The rise of Islamic extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus

The rise of Islamic extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus
Islamic extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus will further increase in the next few years, predicts a new report by Anna Münster, a Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House. US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, and expected regime changes in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan threaten to . . . Read More

Egypt’s Christians, fearing instability, seek security elsewhere

Egypt’s Christians, fearing instability, seek security elsewhere
In downtown Cairo¬ mid-March, the multicolored pharaoh-motif tablecloths and dishtowels were missing from a fabric store once known for such items. The owner of the textile factory that produced them closed down and left Egypt soon after the country’s 2011 revolution. Assad Attiya, a clerk who has worked at the . . . Read More

Book review: ‘Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack’

Book review: ‘Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack’
Jesus warned his followers that they would experience persecution, a prediction that was already coming true before the books of the New Testament were completed. Today, Rupert Shortt, author of Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack, argues, “the greatest curbs on religious freedoms take place in Muslim majority countries.” Take Egypt, . . . Read More

Christians hail dissolution of Egyptian parliament

Christians hail dissolution of Egyptian parliament
Christians in Egypt welcomed today’s court decision to dissolve the Islamist-controlled parliament due to election irregularities. The decision offered hope for Christians, many of whom were convinced the country was about to be handed over to Islamists who would stifle religious freedom and persecute non-Muslims. “Christians are happy, because they . . . Read More