Saudi Arabia on brink of flare up as HRC chief blasts Bahrain VOB.ORG

The situation in Saudi Arabia is deteriorating sharply due to the ill-conceived policies of the ruling Al Saud family. In the past week, the regime arrested scores of prominent figures including religious scholars who had supported the regime in the past. They include Salman AlAwdah and Aa’edh Al Qarni.

Shia as Internal Others: A Salafi Rejection of the ‘Rejecters’

Conflict and polemic between Sunni Muslims and Shiites have a long history. In the contemporary era, this polemic has been accentuated by the conflictual situation in the Middle East, and it is also colouring the minority Muslim situation.

Incidents of Anti-Shiism in August, 2017 – Shia Rights Watch

Scores of violations bear witness to the continued systematic targeting of the Shia Muslim population around the world. The breaches of human rights range from arrest and detainment to sexual abuse and torture in prisons, and as seen this month, mass execution.

Salvation and Suffering in Ottoman Stories of the Prophets

Introduction: salvation history and stories of the prophets The Islamic genre of the stories of the prophets (qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ) derives from narrative exegesis of the various references to biblical and Arabian prophets in the Qurʾān.

Includes a discussion of Fuẓūlī Baghdādī (d. 963/1556).

Playing both sides against the middle: Saudi engages with Iraqi Shiites

Saudi Arabia, with the Islamic State on the ropes in Iraq, is forging ties to Iraqi Shiite leaders and offering to help fund reconstruction of Mosul and other predominantly Sunni Muslim cities that were devastated in the military campaign against the jihadist group.

Bi-Annual Anti-Shiism Report – Shia Rights Watch

The first half of 2017 has been a turbulent time for Shia Muslims all over the world. Anti-Shiism, or the active targeting of Shia Muslim to limit their visibility and expression, was prevalent in across the globe. Shia Muslims, including their sub groups, make up approximately 50% of the total Muslim population.

Incidents of Anti-Shiism in JUNE, 2017 – Shia Rights Watch

June 2017 Anti-Shiism Across the Middle East As anti-Shiism runs high, over 133 were killed in the month of June. New this month are attacks on Iranian soil and a death sentence given by social media posting in Pakistan.

CISS Research Series Paper 2: A History of Shiʿism in Bahrain: 630 – 1524

Here you can read all the latest news on Shi’a Muslim studies and Muslim research from the Centre for Islamic Shi’a Studies (CISS).

Shia Muslims Population

According to Pew Research Institute, A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.6 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23% of…

Commentary: Inside Trump’s Middle East mess

President Donald Trump’s attempt to bring peace and stability to the Middle East has backfired spectacularly. He has put a major U.S. ally, Qatar, in a serious geopolitical crisis and damaged the efforts of his own cabinet to calm regional tensions.