November’s In Focus delves into the recent sectarian violence in Bangladesh, incited by an incident in which a Quran was placed on the lap of an idol in a Hindu temple in the country’s Cumilla District, on October 13, 2021. The incident sparked a wave of communal violence against Hindu communities across Bangladesh, with Muslim mobs attacking and vandalizing Hindu temples, killing at least 10 people and injuring hundreds more. In response, Hindus in the country and in some neighboring Indian states held protests, occasionally escalating to violent acts against Muslims and attacks against mosques, businesses and residents. During the following month, prominent Islamic State and Al-Qaeda media outlets responded with a series of publications addressing the events in Bangladesh. IS’ monthly magazine, The Voice of Hind, called for jihad against the Hindus, while AQ in the Indian Subcontinent’s As-Sahab Media released a video calling the Muslims of India to rise up and take over the country and to join the jihad in Kashmir.
As-Sahab Media also released on November 23, 2021, a 38-minute video by AQ Central Command featuring a video speech by the group’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, dedicated to criticizing the dysfunction and bias of the UN, particularly against the global Muslim community (Umma.) In that scope, Al-Zawahiri addressed the issues of Palestine and Afghanistan under the rule of the Afghan Taliban. Around the same time, AQAP’s media wing, Al-Malahem, released a two-part video of a two-hour “special interview” with the group’s leader, Khalid Batarfi. Batarfi congratulated the Taliban on its swift victory in Afghanistan, and addressed other issues in the Islamic world, such as Palestine, Yemen, and the so-called American “war against Islam.” For both Ayman al-Zawahiri (rumored to be dead) and Khalid Batarfi, this was their first video appearance in months.
On the ground in East and Central Africa, the Islamic State – Central Africa Province further escalates its activity, with a double suicide bombing attack taking place in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, on November 16, 2021. Seven people were killed in the attack, including the suicide bombers, two civilians and two police officers, and another 37 were injured. In Mozambique, ISCAP-M has escalated guerilla attacks, targeting both militaries and civilians in the country’s hinterland in a series of attacks in late November and early December, indicating that the group seems to have regained its power, following the major blow it suffered in Mocímboa da Praia in August 2021.
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