Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, Egypt’s most violent militant group, on Monday pledged it allegiance to extremist group Islamic State’s self-declared “caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, amid reports that Baghdadi had either been wounded or killed in a US air raid. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which has executed several lethal attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, traditionally considered its stronghold. Iraqi authorities are investigating reports …

The European Union’s new foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini warned that a new wave of Palestinian-Israeli violence could kick off if peace efforts between the two remain deadlocked. Speaking in Jerusalem, where she was on her first trip since taking up the post, Mogherini said that there needs to be a real “urgency” to advance the stagnant peace process. “The …

The al-Nusra Front on Friday seized three villages in northwestern province of Idlib from rebels forces, including a US-supported group, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said. According to the monitor, the al-Nusra Front now controls the villages of Hizareen, Al-Fateera and Sufuhun, where it had been battling rebel militia; it has been battling moderate and radical rebels in the …

This is unfortunate, because both tell stories that are fascinating, suspenseful and moving, and at the same time, they do public service by documenting virtually unknown histories with unexpected, unforgettable heroes.  Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story is a docudrama exploring the life of an Indian-American Muslim woman who became one of Britain’s least likely but most …

Documentary filmmaker Amar Wala tackles the subject of Canadian anti-terrorism and hope to shed light on the treatment of Muslims held by the federal government on suspicion of terrorist links with his film Secret Trial 5. The project started as a final assignment for Wala to finish film school at York University over five years ago. A professor had suggested …

An internet show created by a few students from Ottawa has picked up steam by cleverly poking fun at extremist group Islamic State (IS) and their message. They have also parodied, among other things, a well known Arabic Tide commercial, by having men play the role of traditional washerwomen. They also used their satire to target social degradation and sexual …

Three Muslim Malaysian transgender people on Friday won a court ruling which challenged a religious law that forbade them from cross-dressing. The ruling has been hailed as a victory for human rights in the conservative nation. A three-judge panel in the Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that Shariah law in the state of Negeri Sembilan was discriminatory since it did …

Thousands of supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Shi’ite rebels on Friday took to the streets to protests the threatened UN sanctions against insurgent chiefs and Saleh. The ex-strongman, who stepped down in 2012 due to Arab Spring-inspired protests, is considered as the chief backer of the Huthi rebels that have seized capital city Sana’a, among other …

By Ramzy Baroud Israel’s decision to shut down al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday, 30 October, is not just a gross violation of the religious rights of Palestinian Muslims. In fact, the rights of Palestinian Muslims and Christians have been routinely violated under the Israeli occupation for decades, especially in Jerusalem, and more recently in Gaza. During the 51-day war on the …

The Libyan Supreme Court on Thursday discredited the internationally recognized Libyan parliament, laying the groundwork for more political chaos in the violence-wrecked North African country. The ruling, which can’t be appealed, prompted triumphant gunfire in capital city Tripoli, which has been under rebel-militia control since August. The Tripoli court also invalidated a constitutional amendment which led to elections on June …