Two Chinese nationals allegedly acting as agents for the Chinese government were apprehended in the United States following an undercover operation and were charged with trying to damage and topple an anti-communist Chinese religious group.

US charges two over China-backed plot against Falun Gong https://t.co/Rk9UhxXN4v

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 27, 2023

Authorities in Los Angeles arrested 70-year-old John Chen and 43-year-old Lin Feng on May 26th, where they were indicted for planning to revoke the tax-exempt status of the New York-based Falun Gong spiritual movement in an attempt to further undermine the exiled group.

The two Chinese nationals were both born in China but lived in Los Angeles at the time of their arrest. Chen is a US citizen, while Feng was described as a “lawful permanent resident.” They’re facing charges of being unregistered agents of a foreign government, practicing money laundering, and bribing public officials.

Two Los Angeles residents were arrested for allegedly taking part in a Beijing-directed scheme to disrupt U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China for its criticism of the Chinese government https://t.co/gO1Z5rduVi pic.twitter.com/e5yE39uO1q

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 27, 2023

Chen and Feng were caught after they initially urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to revoke Falun Gong’s non-profit tax status. Chen also described the organization as a “gigantic mega cult” in his whistleblower complaint that he filed to the tax agency last February, echoing the language used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against the group.

After filing their complaint, an undercover police officer posed as an official for the IRS. According to prosecutors handling their case, Chen met with the officer at a restaurant north of New York City on May 14th.

Chen approached the officer to ensure that the agency would act on their complaint while communicating with his accomplice Feng on the progress of their plot. The undercover officer was offered a $50,000 bribe and was given $5,000 as a down payment, with the condition that the IRS conduct an audit on the organization.

Two Chinese agents were charged in New York for attempting to bribe a public official as part of a campaign against Falun Gong practitioners.

Read the full story here: https://t.co/IfO0mZdAbT pic.twitter.com/aRLbTxkTWB

— Falun Gong Information Center (@FalunInfoCtr) June 3, 2023

Investigators wiretapped phone calls where Chen and Feng talked about the instructions they allegedly received from Beijing to undermine the religious group. The undercover officer also recorded multiple conversations with Chen during their meetings.

In one recording, Chen referred to Chinese officials as akin to “blood brothers.” In another recording, Chen said the Chinese government would be “very generous” in rewarding the help of the undercover officer in revoking Falun Gong’s tax-exempt status.

After receiving a fake IRS letterhead from the undercover officer, stating that they opened a case on the Falun Gong, Chen communicated this news to Feng in a wiretapped phone call, discussing plans to update the Chinese government.

Falun Gong initially enjoyed support from the Chinese Communist Party, but relations began to sour when state-run media began to show negative coverage of the group. The Chinese government banned the group in 1999 after 10,000 religious movement members gathered in the central government compound in Beijing to demand legal recognition.

It was the spring of 1999. #China was transforming. A cultural renaissance inspired by an ancient spiritual practice was flourishing, signaling a healthier and more hopeful future for the Chinese people.

Then, came April 25th.

Read more: https://t.co/UoQej9meSR pic.twitter.com/j9g9ll2YcO

— Falun Gong Information Center (@FalunInfoCtr) April 25, 2022

The religious group is known for its ties with Shen Yun, a touring traditional Chinese performing arts group. It’s also notorious for its connections with The Epoch Times, a far-right, anti-communist media outlet that spread pro-Trump messages and vaccine misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new bill was recently passed in the Texas Senate that would allow religious chaplains to work and provide support to students in public schools, raising concerns about the eroding separation between church and government in the southern US state.

#BREAKING Texas lawmakers have OK'd allowing unlicensed religious chaplains to work in mental health roles in schools, despite concerns the bill is a "Trojan horse" for evangelism & will worsen the state's mental health crisis. @TexasTribune #txlege https://t.co/zFMW6tE40S

— Robert Downen (@RobertDownen_) May 24, 2023

The move comes in a flurry of attempts by conservative Texan lawmakers to push religion into public life, such as a bill requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments within their premises that recently failed.

Garnering 84 yes and 60 no votes in the Texas Senate a day after it was proposed, Senate Bill 763 permits public schools to use their emergency funds to hire unlicensed chaplains that take up mental health roles normally taken by a licensed counselor. The bill also allows volunteer chaplains to work in Texas public schools.

