Rubric Islam

Islam
by Fady Noun

Israeli attacks on the "party of God" have damaged a medieval castle and a Shia shrine in Shamaa, a village near Tyre. The site is dedicated to Shamoun al-Safa, who is none other than the first pontiff of Christianity, and still bears traces of a chapel. To be certain if ancient relics are inside, Israeli forces have to pull back.

| 13/12/2024
| LEBANON
by Fr Jihad Youssef*

Fr Jihad Youssef, superior of the community founded by Fr Dall'Oglio, reflects about the situation created by the fall of the Assad regime. For him, it is impossible for Christians to remain in the Middle East if they confront and compete with Muslims. It takes "courage" to be a "small flock". The concept of dhimmah should be turned into a form of “dynamic interaction”. Meanwhile, HST rebel leader wants those responsible for crimes and torture to be returned to Syria. Israel carries out hundreds airstrikes, its tanks are 20 km from Damascus.

| 10/12/2024
| SYRIA
by Dario Salvi

Fr. Bahjat Karakach speaks to AsiaNews from the northern city now controlled by opposition groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. The anti-Assad front is targeting Hama, while in the conquered territories it promises protection for minorities. The parish is the distribution point for aid, but resources are limited. A people ‘exhausted by years of suffering and stalemate’.

| 05/12/2024
| SYRIA
by Sumon Corraya

Hundreds of students have taken to the streets in recent hours to demonstrate against the attack on the diplomatic representation, with serious damage to the building. Earlier there had been demonstrations in India against the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in the neighbouring country. The two governments tighten control and security measures.

| 04/12/2024
| BANGLADESH - INDIA
by Sumon Corraya

Having come to power after the ousting of the historic premier Hasina and the student protests, the interim executive does not seem to meet expectations. The issue of the fight against corruption is unresolved and there is a risk of a growing Islamic drift. Economic challenges, in particular the issue of inflation, continue to weigh on the citizens. 

| 16/11/2024
| BANGLADESH

President Pezeshkian at the UN appealed for unity and equal rights for minorities. NGO reports reveal a picture of intimidation and marginalisation for the religious community. State propaganda portrays them as ‘impure’ and ‘agents of foreign powers’ in the service of Israel and the West. Former UN rapporteur for Iran: ‘genocidal and persecutory’ intentions.

| 16/11/2024
| IRAN
by Dario Salvi

Card Zenari remembers the founder of Mar Musa on his seventieth birthday. The monastery remains his “most living” legacy. The tragedy of the missing is compounded by that of refugees and the displaced, the ongoing war, and last year’s devastating earthquake. Increasingly frequent, Israeli raids have cut links with Lebanon which are an “umbilical cord". Pope Francis’s proclamation of the martyrs of Damascus is a “breath of fresh air”.

| 15/11/2024
| SYRIA – VATICAN
by Dario Salvi

For the Israeli activist, who mediated the release of Gilad Shalit after five years of Hamas captivity, Israel’s prime minister is using antisemitism to cover up domestic scandals and exploiting the war for his own self-interest. He also criticises the Palestinian side, which must  prepare the ground for elections postponed for far too long. Qatar's step back should be used to restart negotiations.

| 12/11/2024
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Shafique Khokhar

Minahil, only six years old, was raped in the Asan School System by Muhammad Hassan, an employee of the institute. The man was arrested after the family's complaint, tests on the girl confirmed the abuse and DNA results are awaited. Christian and Muslim leaders have visited the victim and expressed their closeness to the parents.

| 12/11/2024
| PAKISTAN
by Mathias Hariyadi

After more than a year of sede vacante, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo to lead the diocese in East Java. The local community celebrated the announcement with a solemn mass. Fr. Didik, as he is nicknamed by the faithful, returns to his Church of origin after having been a missionary in a more remote area of the country

| 31/10/2024
| INDONESIA
by Melani Manel Perera

The suspects are being questioned, said Minister Herath. The government is tightening controls and boosting protection for foreigners, especially tourists from Israel from "potential threats". A Muslim leader says that a "conspiracy" against the country's new leadership seeks to "destroy" the economy.

| 25/10/2024
| SRI LANKA – ISRAEL

The Islamic preacher died yesterday at the age of 83 in his US exile after years of poor health. For decades, he was one of Turkey’s most influential figures before taking refuge in the United States and being charged with orchestrating Turkey’s failed coup in 2016. His movement built a network of hundreds of schools at home and abroad. A supporter of interfaith dialogue, in 1998 he met Saint John Paul II in Rome.

