Upon returning from a diplomatic tour of the Arab Gulf countries, Nicolas Sarkozy spoke with foreign ambassadors at the Elysee Palace on January 18th, highlighting the need to combat religious extremism and Al Qaeda, stressing the membership of France as a western family. To cope with these challenges, Sarkozy said: “some (religious) groups want to…
Spanish government and UN leaders plan to hold the first Alliance of Civilizations forum in mid-January. The conference, which will take place in Madrid, will foster dialogue on such topics like terrorism and cultural clashes. The alliance was created after the September 11th, 2001 attacks to foster an understanding between Islam and the West, and…
The British government seems to have embarked on a new strategy on labelling terrorists and their recruiting agents as security officials believe that directly linking terrorism to Islam is inflammatory, and risks alienating mainstream Muslim opinion. Though the British Home Office stressed that no phrases have been banned, sources made it clear that the “war…
A first-of-a-kind faith school will be launched in Ireland under the patronage of Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders to accommodate pupils from the three religions under the same roof. “Instead of having one patron, the school will have tripartite patronage,” said Mary Shine Thompson, chairperson of the Intercultural Interdenominational Primary School (IIPS). Enrolment in the…
The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith gave a speech on terrorism and radicalisation at a conference hosted by Kings College London to launch their International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence on Thursday. She said: “First and foremost, terrorists are criminals. As so many Muslims in the UK and across the world have…