Several amendments to the bill, like requiring chaplains to be accredited similar to those working in prisons or the US military, preventing them from proselytizing, requiring parental consent before receiving counseling from a chaplain, and obliging schools to provide chaplains from any faith or denomination a child requests, were all defeated after negotiations between both houses of the Texas Legislature.

Republicans blocked amendments to ban proselytizing and to require chaplains to receive consent from the parents. They’re constantly whining about schools indoctrinating kids but they approved exactly that here.

Worst of all, this is being paid for out of school safety funds.

— Repeal the Second Amendment (@ERTBen) May 25, 2023

The bill’s author, Rep. Cole Hefner, clarified that local school boards and districts could set their own requirements for hiring school chaplains, but they are also free not to enact such requirements.

"I want to make sure that we’re making it clear — that everybody knows — that schools may choose to do this or not and that they can put whatever rules and regulations in place that they see fit," Rep. Hefner said.

Conservative Christians argued that school chaplains would be crucial in helping solve issues among students like drug abuse, school shootings, and other societal problems by putting God back in schools.

They also tried to reassure the public and lawmakers that school chaplains would not be interested in proselytizing or forcing children to convert to a different religion or denomination. However, the head of the National School Chaplain Association, a key supporter of the bill, has once led a religious group that bragged about its ability to use school chaplains to evangelize children for decades.

Generally, there is also a darker reason. They are not mandatory reporters. CPS will not be notified of potential physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect.

— Mary Ann (@machaszar) May 25, 2023

In addition, opponents of this faith-driven legislation, which included Christian Democrats and some religious and interfaith groups, are concerned about the possible consequences of the bill, not just in the state of the separation between church and government in Texas but also the potential mental health repercussions the proposal might bring.

They’re also afraid that the bill might be a “Trojan horse” that religious activists can use to recruit kids in schools and worsen tensions in local school districts, which have the final say on whether chaplains would be allowed in schools.

So-called “counseling” offered from a religious provider’s perspective has no place in taxpayer funded public education, period.

— DNW Hinman (@pax3095) May 25, 2023

Concerns were also aired about the adverse effects of the bill on Texas’ youth mental health crisis by giving students and children unproven, unscientific, and lightly supervised counseling that treats common mental health problems like anxiety and depression as “sins” that could be just prayed away.

As companies and corporations worldwide prepare to celebrate Pride Month this June, Malaysian authorities crack down on what they perceive as LGBTQIA+ “agenda” by confiscating watches from a popular Swiss company for having elements associated with the LGBTQIA+ community.

Officers from MOHA raided 11 Swatch stores and seized all of the brand's Pride Collection watches.

During the raid, the officers served them with a notice stating that 22 watches had been confiscated because they carried LGBTQ+ symbols.https://t.co/G24ELwT7p0

— SAYS (@saysdotcom) May 22, 2023

The country’s home affairs ministry conducted a massive raid across the country on May 13 and 14, where they entered 11 Swatch stores in several shopping malls, where they took their collection of Pride watches. Around 164 Swatch watches in rainbow colors were confiscated by the authorities.

A summons notice by the Malaysian home affairs ministry for one Swatch outlet was seen by the Agence-France Presse, where the “22 Swatch watches with LGBT elements” inventoried by the shop were seized by authorities.

The notice used the country’s Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984 to justify the raid, a law often used to invoke state-sponsored censorship in the South East Asian, Muslim-majority kingdom.

The notice also stated that the collection was violating the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984. According to the Act, brands that sell items that are considered harmful or likely to be harmful to morals may face legal consequences.

— SAYS (@saysdotcom) May 22, 2023

CEO of the Swatch Group, Nick Hayek, released a statement condemning the raid by Malaysian authorities.

“We strongly contest that our collection of watches using rainbow colors and having a message of peace and love could be harmful. On the contrary, Swatch always promotes a positive message of joy in life. This is nothing political.” Hayek said.

“We wonder how the home ministry’s enforcement unit will confiscate the many beautiful natural rainbows that show up a thousand times a year in the sky of Malaysia,” the CEO added.

The marketing manager for Swatch Malaysia, Sarah Kok, said she has orders to get the rainbow-themed Swatches back on their displays.

“As per instruction from Switzerland HQ, we will still replenish the stock and display them on shelf,” she said.

