This DAP highlights – ODNI report – Uyghur Genocide and Concentrated Reeducation Camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China / Gate 15’s Weekly Security Sprint EP 89 - Post election texts, terror arrests and threats, and compromised emails / USCIRF hearing – Addressing Entities of Particular Concern: Non-State Actors and Egregious Violations of Religious Freedom. DAP also has More Faith-Based Stories and Select All-Hazard Stories. These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.
Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 07 March 2024
- cybersecurity, Events, faith, General, Headlines, News, preparedness, resiliency, Resources, security, threat assessment
Faith-Based Security Headlines
These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.
Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down
Among the Pew Research Center’s key findings:
- The global median level of government restrictions on religion ticked up to 3.0 in 2021 from 2.8 in 2020 on the Government Restrictions Index, a 10-point scale of 20 indicators. This was the highest global median score since we began tracking restrictions in 2007.
- 55 countries (28% of the total) had “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions in 2021, down slightly from 57 countries (29%), a level reached in 2020, 2019 and 2012. (The median index score for all countries rose anyway, partially because there were slightly more increases in index scores than decreases among the 198 countries and territories analyzed.)
- Religious groups faced harassment by governments in 183 countries in 2021, the largest number since the study began. Governments interfered in worship in 163 countries, down slightly from 164 in 2020 but still close to the all-time high.
Analyst Comments:
This Pew study provides useful information for Faith-Based Organizations with overseas operations.
FBOs can also get information on overseas threats at the US Department of State’s Travel Advisories (state.gov) website. The State Department advisories can help FBO’s plan, or even cancel, overseas operations.
Enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (state.gov) provides the following:
- Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
- Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
- Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
On a personal note, this analyst enrolled in the STEP program and received several State Department emails with specific, up-to-the-minute safety concerns for countries while I was in country. The information was very useful and potentially averted dangerous encounters with specific hazards.
These State Department programs can be very helpful to FBOs with overseas operations and members with overseas travel.
DOJ Community Safety Update for Jewish Community Stakeholders
From the Zoom for Government website:
Date & Time
Mar 8, 2024 11:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Description
Over the last several months, members of the Jewish community have faced a surge in violence and violent threats targeting individuals and community spaces. The Justice Department remains vigilant in combating hate crimes that target individuals based on their religion, race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
To continue bringing together stakeholders to support our shared goal of preventing, disrupting, and prosecuting illegal acts motivated by hate-fueled antisemitism, this 30-minute webinar will feature speakers from the Justice Department, including Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke (Civil Rights Division), Deputy Director Paul Abbate (FBI), and Director Justin Locke (Community Relations Service).
Speakers will provide an overview of what the Civil Rights Division, FBI, and CRS have been doing to bolster community safety. Specifically, the webinar will present the current threat environment, direct stakeholders to critical safety resources, and allow stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions. We hope you can join us.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to take part in this event, please contact
[email protected] by Monday, March 4.
New Mitigation Guide for Working with Faith-Based Organizations
From the 8-page FEMA guide:
This Guide to Expanding Mitigation is meant to prompt connections between leaders in hazard mitigation and in faith-based and religious communities. It is for hazard mitigation and emergency management professionals who want to learn more about engaging faith-based organizations in hazard mitigation. It is also for people leading and serving in religious organizations who want to learn more about how to help reduce risks and protect their communities.
PDF: Guide to Expanding Mitigation, Making the Connection to Faith-Based
The guide covers the following topics:
- SUPPORTING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
- FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ADVANCE HAZARD MITIGATION EFFORTS
- FOR MITIGATION PROFESSIONALS: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
- FOR RELIGIOUS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS: WORKING TO MITIGATE RISKS
- GRANTS AND FUNDING
- RESOURCES
Analyst Comments:
Faith-Based Organizations should consider reviewing this guide to facilitate outside assistance, and improve mitigation efforts and grant applications.
More Faith-Based Stories
West Virginia man allegedly robbed a church, kidnapped and held a woman against her will
NY: Email to Jewish teachers: ‘All Jews need to be exterminated’
SC: Antisemitic flyers tossed into Florence driveways. Sheriff’s office cites free speech.
‘Wake Up, People! They’re Lying To You!’: White Nationalist Stew Peters Has An Antisemitic Meltdown. This individual previously encouraged the shooting of Catholic Charities workers.
RAND: Next Steps for the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism
16 AGs demand YouTube drop ‘misleading’ abortion notice from pro-life videos
TX: Volunteer Youth Worker at Lakepointe Church Faces Child Sexual Assault Charges
Islamic Extremists Call For Jewish Murder Outside Canadian Holocaust Museum
Welsh Athlete Targeted by Antisemitic Hate Message
Evasive Panda leverages Monlam Festival to target Tibetans Cyber attack
Select All-Hazards Stories
Profound Damage Found in Maine Gunman’s Brain, Possibly From Blasts
Foiled attack in Brussels: Three teenagers arrested in France
U.S. fears Haiti could fall ‘at any time’ as doubts grow over Biden’s backup Kenya plan and Haiti gangs torch police stations as PM’s future hangs in balance
Nigeria kidnappings: Dozens of women feared abducted by Islamist insurgents
Mozambique jihadist attacks: Fears for 70 missing children
Houthi Red Sea strikes kill first sailors, as ballistic missile threat proliferates
Moscow Issues Stern Warning To U.S. Embassy, Designates Three NGOs As ‘Undesirable’
Salt Lake City Bar Under Fire for Its ‘No Zionists Allowed’ Policy
Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power
Tracking a Storm System Over the Southern U.S. with Hazardous Weather Potential National Weather Service
FBI IC3 2023 Internet Crime Report
Americans lost a record $12.5 billion to online fraud last year
More Security-focused Content
The FB-ISAO’s sponsor Gate 15 publishes a free daily newsletter called the SUN. Curated from their open source intelligence collection process, the SUN informs leaders and analysts with the critical news of the day and provides a holistic look at the current global, all-hazards threat environment. Ahead of the daily news cycle, the SUN allows current situational awareness into the topics that will impact your organization. To sign-up for The SUN, please sign up below.
Related Posts
This DAP highlights – FB-ISAO November Newsletter / 35 dead as driver hits crowd at sports center in southern Chinese city. DAP also has More Faith-Based Stories and Select All-Hazard Stories. These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.
TLP:CLEAR | FB-ISAO Newsletter. The November 2024 Newsletter has been directly distributed to members and…