extremism | | Page 2

Published by Seth Oldmixon on September 29, 2015

BNP’s Statement Denying Existence of Extremism Does Not Build Confidence

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leadership were the victims of what could be one of the worst examples of bad timing in recent memory. During a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Monday, BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon told the media that militancy and extremism do not exist in Bangladesh. “ We (BNP) have…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on August 5, 2015

Let’s Not Be Fooled By Islamist Public Relations Campaigns

Atif Jalal Ahmad and Michael Kugelman have a new report in The National Interest that examines why the self-described “Islamic State” has been unable to penetrate Bangladesh to the same degree that they have Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their analysis notes a few important factors: “The majority of Bangladesh’s large Muslim population rejects violence, and the…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on July 28, 2015

“Blasphemy” Politics Threatens Bangladesh’s Democracy

Over the course of the past two decades, over 1,000 Pakistanis – mostly non-Muslims – have faced accusations of blasphemy – a capital crime in their country. So serious are these accusations that at least 50 people accused of blasphemy have been killed in vigilante acts before they ever saw trial. Last year, a mob…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on July 22, 2015

Pakistani Terrorist Group Operating in Rohingya Camps

The name Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) may be unfamiliar to many, but it is only the most recent alias adopted by Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and it’s front group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) believed to be responsible for the 2001 attack on India’s parliament and the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed over 160 innocent people. FIF…

Published by Liberty South Asia on July 2, 2015

Fears of Rising Islamic Radicalism in Bangladesh

The vicious murders of secular bloggers in Bangladesh raised attention to the growing threat of religious extremism in a country known for its culture that values religious tolerance. Earlier today, 12 alleged members of al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) were arrested by Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in possession of explosives, bomb making…