UPDATE

Days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) raided Swatch outlets around Malaysia to seize rainbow-coloured watches from its Pride Collection, the company has said that it will replenish the stock.https://t.co/3bRnagSHG6

— SAYS (@saysdotcom) May 25, 2023

The Swatch controversy came after another incident regarding British rock band Coldplay and their announced tour date for Malaysia. While tickets for their concert in Kuala Lumpur sold out in just a few hours, Muslim politicians in Malaysia condemned the group for having LGBTQIA+ “agenda.”

Almost every international brand is in solidarity with LGBTQ+ groups. If the government insists on eradicating the recognition, then I suggest disconnecting all the business stakeholders that engage with big brands. But be ready to experience bad economy, and job loss.

— Aria (@grandiloquus) May 22, 2023

A Facebook user from Malaysia seems to have anticipated the raid where he posted about throwing away Swatches just two days after authorities seized them.

“No need to wait for Coldplay,” the Malay Facebook user posted. “Whoever wears the Swatch watch can throw it away now!”

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, and sodomy is punishable with imprisonment and corporal punishment, although enforcing these punishments is rare. The island nation also uses a dual-track legal system, with Sharia laws operating alongside civil laws.

Gower is a small and quiet city in rural Missouri that made headlines recently when hundreds of pilgrims and devotees flocked to the town after receiving news that an African-American nun’s body was found intact, despite being buried for roughly four years.

Mother Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster, a nun and founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, died in 2019 at the age of 95. Her body was exhumed roughly four years later as the Benedictine group of nuns famous for their best-selling chant and hymn albums planned to move her body to its final resting place inside the monastery chapel, a tradition common in many Catholic religious orders.

But when the sisters raised Lancaster, they discovered that her body remained intact and showed little signs of decay. The rumors of Lancaster’s body being “incorrupt” quickly spread in the areas surrounding Gower, and as the media reported on the incident, hundreds of devotees gathered in the convent to pray and see her remains for themselves.

pic.twitter.com/9I5r30oZHR

— Ecclesia Militans (@JohnAndrewDors3) May 24, 2023

In Catholic tradition and in other Christian customs, the lack of decay in a body was historically associated with divinity and sanctity. According to the Catholic News Agency, as many as 100 incorruptible bodies, including Padre Pio and St. Francis Xavier, were beatified and canonized by the Catholic church.

While incorruptibility is often seen as a marker of sainthood, canon law permits the inspection of bodies deemed incorrupt so that relics can be taken and sent to Rome for further investigation. The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph released a statement regarding the news of her incorruptibility and said they would look further into the matter.

Black don't crack.

— Jake (@Jvel10) May 24, 2023

“The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions,” the statement from the diocese said. “At the same time, it is important to protect the integrity of the mortal remains of Sister Wilhelmina to allow for a thorough investigation… Bishop [James] Johnston invites all the Faithful to continue praying during this time of investigation for God’s will.”

The statement also added that incorruptibility is extremely “rare” and a “well-established process to pursue the cause for sainthood,” although the process for canonization and sainthood for Sister Lancaster has not yet started.

In my culture, when corpses refuse to rot, it means their spirits are not resting

— (@ill_nojie) May 23, 2023

However, some experts, including Nicholas V. Passalacqua, Associate Professor and Director of Forensic Psychology at Western Carolina University, said that it’s not rare for bodies to remain intact after death, especially in the first few years.

“It’s hard to say how common this is because bodies are rarely exhumed after burial. But there are many famous cases of well-preserved human remains,” Passalacqua told CNN in an email. “Not just things like Egyptian mummies, which were intentionally preserved, but also things like the Bog Bodies of Europe, which were very well preserved for thousands of years because they were in environments with low oxygen that restricted bacterial grown and access of the remains to scavengers.”

STOP TOUCHING HER YA WEIRDOS

— PappaBrox (@ChiefanBittyDad) May 23, 2023

Sister Lancaster’s body will be laid out in the monastery chapel until May 29, when the Benedictine group of nuns plan a rosary procession. After this procession, her body will be enclosed in a glass case near the altar of St. Joseph to welcome pilgrims.

After a group of women’s rights associations in Morocco united and launched a campaign called “It's Time to Change the Law" to fight for equal rights, Islamic clerics and conservative social media influencers also banded together to oppose this campaign.

On May 2, 2023, several women’s rights activists and organizations unveiled the campaign to call for changes in Morocco’s laws, notably its Family Code and Family Law, to align with the country’s constitution and international obligations regarding women’s rights.

