Religious
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Taliban Reportedly Restrict Congregational Shiite Prayers in Ghazni
DID Press: Local sources in Ghazni province report that Taliban morality police have instructed Shiite worshippers in Nawabad township to perform Maghrib and Isha prayers separately in line with Sunni jurisprudence, warning that the mosque could be shut down and…
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‘Sharia-Free America’ Hearings Spark Accusations of Organized Islamophobia in Congress
DID Press: Muslim advocacy groups in the United States have accused members of Congress of fueling anti-Muslim sentiment after Republicans held hearings centered on the theme of a “Sharia-Free America.” The Council of American-Islamic Organizations, a coalition representing more than…
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Pope Calls on Americans to Oppose War with Iran
DID Press: Pope Leo XIV has issued an unusually forceful statement condemning U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, describing the conflict as “unjust” and “morally indefensible,” while urging Americans to contact Congress to push for an end to the…
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Reports of Pressure on Shiite Clerics Grow as Taliban Detentions Alleged
DID Press: Hujjat-ul-Islam Hossain-Dad Sharifi, a prominent Shiite cleric and senior instructor at a seminary in Kabul, has alleged that Taliban authorities have recently detained dozens of Shiite religious figures over the practice of conducting “temporary marriage contracts.” Sharifi claimed…
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Kabul Cleric Case Tests Taliban’s Promises on Accountability and Religious Rights
DID Press: An incident in Kabul’s 18th police district involving alleged disrespectful treatment of Shiite cleric Hujjat-ul-Islam Hossain-Dad Sharifi by officers of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has reignited debate over religious rights…
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Beating of Shia Cleric Raises Fears Over Taliban Pressure on Minorities
DID Press: The reported assault on prominent Shia cleric Ustad Hussaindad Sharifi in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi district is being viewed by analysts as more than an isolated disciplinary incident by local Taliban authorities. Observers say the episode reflects broader patterns in…
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Growing Arab Sympathy Toward Iran Deepens Divide Between Public Opinion, Gulf Governments
DID Press: A widening gap is emerging between Arab governments and large segments of Arab public opinion over Iran, as growing regional anger toward Israel and dissatisfaction with U.S. policies fuel increasing sympathy for Tehran across parts of the Arab…
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Info Warfare Fuels Rising Sectarian Assassinations in Pakistan
DID Press: The targeted killing of clerics and religious leaders in Pakistan can no longer be understood solely through the traditional lens of sectarian violence. Analysts increasingly argue that the wave of assassinations unfolding across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and parts…
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Bahrain Security Forces Arrest Dozens of Clerics in Widespread Crackdown
DID Press: Bahraini security forces have launched a coordinated overnight operation targeting the homes of religious scholars, detaining at least 14 clerics, according to local sources, in what appears to be a new wave of politically sensitive arrests. Eyewitness accounts…
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Religious Scholar Killed in Armed Attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
DID Press: Pakistani police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have confirmed that Sheikh Muhammad Idris Turangzai, a prominent religious scholar linked to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, was killed in an armed attack in the Charsadda district. According to police officials, the incident…
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