A STEP FORWARD FOR RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN CAIRO
Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi has approved a bill facilitating the construction of Christian churches in the country. The law, which was passed by the Egyptian House of Representatives in August, puts in place a regulatory framework streamlining and standardizing the building and renovation of Christian houses of worship - a previously difficult and complicated process. The step comes in response to growing discontent among the country's Christian community, which makes up 10 to 15 percent of its 90 million-person population. Sisi's signing of the bill was announced alongside his approval of the construction of a new Coptic orthodox church in Cairo. (Cairo Al-Ahram, September 28, 2016)
IN AFGHANISTAN, A TACTICAL PEACE...
The Afghan government and exiled warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar have signed a draft peace agreement. The accord, negotiated between the government's High Peace Council and a team representing Hekmatyar's militant group, Hezb-e Islami, took two years to conclude. A formal signing between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Hekmatyar is set to take place in coming days.
The agreement is highly controversial because of Hezb-e Islami's extremist activities. The group is accused of committing human rights violations during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s, and of attacking both U.S. and Afghan forces since 2001. As such, the deal (which paves the way for Hekmatyar to be allowed back into the country from his current exile in Pakistan) has generated a significant public outcry, with hundreds of protestors rallying in Kabul against the man known as the "Butcher of Kabul." (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 22, 2016)
...AND MILITANT GAINS
Afghanistan's other militant threats, meanwhile, are gathering strength. According to General John Nicholson, a top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, fully ten percent of the country is now under the control of the Islamic State terrorist group, and at least another 20 percent is contested. The Islamic State is expanding its presence in the southwest Asian state, and is believed to currently be providing funding and logistical support to no fewer than 1,300 militants, most of whom are members of the Pakistan Taliban. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 24, 2016)
TECHNICAL INNOVATION AGAINST TERROR
Internet giant Google is wading into the "war of ideas" against Islamic radicalism. In an effort to curb the effectiveness of the Islamic State's online recruiting, the tech colossus has come up with a method to dissuade those vulnerable to recruitment by militants from actually connecting with radical groups. Google's dedicated think tank, Jigsaw, has created an algorithm that inserts advertisements into the results page when key words associated with potential recruitment are searched. These advertisements have compelling text, such as "Want to Join ISIS?" However, when they are clicked, these ads lead to Arabic and English language YouTube channels that have videos of former militants disavowing ISIS and footage that shows the reality of the group's dysfunctional "caliphate."
This project, called the Redirect Method, was piloted early this year and has been very successful, with its ads being clicked on three or four times more than the average ad campaign, and with its videos being watched for more than twice as long as the average video on YouTube. Over the course of two months, the company estimates that the Redirect Method diverted more than 300,000 people from direct connection with online militancy. This Fall, in partnership with London-based Moonshot Countering Violent Extremism and U.S.-based Gen Next Foundation, Jigsaw will launch the second phase of its project, which will focus on North American Islamists and white supremacists. (Wired, September 7, 2016)