#BghathaLwa9t #نبدلو_القانون pic.twitter.com/t2uH9NsumT

— Moroccan Outlaws 490 (@MoroccanOutlaws) May 3, 2023

Morocco is a signatory of many international treaties and conventions tackling women’s rights, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

According to a report by the Moroccan media website Le12.ma, under the hashtag #BghathaLwa9t, the campaign seeks to address various social issues concerning women in Morocco, from abortion and marriage to custody and domestic violence.

The producer and director of the “It’s Time to Change the Law” campaign, Sonia Terab, also said eight prominent TV stars and well-known social media influencers in Morocco participated in the campaign to amplify women’s voices and experiences by providing impactful testimonies about experiences of women in Morocco amidst the silent suffering many victims had to go through.

"If we have #genderequality in the family, the entire narrative will change, it is a paradigm shift.” Activists Asmae & Mariam share why family law reform is foundational to achieving equality in Morocco & globally.#FreeOurFamilyLaws @adfm_morocco https://t.co/SZqYdOGyGf

— WLP (@WLP_intl) May 16, 2023

But this campaign, despite having the support of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), received backlash and opposition from conservative social media influencers and Islamic clerics, who felt that the campaign’s recommendations might threaten traditional Islamic values and Sharia in the North African kingdom.

The Islamic clerics and social media influencers, who were all male, expressed their strong reservations and opposition against the campaign using various tactics. Aside from rejecting the campaign outright, they condemned its supporters and organizers and even questioned their motives and funding. They also attempted to demonize the campaign’s objectives, claiming that they subverted Morocco's Sharia law and family values.

For instance, Moroccan cleric Muhammad Abu Hatem strongly opposed the campaign’s recommendations to repeal the country’s male guardianship laws, saying the move “would be disastrous and will have dangerous implications."

Another Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abdellah Nhari, denounced the campaign and its recommendations, accusing its proponents of targeting "the last stronghold of the ummah," referring to family laws in Islam.

Aside from Islamic clerics, conservative Moroccan influencers also jumped in on the issue. One conservative YouTuber, Hicham Bouanani, uploaded a video where he accused the organizers of the campaign of "waging an intense war against Islam and the fundamentals of the Ummah."

Although improvements have been made on the issue of women’s rights in Morocco, especially after the kingdom gained independence from France in 1956, more work needs to be done, and conservative Islamic and patriarchial attitudes toward women’s roles in society remain widespread in the country.

To show that it remains keen on enforcing its mandatory Islamic dress code laws, the Islamic Republic of Iran is pushing for a new, stricter hijab bill that will impose harsher punishments against women who are not wearing the religious headscarf and those who encourage them not to wear the hijab.

The new proposal was slammed by activists and Iranians opposing the regime. Hardliners and pro-government supporters also criticized the new bill for being too lenient and saying it doesn’t go far enough.

Hardliners in Iran have strongly criticized a government hijab bill and claimed its leniency would only encourage further defiance of hijab rules. https://t.co/K5a9TM4xkr

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 26, 2023

According to the version published by the Iranian media, the proposed legislation outlines tougher punishment against women flouting the hijab, from fines and deprivation of “social rights” to three years of jail time.

The new law also punishes those who engage in social media campaigns against the hijab. The legislation also states that anyone who insults, degrades, or assaults women without the hijab will be penalized.

Actresses who remove their hijab in Iran will be banned from all cultural activities and performances for up to a year under a new bill going through parliament.https://t.co/9uVBD1XQxr

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 20, 2023

The Iranian judiciary drafted the law, and the government approved it on the weekend of May 27 and 28, and it was then presented to the legislature. It remains to be seen when lawmakers will debate and vote on the proposal.

While the draft bill was criticized by activists such as Britain-based feminist Samaneh Savadi for consolidating what she describes as “gender apartheid” in Iran, hardliners and pro-regime individuals denounced the bill for being too permissive and not doing enough to severely punish those who oppose the country’s mandatory hijab laws.

“It is as if the bill was prepared not to deal with unveiling, but with the aim (albeit unintentionally) of removing the existing legal obstacles and laying the groundwork for the expansion of this ugly and hideous phenomenon!” editor of the Hardline daily Kayhan Hossein Shariatmadari said in his editorial published on May 22nd.

