Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.

RFL/RE – Iraqi President Barham Salih says his country has hosted multiple rounds of talks between Saudi and Iranian officials, confirming reports of diplomacy to defuse tensions between the Middle Eastern rivals. Talks were held “more than once,” Salih told an online discussion by the Beirut Institute think tank on May 5. He added the discussions were “important and significant,” …

Shabtabnews – USCIRF Releases New Report on Violent Islamist Groups in the Central Sahel Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom today released the following new report on religious freedom violations committed by violent Islamist groups in the central Sahel region of west Africa: Central Sahel Factsheet (https://uscirf.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4140491c2adff549668e45bcc&id=47fe45a552&e=bd32a99346)– Over the past half decade, violent Islamist groups …

Iranwire – With 44 days to go until the Iranian presidential election, the country’s powerful Guardian Council has abruptly intervened in proceedings in an act contrary to the Constitution. Without approving or notifying the Iranian parliament, the oversight body set new conditions on those who can stand as candidates. It communicated these apparent orders in a message to the Ministry of Interior, which manages the …

Iranwire – The name of Khavaran, a cemetery southwest of Tehran, has long been associated with the criminal history of the Islamic Republic. Many victims of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners, whose bodies were never identified or returned to their families, are buried here in unmarked, mass graves. The Iranian regime has tried time and again to wipe out any trace …

Iranwire – The bizarre QAnon conspiracy theory flourished online throughout the pandemic, with proponents co-opting Covid-19 disinformation to fuel an ever-changing narrative. Followers of this baseless conspiracy theory believe a cabal of global elites are secretly running an international child trafficking ring. Adherents have been linked to a number of violent incidents including January’s deadly attack on the US capitol. …