Ethnic unrest

Nigeria: Christmas Bombing Sparks Fear of Religious War

Date: December 28th, 2011 |

The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, which is suspected of having ties to al-Qaeda, has claimed a series of Christmas day bombings that left more than 30 people dead as Christian leaders warn of escalating violence and the possibility of religious war. Nigeria is divided roughly along religious lines, with the north being predominantly Muslim [read more]

Mali: Travel Warning in North of Country

Date: October 8th, 2011 |

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The U.S. State Department is warning citizens about traveling to the small African nation, particularly in the northern parts of the country, because of kidnapping threats made against Westerners. Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, a region in northwest Africa spanning many countries, has stated its intent to attack Western targets. This, coupled with a recent military [read more]

Russia: North Caucasus still a Concern

Date: July 25th, 2011 |

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Four policemen were killed and nine others were wounded during two separate blasts in Russia’s North Caucasus July 18. One bomb went off in Chechnya and the other in Dagestan. For years, Russia has been battling Islamist separatist groups in the North Caucasus, with Dagestan bearing much of the brunt of the fighting. Federal Security [read more]

Israel: Troubles Continue at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount

Date: October 29th, 2009 |

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Two weeks of quiet around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem ended Oct. 25 when stone-throwing Arab youths clashed with police, then took refuge inside Al-Aksa Mosque. Authorities closed the Temple Mount following the riots but reopened it the next day. Conflict over the past month at the site that is sacred to both Muslims and [read more]

China: Unrest Recurs in Troubled Xinjiang Province

Date: September 9th, 2009 |

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Trouble returned to the restive Xinjiang Province capital Urumqi Sept. 3 when mass protests were triggered by reports of syringe attacks between ethnic groups. Han Chinese blamed Uighurs but authorities said both groups had suffered such stabbings. Five people were killed in the unrest and police came out in force in the days that followed [read more]

Bahrain: British Embassy Bombed in Recent Display of Disdain for Western Backed Sunni Dynasty

Date: December 10th, 2011 |

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The British Embassy in Bahrain was the target of a small bomb explosion, prompting the Bahraini government to provide additional security to foreign embassies in the country. Earlier this year, Bahrain was swept by a wave of unrest, and the latest bomb attack confirms that tensions remain. Between February and March of this year, the [read more]

China: High-Intensity Security Campaign Planned for Xinjiang

Date: August 23rd, 2011 |

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The Chinese government announced a two-month “strike hard” campaign aimed at securing the troubled western region of Xinjiang. The plan includes 24-hour police patrols of crowded areas, identity checks, street searches, increased criminal investigations and accelerated trials. Tensions between ethnic Uighur and Han populations have erupted in a recent five-week spate of violence, resulting in [read more]

Bahrain: Country still Divided Despite Reform Talks

Date: July 12th, 2011 |

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Bahrain remains deeply divided after months of upheaval and two months of martial law. Talks of reform and opening the political process are beginning, however, as King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa opened a political dialogue July 5, saying all options were on the table. Despite this effort, Shi’ite Muslims—a majority of the population in the [read more]

United Kingdom: Anti-Islam Demonstrators Clash with Muslim Counter-Protesters

Date: September 16th, 2009 |

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Authorities are concerned about violent clashes between anti-Islam demonstrators and Muslim counter-protesters that have occurred in the last few months in Birmingham, London and Luton. The English Defense League and other far-right groups have been accused of trying to provoke a response from the Muslim community with their demonstrations, and in several instances they have, [read more]

China: Xinjiang Ethnic Tensions Flare

Date: July 8th, 2009 |

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Ethnic violence between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang in far western China, produced more than 150 deaths, brought paramilitary troops out to restore order, saw mosques closed and curfew imposed, and the arrests of more than 1400 people. It also prompted President Hu Jintao to pull out of the [read more]

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