Why Putin is an ally for American evangelicals
The close relationship between American evangelicals and Russia has lately been discussed widely in the news media. In particular, the Justice Department unsealed a criminal complaint in July against a Russian woman, Maria Butina, for trying to use the National Prayer Breakfast, a star-studded affair, as a “back channel of communication” with prominent American religious and political leaders. Among them […]
Putin Says ‘Jews’ May be Behind U.S. Election Meddling
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Jews may be behind alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election. In an interview broadcast late Friday, Putin was asked by NBC’s Megyn Kelly whether he condoned the electoral interference by 13 Russians named in an indictment by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. “Maybe they are not even Russians but […]
Russia Says IS Turning Afghanistan Into ‘Resting Base’ for Regional Terrorism
Russia has warned Islamic State is turning northern Afghanistan into a “resting base” of international terrorism and a “bridgehead” for establishing its “destructive” caliphate in the region. The “international wing of Daesh” is spearheading the effort of terrorists spilling over the borders of Syria and Iraq and moving worldwide, asserted Russian ambassador to Pakistan, Alexey […]
Putin Pledges Support to Islamic Schools
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday at a meeting with Muslim clergy that he supported a “revival of Islamic education in Russia,” as a way to tackle radicalization and “destructive” ideas. “Traditional Islam is an integral part of the Russian cultural code, and the Muslim Ummah [community], without any doubt, is a very important component […]
Russia Says U.S. Supporting ‘Terrorism’ in Syria
Russia has accused the U.S. of hampering efforts to defeat ultraconservative Sunni Muslim militant groups in Syria, where the jihadis were on the verge of total defeat in the east and faced renewed government offensives in the north and south. While the U.S. and Russia have launched separate campaigns against the Islamic State militant group […]
How Russia spawned more ISIL fighters than most nations
Moscow, Russia – Abdulmajid Abakarov, a 12-year-old boy from Russia’s troubled province of Dagestan, had not seen his mother in three years. Zagidat Abakarova, 34, and her two younger children were “forcibly held” in Syria by her husband, who had joined ISIL, Russian officials said. On October 21, the boy waited for her at the […]
Trump Considers Lifting Russian Sanctions
The Trump Administration might lift sanctions on the Russian government as they are being investigated by the House, Senate, FBI, and special counsel Robert Mueller. They are looking into collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats in compounds in New York and […]
Report: Russia Among World’s Worst on Religious Freedom
Days after imposing a complete ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses operating in the country, Russia has been labeled a “country of particular concern” by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). It is the first time that Russia has been designated among the highest tier of violators of religious freedom. It joins 15 other […]
Afghan Taliban Declines to Support Moscow-Backed Peace Talks
The Afghan Taliban says that it does not support Russia-sponsored multi-nation talks on Afghanistan because the process seems to be motivated solely by the “political agenda” of the organizers. The Islamist insurgency issued its reaction a day before delegates from Afghanistan as well as its immediate and far neighbors are due to meet in Moscow […]
US Looks at Russia’s Role in Syria’s Nerve-Gas Attack
The United States appears to be raising the stakes in Syria, suggesting Russia may have helped the Assad regime carry out a deadly chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 people in Idlib province. A day after firing 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria’s Shayrat Airfield, the launching point for the chemical weapons strike, senior […]