The Islamic State has hijacked a Sydney Catholic church website and replaced its homepage with a graphic video and threatening message. The video relayed footage of gruesome deaths of Islamic State victims who have been beheaded, shot and even burned alive in the Middle East. “Hacked by Islamic State”, the text on the black homepage Read more
ISIS considers itself the “Islamic Caliphate” (a theological empire) and controls vast swathes of land in western Iraq and eastern Syria. They also have “allegiance” from different radical Islamic groups around the world (from Afghanistan to Nigeria) who “govern” self-proclaimed provinces. Within the areas they control they have established a reign of terror second to Read more
The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand have issued a joint statement with the NZ Human Rights Commission in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in France and Lebanon. “We stand alongside all innocent victims of terrorism in peace, solidarity and humanity,” said Hazim Arafeh, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Read more
In late June, images made their way around the world of four men as they were locked in a car and killed with a rocket-propelled grenade. They showed seven men, chained together with explosive necklaces, as they were blown up. And they provided evidence that five men had been locked in a metal cage and Read more
The power of the 24-hour news cycle is that sometimes we hear a story so often that we stop hearing it at all. Unless it comes leaping off the screen at us. Unless it breaks through the headlines for some reason, appears again after its few seconds on Twitter and comes alive outside itself. In Read more
Catholic Workers groups in the Hokianga and Otaki are organising peace vigils to oppose military deployment to Iraq. The vigils are among those to be held around New Zealand at 5pm on March 5 under the auspices of Peace Movement Aotearoa. They will call for increased humanitarian assistance and diplomatic support for Middle East peace Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have backed the New Zealand Government’s decision to deploy military personnel to help train Iraqi forces. The bishops released a statement on February 24, the same day Prime Minister John Key officially announced the deployment of up to 143 personnel. The deployment, likely in partnership with Australia, will probably start in Read more
What is the Islamic State? Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K. Nagata, the Special Operations commander for the United States Read more
Pope Francis said while dialogue with the Islamic State may seem a long way off, he would never close the door. Admitting dialogue with the likes of the Islamic State may seem impossible, the Holy Father replied, “I never count anything as lost. Never. Never close the door. It’s difficult, you could say almost impossible, but the Read more
When Barack Obama vows to destroy Islamic State’s “brand of evil” and David Cameron declares that Islamic State (ISIS) is an “evil organisation” that must be obliterated, they are echoing Tony Blair’s judgment of Saddam Hussein: “But the man’s uniquely evil, isn’t he?” Blair made this observation in November 2002, four months before the invasion Read more