A place known for sun, surf, and carefree Australian summers was forever marked this week. On the evening of December 14, 2025, families gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Suddenly, gunfire shattered the peaceful evening. In a brutal attack, two gunmen opened fire on a crowd of nearly a thousand people, turning a celebration into one of Australia’s darkest moments. Authorities have declared this a terrorist incident inspired by the Islamic State. The attack killed sixteen people, including a ten-year-old girl and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, and injured over forty more. Beyond the shocking numbers lies a deep national trauma that raises urgent questions about domestic security, rising hatred, and Australia’s role in an unstable world.
Tag: Islam
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Takeover of Syria is Another Chapter in Islamist Revival
Last week, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, one of the better-known rebel groups by another name – the Commission for the Liberation of the Levant, took over Damascus. They took Aleppo again and captured the mighty 46th Regiment of the Syrian Army. Second, HTS seized Hamam, the country’s second-largest city, thereby securing its largest territorial gains to date. The victory has wide-ranging implications on the world level, despite HTS’ attempts at rebranding itself as a “post-jihadist” entity committed to the fight against transnational Islam.
From Secular Promises to Islamist Alignments: The Evolution of Bangladesh’s Political Landscape
For days now, Indians have watched with bated breath as the violence in Bangladesh unfolds with the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Concerns run deep about the attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus as well as for the potential hijacking by Islamist groups and a renewed accession to power. Fifty years ago, a poet by the name of Daud Haider was arrested by the then government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, tortured in custody, and then sent into exile.
ISIS-K Sent their Message to Russia. What’s Next?
In a horrifying assault that has sent shockwaves across Moscow, gunmen clad in combat fatigues unleashed a devastating onslaught at the heart of the city’s entertainment scene. At Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, where anticipation filled the air for a performance by the esteemed rock band Picnic, the evening took a tragic turn as at least 143 lives were brutally cut short, with a staggering 187 individuals left wounded. The assailants, numbering at least five and armed with automatic weapons, infiltrated the bustling concert hall in the western suburbs, mercilessly firing into the unsuspecting crowd. Their sinister intent was further underscored by the detonation of explosives, igniting a blaze that engulfed the venue in chaos and despair
Silent Adjudicators Amidst the Iran-Pakistan Cross-Border Strikes
States are the primary actors in international relations, driven by self-interest and the pursuit of power. In this context, the Iran-Pakistan conflict can be understood as a struggle for influence and security along their shared border. The volatile region of Baluchistan province is being heightened by the recent airstrikes between Iran and Pakistan, posing concerns about potential escalation of tensions. The ongoing conflict is influenced by power dynamics and national interests, while China’s GSI is playing a stability role.