| 21/10/2024
| TURKEY – UNITED STATES

For the Palestinian activist, the struggle is bound to continue, because it has "deeper roots" than the leaders who fight. Netanyahu claims a victory to offer to the Israeli people, but killing a man “does not eliminate an idea". Sinwar’s death will likely have repercussions for the talks on a truce and the fate of the hostages still held by Hamas.

| 18/10/2024
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
by Fady Noun

In the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate, the main leaders of the 18 recognised religious communities in the country gathered. For Card. Raï it is ‘a sign of hope’. The urgency of a ceasefire, the election of a new president of the Republic who enjoys ‘consensus’, national unity and the Palestinian cause among the points of the final communiqué.

 

| 17/10/2024
| LEBANON - ISRAEL
by Joseph Masilamany

The controversial legislation presented for second and third reading in the current parliamentary session. Opponents reject without appeal the text that would grant broad powers to an unelected but ministerial-appointed official and turn a fatwa (also for non-Muslims) into law. For the promoters, it aims to define the role and responsibilities of the mufti in the federal territories.

| 16/10/2024
| MALAYSIA - ISLAM

The Chaldean Patriarch speaks to AsiaNews of a “worrying” situation especially for the civilian population, which pays “the highest price.” Mediations stagnate and the “economics of war” continue to prevail, triggering on other elements of crisis, such as demographics and climate. The role of Shiite militias in the Iraqi scenario and the “scandal” that hit the Chaldean Church recently.

| 15/10/2024
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Fady Noun

Without a ceasefire and full implementation of UN Resolution 1701, Lebanon remains in a political stalemate. Iranian pressure prevents House Speaker Nabih Berry from freeing himself from Hezbollah's grip. Invited to the Vatican for the Synod on Lebanon in 1995 and the one on the Middle East in 2010, the senior Sunni leader tells AsiaNews that he hopes Lebanon will learn from past tragedies, and return to the Arab fold through the Saudi "gateway".

| 14/10/2024
| LEBANON – ISRAEL – IRAN
by Shafique Khokhar

Accused of throwing away waste paper with sacred inscriptions, a fact they denied. The lawyer speaks of bad intentions towards the women, one of whom is also a widow. Activist Joseph Jansen: ‘This abuse of the laws must stop before more innocent lives are lost’.

| 14/10/2024
| PAKISTAN
by Santosh Digal

The collaborative body relaunches its mission with first meeting in years. Christian and Muslim leaders together call for the reinclusion of Sulu in the Bangsamoro autonomous region, to safeguard the achievements of the peace process. The satisfaction of the Silsilah movement: ‘Important step at this historic moment when divisions and conflicts emerge in the Philippines and in the world’.

| 13/10/2024
| ECCLESIA IN ASIA
by Joseph Masilamany

A Malaysian judge has upheld the appeal of a small tribal group in Pahang State, ordering the case to be heard by the High Court. They claim that they have always professed a traditional animist religion and that they have been misled because of their lack of knowledge of the Malay language, in violation of the Aboriginal Peoples Act.

| 12/10/2024
| MALAYSIA
by Sumon Corraya

The return to freedom of expression, following the fall of the former prime minister, opened up space for extremist movements and groups. In recent street demonstrations, Islamic State-like banners have appeared. Police and law enforcement agencies are in action to avert an extremist escalation, but there are concerns among minorities, including Christians.

| 11/10/2024
| BANGLADESH
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Despite being officially prohibited in Bishkek polygamous marriages proliferate, facilitated by shadow agencies that function on Islamic principles. Their activities are also supported by celebrities. But human rights activists also tell the other side: the increase in appeals from women who have fallen into this trap.

| 11/10/2024
| KYRGYZSTAN

The last of five seats for the Asia-Pacific region went to the Marshall Islands by seven votes. For Saudi Arabia, this is a second defeat after that of 2020, while Qatar won its second consecutive term. In the first 10 months of 2024, the kingdom carried out a record 213 death sentences.

| 10/10/2024
| SAUDI ARABIA - UNITED NATIONS
by Fady Noun

While they may be divided over the conflict between the Party of God and the Jewish State, Lebanese movements and parties are united in defending the country’s territorial integrity. The humanitarian emergency is getting worse as more and more people are displaced, but expressions of solidarity are also multiplying. Political analyst says the Israeli prime minister is trying to cause a religious war within Lebanon, splitting Lebanese society.

