Religious Extremism is on the Rise, Says U.N. Report

Afghanistan, Egypt, and Indonesia are among the countries cited for growing religious extremism in a report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Abdelfattah Amor, who compiled the document, says that the primary victims of religious extremism in a society are “vulnerable groups, such as women and minorities.”  According to the report, circulated October 19, other countries that manifest some level of religious extremism include Georgia, India, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Religious extremism is defined, in part, as political or societal intolerance for minority religious groups, which results in persecution of religious dissidents.