 2017 By Faith Matters

Istanbul police enforce ban on gay, transgender pride march

Turkish police deployed in central Istanbul on Sunday to enforce a ban on the city’s annual gay and transgender pride march, blocking off a main street and dispersing groups of demonstrators who gathered nearby. Police with riot shields and helmets sealed off entrances to Istiklal Street, where organisers had planned to hold the march before […]

Continue Reading
Russia’s military says it may have killed IS leader
June 16, 2017 By Faith Matters

Russia’s military says it may have killed IS leader

Moscow said on Friday its forces may have killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in an air strike in Syria last month, but Washington said it could not corroborate the death and Western and Iraqi officials were sceptical. The secretive Islamic State leader has frequently been reported killed or wounded since he declared a […]

Continue Reading
Israel reduces power supply to Gaza, as Abbas pressures Hamas
June 13, 2017 By Faith Matters

Israel reduces power supply to Gaza, as Abbas pressures Hamas

Israel will reduce electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian Authority limited how much it pays for power to the enclave run by Hamas, Israeli officials said on Monday. The decision by Israel’s security cabinet is expected to shorten by 45 minutes the daily average of four hours of power that Gaza’s 2 […]

Continue Reading