| 09/10/2024
| LEBANON – ISRAEL
by Dario Salvi

Msgr. Martinelli told AsiaNews that it is ‘urgent’ to relaunch the Church's ‘presence’ in the country tormented by conflict and violence. The testimony of the nuns, the work of Caritas and the local Christian reality. The Houthi missiles towards Israel, the neutrality of the Gulf and the fragile balance with Riyadh and Tehran. The Abrahamic House a model of encounter, confrontation and prayer.

| 08/10/2024
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
by Dario Salvi

AsiaNews met with Archbishop Mathieu on the sidelines of the Synod, a few hours before the announcement of his elevation to the rank of cardinal. The appointment shows the pope's "incessant desire" to "weave and strengthen bonds with all peoples." The Iranian people are "welcoming", not just " chadors and beards” as portrayed in the West.

| 07/10/2024
| VATICAN - IRAN
by Shafique Khokhar

The incident took place at the Civil Hospital in Sahiwal, Punjab. According to a complaint by Yousaf Masih Gill, the parent was refused urgent surgery by the doctors on confessional grounds. A health worker said: ‘If I had known earlier that you are a Christian, I would not have touched your father’. The family's protest and the health management's apology.

| 04/10/2024
| PAKISTAN
by Shafique Khokhar

Three cases shake the conscience of the country and revive the issue of abuses linked to blasphemy rules. In Sindh, police kill a doctor investigated for blasphemous posts; a suspect is killed by an agent in Quetta, and his relatives forgive the murderer; a Christian woman is sentenced to death for messages on WhatsApp.

| 20/09/2024
| PAKISTAN
by Joseph Masilamany

Malaysia has been shaken by an investigation into sexual offences against minors in some 20 homes run by a company linked to the late preacher whose movement was outlawed by Mahathir in 1994. Also arrested were the founder's son and the managing director of the group, which is present in 20 countries and also has operations in London, Paris, Dubai and Mecca.

| 20/09/2024
| MALAYSIA
by Steve Suwannarat

The magistrates' want to investigate their role in the death of 78 young Muslims who were locked up in military vehicles. The incident took place in the far south of the country, the scene of separatist and sectarian tensions for decades. However, the case is under a statute of limitations and risks resurfacing the clash between the ruling party and the military and nationalist establishment.

| 19/09/2024
| THAILAND
Editor's choices
 
by Giorgio Bernardelli
The report drafted for the late pope by a group of economists led by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz has been released. The study calls for a new global initiative for the most indebted poor countries but also lays out the rules for fairer finance ...
| 20/06/2025
| VATICAN
 
Maryam Marof Arwin, founder of the Purple Saturdays Movement, spoke to AsiaNews about often inhumane conditions of Afghan refugees in Iran, which got worse following Israel’s recent strikes. At least one Afghan has died so far from an airstrike. ...
| 20/06/2025
| IRAN - AFGHANISTAN
 
by Alessandra De Poli
On 19 June, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Burmese democratic leader will turn 80 in prison, where she has been held since the military coup in February 2021. Despite her enforced silence, her son Kim Aris tells AsiaNews how his mother ...
| 17/06/2025
| MYANMAR
 
by Dario Salvi
The Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan of the Latins tells AsiaNews of his concern over the escalation in recent hours. The cardinal, who participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis, was appointed by the Pope precisely to keep alive the Christian ...
| 13/06/2025
| IRAN - VATICAN
 
In Hong Kong, the NGO that reported on spontaneous worker protests and workplace accidents in mainland China has been forced to cease operations. It was founded in 1994 by activist Han Dongfang, who tried to set up an independent trade union in Tiananmen ...
| 13/06/2025
| HONG KONG - CHINA
 
The ceremony took place today in Fujian province. Leo XIV, in his first choice regarding the Church in China, formally appointed Lin Yuntuan alongside Ordinary Bishop Cai Bingrui (the last Chinese bishop appointed by Francis in January). The Holy See ...
| 11/06/2025
| CHINA – VATICAN
 
by Alessandra De Poli
New data from the International Labour Organisation and UNICEF indicate a drop of 22 million child workers in four years. However, 138 million children remain trapped in this scourge, particularly in agriculture and the informal economy. Expert Insaf ...
| 11/06/2025
| ASIA
 
by Gregory
The Trump administration’s immigration restrictions have had a devastating impact on people from Myanmar’s, disproportionately affecting refugees and students. Many of them, who have waited years in refugee camps, are now seeing their dreams ...
| 07/06/2025
| MYANMAR
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”