Tag: Prophet Muhammad

‘Apocalyptic’ battle for Dabiq, Syria ‘imminent’

October 4, 2016 Syria Al-Qaeda, Dabiq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Prophet Muhammad, Syria

US-backed Syrian rebels are reported to be closing in on the northern Syrian town of Dabiq, which holds major significance for ISIS as the location of a prophesied battle it believes will lead to the end of the world. It’s about 40km (25 miles) north-east of Aleppo and 10km (6.2km) . . . Read More

Blasphemy rumour leads to arson, 8 dead

August 24, 2016 Nigeria Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria, Prophet Muhammad, Zamfara

A mob, outraged by reports that Islam’s holy prophet had been insulted, burned down a house in northwest Nigeria 22 Aug., killing eight people inside. Police confirmed the incident, the news organization . It began when a student of Abdu Gusau Polytechnic school in Nigeria’s Zamfara state was alleged to . . . Read More

N. Nigerian church attacked for ‘Friday’ services

July 18, 2016 Nigeria Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Niger, Nigeria, Prophet Muhammad

A Catholic church in Niger State, northern Nigeria, was attacked by Muslim youths on Friday (15 July). Eyewitnesses told the Daily Post that people who had gone to the church to pray were attacked by Muslims claiming that Friday was their day of prayer and that Christians only had the . . . Read More

5 Pakistani Christians released, 2 jailed for ‘blasphemy’ of calling pastor a ‘prophet’

June 30, 2016 Pakistan Blasphemy, Gujrat, Islamic extremism, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Nawaz Sharif, Prophet Muhammad

Pastor Fazal Masih, who died 20 years ago, was hailed as a ‘prophet’ on a flyer inviting Christians to a memorial ceremony.World Watch Monitor UPDATE (1 July, 2016): Five Pakistani Christians charged with blasphemy last year in the religiously conservative city of Gujrat have been acquitted, but two others have been . . . Read More

Pakistan bans TV shows for discussing blasphemy

June 20, 2016 Pakistan Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad, Ramadan, Sufi, Terrorism

Two TV shows in Pakistan were taken off air on Friday for discussing blasphemy laws, . The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said in a statement “an immediate ban has been imposed on TV One’s programme Ishq-e-Ramazan, and Aaj News’ programme Ramazan Hamara Iman”. PEMRA said both channels had . . . Read More

Pakistan court grants bail to chief suspect in oven killings of Christian couple

April 19, 2016 Pakistan Blasphemy, Bonded labourers, Gojra, Joseph Colony, Kasur, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad, Quran, Shahzad Masih, Shama Bibi

A Pakistani court has granted bail to the lead suspect in the brutal 2014 killings of a young Christian couple, burned alive in a brick kiln where they worked as bonded labourers, itself illegal in Pakistan. National outrage over their deaths meant the case had moved to Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court . . . Read More

Niger churches ‘abandoned’ after Charlie Hebdo destruction

July 23, 2015 Niger Baptists, Boko Haram, Charlie Hebdo, Churches, Islamic extremism, Mahamadou Issoufou, Niamey, Niger, Prophet Muhammad, Protestants, Trauma, West Africa, Zinder

In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, the churches in the predominantly Muslim West African nation of Niger experienced the worst attacks in their history. On the weekend of 16-17 January, hundreds of angry Islamists attacked and ransacked dozens of properties and churches, shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah . . . Read More

Asia Bibi’s last chance for freedom

July 22, 2015 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Multan, Prophet Muhammad, Sawan Masih, Shahbaz Bhatti, Sheikhupura

Pakistani Christian Aasiya Noreen (known as Asia Bibi) has been allowed to take her appeal against her death penalty for blasphemy to Pakistan’s Supreme Court in the capital, Islamabad. Until the Supreme Court reaches its final decision, Noreen cannot be executed. Commentators today have praised the Supreme Court for its courage to . . . Read More

Muslims must ‘face up’ to Quran’s violence

June 23, 2015 Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Prophet Muhammad, Quran

Egyptian President al-Sisi’s New Year’s Day speech asking how belief in Islam could make Muslim nations “a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction” ought to have triggered a worldwide theological debate amongst Muslims asking where the mechanism for restraining Islamic violence lies, according to Canon Dr. Gavin Ashenden, writing . . . Read More

Second mentally ill Pakistani in 2 weeks charged with desecrating Quran

June 11, 2015 Pakistan Blasphemy, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad, Quran, Sindh

Twenty-year-old Yaqoob Bashir Masih was accused of desecrating the Quran in Mirpur Khas in Sindh province on June 4, even though he has been treated for his mental health, according to a Catholic priest. After Bashir (a Christian, known locally as ‘Kaka’) is said to have told a crowd who threatened . . . Read More

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