Another hardliner, Mehdi Salahshur, mocked the legislation by saying that the draft bill should be renamed “the bill to support the unveiled.” In addition, Hamshahri, a daily newspaper, asked Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to revoke the bill, claiming that it gives “immunity” to hijabless women from arrest by police and other hijab enforces.

A bill for a new hijab law in Iran is expected to be drawn up within the next two weeks and will then be approved by parliamenthttps://t.co/8Pa3Ysr7ji

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) March 29, 2023

Ali Bahadori Jahromi, a spokesman for the Iranian government, responded to the criticisms by saying that the text of the bill circulated by the media was not the version approved by the government. Mohammad Ali Naghali, a member of Iran’s parliament, said that the legislature currently does not accept the draft bill and promises that amendments will be made to enforce stricter punishments.

Samaneh Savadi told RFE/RL that “the Islamic Republic is helplessly trying to satisfy its supporters while at the same time [trying to convince] the international community that these actions are legal” and added that “so far, it has failed at both.”

Shahindokht Molaverdi, a former vice president under the government of former President Hassan Rouhani, said the crackdown against the hijab protests that started after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini under the custody of the morality police would only result in more protests against the government.

After the Ugandan legislature proposed a shocking anti-LGBTQIA+ law that would further criminalize homosexuality and punish anyone found promoting LGBTQIA+ causes or providing shelter to known LGBTQIA+ members, the President of the Christian-majority African nation signed the bill into law, drawing condemnation from international bodies and leaders.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said his government would consider visa restrictions against Ugandan officials and others for the abuse of human rights following the implementation of one of the world's toughest anti-gay laws.https://t.co/TujuR5h8CO

— News24 (@News24) May 30, 2023

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law on May 26th, after the country’s Parliament drafted the bill last March. All but two of the 389 members of parliament, who mainly belong to the dominant-party National Resistance Movement (NRM), voted in favor of the bill.

Under the country’s colonial-era laws, homosexual acts are already illegal in the former British colony. However, the newly signed law imposes harsher punishments for other LGBTQIA-related acts. For instance, anyone found guilty of “recruitment, promotion and funding” of homosexuality “activities” can be sentenced to life in prison, and even identifying as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community is illegal under this law.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has signed one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for ‘aggravated homosexuality,’ in defiance of Western condemnations and potential sanctions from aid donors https://t.co/3J9xJTVjcx

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 30, 2023

In addition, acts of “aggravated homosexuality,” reportedly defined as having homosexual relations with HIV-positive people, children, or other vulnerable people, are punishable by the death penalty. The new law was described as one of the world's worst and most extreme anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.

Various international leaders and bodies strongly denounced the passage of the new law. The United Nations released a statement, calling the law “a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people and the wider population.”

“It conflicts with the constitution and international treaties and requires urgent judicial review,” the statement added.

#Uganda: Secretary-General @antonioguterres is deeply concerned over the punitive Anti-Homosexuality Act becoming law and calls on the country to fully respect its #HumanRights obligationshttps://t.co/EW1g7ikbSK

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) May 31, 2023

Uganda is a signatory of several international human rights treaties and conventions, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESC), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Many officials in the United States also condemned the law. US President Joe Biden called for the law to be repealed immediately and even instructed his National Security Council to re-evaluate the aid being sent to the country. He said his administration is also considering applying “sanctions and restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption.”

The new Ugandan law drew condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, with Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas denouncing the law via Twitter as “horrific & wrong” and adding that “any law criminalizing homosexuality or imposing the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” is grotesque & an abomination.”

Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, condemned Uganda's sweeping new anti-gay law, calling it "horrific and wrong." https://t.co/cVWa3IXDpL

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) May 30, 2023

Kampala-based human rights activist Steven Kabuye told the Guardian that they will fight the law in every way they can.

“Of course, we are going to march to court and contest this draconian law in every way possible,” he told the Guardian.

Uganda has attempted to further penalize homosexuality for years, with one attempt in 2009. However, the law was earlier struck down by the country’s Constitutional Court and was rendered invalid.

A young Hindu man from Bangladesh was arrested and convicted for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad through a social media post around six years ago.

On May 23rd, a court in the city of Rangpur in northwestern Bangladesh convicted a man named Titu Roy for making derogatory, anti-Islam remarks on Facebook, sentencing him to ten years in prison.

