jamaat-e-islami |

Published by Liberty South Asia on November 14, 2019

Remarks Delivered by Seth Oldmixon on November 13, 2019 Washington, DC

9/11 made al Qaeda a household name; and with it, an introduction for most Americans to radical Islamism – a totalitarian, theocratic ideology that demands global subservience to a cabal of religious clerics. With the rise of ISIS, most people began to understand that al Qaeda is not the only violent extremist group in operation….

Published by Liberty South Asia on November 7, 2019

[Event] Jamaat-e-Islami: A Threat at Home and Abroad?

Wednesday, November 13, 201911:30am to 12:30pmWashington, D.C. (Capitol Hill)Room information will be provided to registered guests. Click here to RSVP In India, authorities blame it for terrorism in Kashmir. In Bangladesh, a war crimes tribunal found its leaders guilty of committing mass-murder. And in Pakistan, its regular rallies and fervent rhetoric receive national attention. Given…

Published by Liberty South Asia on November 30, 2018

Reps Banks, Gabbard Take Strong Stand In Defense of Religious Freedom In Bangladesh

A bi-partisan group of lawmakers has sent a strong message that Washington is closely watching developments on the ground in Bangladesh as the country prepares for national elections next month, and stands firmly in support of the rights and security of all citizens, regardless of their faith. Bangladesh is the world’s fourth-largest Muslim country. “When…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on October 9, 2018

Can a political maverick free BNP from its ties to Jamaat-e-Islami?

Bangladesh’s upcoming elections could reshape the country for a generation Predicting election outcomes is difficult enough in data-rich and stable electorates like the United States. With very little reliable polling data, and a history of at least one military coup roughly every decade, analysts covering Bangladesh’s upcoming elections need to approach the exercise with humility…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on July 9, 2018

Jamaat-e-Islami Terror Camps in Bangladesh? New Book May Offer Fresh Insights

Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist group that seeks to transform the world into its imagining of a global Islamist theocracy, is best known for its attempts to exploit democractic norms to advance its agenda. The group, often compared to the Muslim Brotherhood, fields candidates in elections, raises funds through charity fronts, and openly supports international jihad alongside…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on March 28, 2018

Jamaat-e-Islami: “Conservative Islamic political party” or violent extremist group?

In a recent op-ed, Toby Cadman, an international lobbyist for Jamaat-e-Islami, suggests that it is a “mischaracterization” to suggest that Jamaat-e-Islami is “an extremist group that is involved in acts of terror,” instead downplaying the group as “a conservative Islamic political party in opposition.” This is an important question, not for only for those who…

Published by Liberty South Asia on March 6, 2018

Jamaat-e-Islami Social Media Activists Mock Attack on Bangladeshi Professor

The attempted assassination of Bangladeshi professor Zafar Iqbal brought thousands of protests across the country as Bangladeshis nationwide cried out for justice and an end to the violent extremism that has plagued Bangladesh for years. In one positive sign, the government’s response to the attack has earned praise even from critics. I usually am very…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on August 9, 2017

Political Normalization of Extremism Poses New Threats In South Asia

In 2005, a popular Hindu nationalist was denied entry to the United States under a section of US law that makes any foreign government official who “was responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom” ineligible for a visa to the United States. Nine years later, that Hindu…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on April 19, 2017

Bangladesh Minister Rejects Possibility of Alliance with Religious Extremists

Days after a news report that Bangladesh’s Awami League was looking to make a political alliance with Islamist extremist group Hefazat-e-Islam as a means of diluting the BNP’s Islamist support, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu appeared to shut the door on any such arrangement when he dismissed Hefazat as “political opportunists” and “religious extremists.” In…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on October 17, 2016

Jamaat-e-Islami leader urges supporters to use violence to end ‘heathen Western civilization’

In 2005, Bangladeshi Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali addressed an assembly of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat’s “student wing,” during which he predicted the re-establishment of an Islamist Caliphate (Khilafat Ala Minhaj e Nabuwat) and called on Chhatra Shibir members to be frontline soldiers in bringing about the end of “heathen Western civilization.” During his speech,…