Global Scans · Religion · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Huge growth is expected over the next several decades as the world's Muslim population grows faster than every other major religious demographic, and as urbanization and rising incomes in developing countries with large Muslim populations mean more will be buying, rather than producing their own food.

• [New] The teams that will move fastest in 2026 are the ones who bet on protocols (MCP, AGENTS. md) as their stable foundation, keep their domain logic framework-agnostic, and pick models by workload rather than by hype. Medium
• [New] At least 36 Nigerien soldiers were killed near the Niger-Burkina Faso border in a coordinated attack linked to Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, underscoring escalating cross-border militant threats. Zagazola
• [New] The Royal Navy's successful integration of multiple UAV data streams into a Wildcat helicopter via mesh networking demonstrates a critical step toward platform-agnostic sensor-to-shooter architectures that could fundamentally accelerate kill chains in contested maritime environments. Drone Warfare
• [New] By 2026, secular Europe will increasingly be boxed in by a global religious revival. Centre for European Reform
• [New] Top Southern states like Arkansas will likely maintain their numbers by adopting policies that protect religious traditions, which could deepen political divisions. India Data Map
• The recent attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas highlights the continuing threat of violence based upon racial or religious motivations, as well as threats against faith-based organizations. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Globally, religious exclusion heightens political risk, erodes investor confidence, and harms reputation. South Asia Monitor
• The South Asian experience shows the risks of privileging religion in constitutions. South Asia Monitor
• Notwithstanding George W. Bush's evangelical America and the threat of radical Islam, religious feeling in the West has declined over the past few decades, though it has arguably reappeared in the cultural excesses of the last ten years. City Journal
• When regimes silence Australians by threatening families abroad, crowdsourcing enforcement locally, or exploiting religious and cultural infrastructure, they erode the monopoly of legitimate coercion on which the modern state rests. Defence Connect
• Jordan is working to boost Christian pilgrimage by collaborating with global evangelical leaders ahead of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism in 2030. Bible Gateway News & Knowledge
• Terrorism in Nigeria is not a religious conflict; it is a regional security threat. gCaptain
• Catholics face death threats and severe persecution in Iran, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and elsewhere for crossing clearly delineated lines of acceptable religious activity. The Korea Times
• There are some unusual dynamics that could make 2026 an especially difficult year to predict religious trends: the midterm elections, the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, the inauguration of New York City's first Muslim mayor. RNS
• The German government, a coalition of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU); its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU); and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), will have to deal with difficult domestic policy issues in 2026. Deutsche Welle
• Australia has cancelled the visa of an Israeli social media influencer who has campaigned against Islam, saying it will not accept visitors to the country who come to spread hatred. Bridge Initiative
• Opposition to stripping citizenship and deporting U.S. citizens deemed a threat is widespread, with notable exceptions among Republicans, white evangelical Protestants, and Christian nationalism Adherents and Sympathizers. PRRI
• While several Bangladeshi voters might be more religious today than they previously were, they are politically pragmatic, despite personal piety, and tend to prefer politicians over clerics. Al Jazeera

Last updated: 23 February 2026