Hindu youth gets 10 years’ jail for anti-Islam comments#antiIslam https://t.co/OVrq7a4k7c

— UNB - United News of Bangladesh (@unbnewsroom) May 24, 2023

According to Ruhul Amin Talukder, the public prosecutor and advocate who handled the case, the Rangpur Cyber Tribunal Court under Judge Dr. Abdul Majid also slapped Roy with a 50,000 Bangladeshi taka fine, equivalent to around 466 US dollars.

Titu Roy, according to reports by Bangladeshi media, is a son of the late Khogendranath Roy of Harikoly Thakurpara under the city’s Gangachara police station.

Documents related to the case reported that Titu made his alleged anti-Islam post on October 28, 2017, while working in the central city of Narayanganj.

The post sparked an intense backlash among local Muslims, and they held human chains to protest against Titu at the Shleyashah Bazar in Rangpur, calling for his punishment for his remarks.

Infuriated by the incident, people vandalized and even burned houses belonging to the Hindu community in Thakurpara, inciting further sectarian violence that has characterized much of the Indian subcontinent.

Two separate cases were later filed at the Rangpur Sadar and Gangachara police stations in connection to these incidents, with the trial over the case for vandalism still ongoing.

After investigating the complaint filed against Titu, the court handed down his conviction. Titu was present in the trial while he was being sentenced. The public prosecutor expressed satisfaction with the case's verdict, saying the conviction helped them achieve justice.

However, Proshanta Kumar Roy, the defendant’s lawyer, was unhappy with the trial result, adding that Titu’s legal team will appeal to the high court against the conviction, saying that Titu was denied justice during court proceedings.

After an incident in a coastal city in southern Lebanon where a woman was allegedly harassed for reportedly wearing an “indecent” bathing suit, activists staged a protest at a beach on May 21st.

Dozens of female protesters defied a ban imposed by the conservative, Sunni Muslim-majority city of Sidon regarding the bathing suit incident. They rallied against it, according to a reporter from Agence-France Presse (AFP).

Lebanese activists protested on Sunday at a beach in the coastal city of Sidon after a woman said she was harassed there over her allegedly indecent bathing suit, an AFP correspondent said https://t.co/89y4uMIAoS

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) May 22, 2023

"We have all come to support women's right to be in public spaces, whether in a bikini or a burkini," Diana Moukalled, a journalist and women’s rights activist, told the AFP correspondent.

"Public spaces don't just belong to certain people as a function of their beliefs, but to everyone. It's a constitutional right," she told the AFP correspondent.

A clip showing female activists organizing their protest in the coastal city was circulated on social media. In the video, Islamist extremists gathered in the area, attacking and cursing at the protesters.

بعدما تعرضت الشابة #ميسا_حنوني وزوجها للاعتداء على شاطئ #صيدا الأسبوع الماضي بسبب ارتدائها لباس البحر وبعد محاولات عدة لصبغ الأماكن العامة في المدينة ومناطق أخرى بمحظورات عديدة على النساء، تم تنظيم وقفة نسوية احتجاجية على شاطئ صيدا للمطالبة بحق النساء في ارتياد الشواطئ العامة… pic.twitter.com/n84Kch5u7b

— Daraj Media (@Daraj_media) May 21, 2023

The protest comes at a pivotal moment when Lebanon faces one of the worst economic crises in its history, with crippling power outages and shortages of basic necessities debilitating around three-fourths of the country’s six million people and plunging them further into poverty.

A week before the demonstrations, an incident occurred in Sidon where a group of conservative religious Muslims reportedly attacked a woman and her husband at a beach in the city for donning a bathing suit, accusing them of disrespecting local norms due to the woman’s choice of clothing.

Lebanon: Women protest against Sharia ‘modesty norms’ at beach, MusIim cleric and foIlowers break up protest pic.twitter.com/kOrnnQjEiI

— Azzat Alsaleem (@AzzatAlsaalem) May 25, 2023

While some praised the group for intervening, others stood in solidarity with the victims, with some women posting a photo of themselves wearing a bathing suit with the hashtag #Sidon.

The municipal government of Sidon responded to the incident and the reactions it sparked by banning both the women’s protest and the religious counter-demonstration that had been planned "in favor of modesty, virtue and against nudity.”

A group of conservative religious Muslims later came to the scene and tried to break up the protest and hold prayers as security forces were deployed into the area. Sheikh Houssam Ilani denounced the protesters for openly disregarding the protest ban imposed by the municipal government.

