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An attack on a Prague community centre that helps refugees, the recent stabbing of a Syrian national and violence at anti-migrant rallies suggest that growing anti-Islamic sentiments may be radicalizing Czech society. How badly has the migrant crisis divided the country and how serious is the danger of radicalization? Those are just some of the questions I put to extremism expert Miroslav Mareš from Brno’s Masaryk University.

Brigadier General František Mičánek, head of the Centre for Security and Military Strategic Studies at the University of Defense in Brno, was recently elected Dean of NATO Defense College in Rome. He is the second Czech to secure a high post in NATO defense structures, following General Petr Pavel’s appointment as chairman of NATO's Military Committee. In this edition of Panorama General Mičánek talks about his own studies at NATO Defense College, the qualifications that got him the job and what he hopes to contribute to this prestigious

The first of a group of 153 Christian refugees from Iraq due to settle in the Czech Republic arrived in the country last weekend amid heightened media interest. I spoke to Jan Talafant, the head of the Generation 21 foundation which organized and is financing their relocation, about their first days in the country, the reception they received and what’s in store for them in the weeks and months to come.

A Museum of the Bible will soon open its doors to the public in the town of Pelhřimov. Organized by the Biblical Theological Seminar, a non-profit organization that provides theological training in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the museum will display a large number of bibles in different languages –from rare old prints dating back to the 16th century to a Lego Bible for children. I asked one of the organizers of the project, theologian Vladimír Donát to tell me more about the museum and how the idea to establish a permanent exposition of this

What did famous Czech actors, aristocrats, politicians and scholars write in their books? Who did they dedicate their books to and what were the fates of their libraries after their deaths? An exhibition at the Museum of Music called 'Who Could It Have Belonged to?' throws light on these questions and takes visitors to a world that is slowly disappearing. One of the organizers of the exhibition, Richard Šípek, took me around and started by explaining the idea behind the endeavor, which was preceded by four years of painstaking research.

The Friends of Czech Heritage is a British charity that raises funds to help repair and preserve historical buildings in the Czech Republic. It also organises work parties in which members travel here from the UK to take part in restoration projects in a very hands on-manner. Retired architect Peter Jamieson is the chairman of the Friends of Czech Heritage. When we met in London, he filled me in on his connections to the country to which he now devotes so much time and energy.

Presently there are over 2,500 people diagnosed with HIV and over 200 people with AIDS living in the Czech Republic. Battling the symptoms and coming to terms with the prognosis can be hard enough but people with AIDS and HIV are also up against the stigma and prejudice associated with the disease. I spoke to Jakub Tomšej, a lawyer who provides counselling at the Czech AIDS Help Society, about some of the problems that his clients face.

For the third year now children of Czech origin living abroad are taking part in a competition that aims to help them connect with their roots. The Czech Honza competition, named after a popular Czech fairytale character who went out into the world to come back much wiser, is the brainchild of Iva Crookston, who has lived in the US for over ten years. I talked to Iva about the project and first asked her how the idea of holding a competition for Czech children abroad emerged.

Ever since the terrorist attacks in Paris, security issues have been at the forefront of public and media attention in the Czech Republic. Although the country’s intelligence says it has no indication of an imminent threat, security has been tightened around key institutions and will remain so at least until the end of the year. The need to consider security is affecting things like the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree on Old Town Square as well as people’s travel plans for the holidays. For this edition of Panorama I spoke to former military

Burma’s National League for Democracy, headed by Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, had secured a landslide majority in recent elections. But the transition to full democratic rule does not look easy with the military still holding onto many of the levers of power. Chris Johnstone talked with Igor Blaževič who, has just returned to Prague after several years helping the Burmese political opposition prepare for power. The first question was what he had been doing in Burma for the past few years.