Lebanese women protest modesty norms after beachgoer harassed for bathing suit https://t.co/nHNpa9RSAX

— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) May 21, 2023

A sign at the beach in Sidon was also put in place, warning visitors that alcohol is banned and asking them to wear "decent attire.” Lebanese law does not prohibit wearing swimsuits, and women visiting Sidon often prefer to wear such attire to the beach.

• Shocking Protest: Pig Heads Sent to Mosque Site in South Korea

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/shocking-protest-pig-heads-sent-mosque-site-south-korea

Location: South Korea 

In a shocking act of protest, severed pig heads were displayed at a mosque construction site in Daegu, South Korea. The mosque, intended to serve the growing Muslim international student population at Kyungpook National University (KNU), has become a source of friction between local residents and the university's Muslim community. While the need for a larger worship center was acknowledged due to a burgeoning student populace, resistance from locals resulted in a suspension order for the construction. Despite the Supreme Court overturning this decision, the controversy escalated. "Islamophobic pamphlets were distributed throughout the area, and rallies targeting our religion, Islam, were held," Muaz Razaq, a Pakistani Ph.D. student who also serves as the KNU Muslim community’s media representative, said in a media conference last April. This situation underscores the challenges South Korea faces as it grapples with evolving multicultural realities amidst a demographic crisis, and its pursuit of an immigration solution.

• Widow Sacrifice Ritual: Indian Woman's Suicide Sparks Debate Over Tradition

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/widow-sacrifice-ritual-indian-womans-suicide-sparks-debate-over-tradition

Location: India

The tragic suicide of Sanghita Lakhra, a 28-year-old female engineer from Gujarat, India, has sparked a national debate about the outlawed and controversial Hindu tradition of Sati. Sanghita reportedly drowned herself in the Sabarmati River after facing alleged domestic violence and pressure from her in-laws to perform Sati, a ritual that involves a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre. Her purported suicide note tells a tale of relentless harassment, pushing her to prove her "good character" via this dangerous and banned ritual. Despite the ban imposed on Sati by British Governor General Lord William Bentinck in 1829 and further reinforced by the Indian government's Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act of 1987, cases have been sporadically reported well into the 21st century. This heart-rending incident underscores the urgency for more effective enforcement of laws and societal change to protect women's rights in India.

• Iran Executes 3 Protesters for "Enmity Against God"

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/iran-executes-3-protesters-enmity-against-god

Location: Iran

In Iran, three protesters accused of killing members of Iran's security forces during the recent anti-government uprisings were executed on May 19th, leading to widespread protests and international condemnation. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaqoubi were executed after being charged with "enmity against God" for their alleged involvement in the deaths of two Basiji paramilitary members and a law enforcement officer. However, the Iranian government failed to provide conclusive evidence linking them to the incident. Concerned about their safety, family members gathered outside the Dastgerd prison in Isfahan, while crowds gathered in support outside the facility. The executions were criticized by human rights organizations, and demonstrations took place in Berlin, London, and Stockholm. Amnesty International claimed that confessions shown by Iranian state media were extracted under torture. The executions brought attention to Iran's increasing use of the death penalty, with over 220 executions reported in 2023 alone and more than 582 death sentences handed down in 2022. The European Union strongly condemned the executions and called on Iran to halt the practice of imposing death sentences on protesters.

• Investigation Reveals 450+ Clergy Abusers in the Illinois Catholic Church

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/investigation-reveals-450-clergy-abusers-illinois-catholic-church

Location: United States

An investigation led by the Illinois Attorney General’s office has revealed a shocking prevalence of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, accusing 451 clergymen of sexually abusing nearly 2,000 children over a span of 69 years. These numbers significantly exceed the initial 103 victims reported by the Catholic Church when the investigation was initiated in 2018. The report also suggests that Illinois church leaders were slow to respond to the abuse, often avoiding confrontations with accused clergy and failing to warn parishioners about potential abusers. Attorney General Kwame Raoul credits those who brought accusations against the church, stating, "It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse." As a result of the report, the Catholic dioceses in Illinois have pledged to review their policies and make necessary changes. This groundbreaking investigation echoes similar findings across various states and opens the conversation about the scale of abuse within the Catholic Church.

• Why a Muslim Set A Mosque on Fire to Protest Homelessness

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/uncovering-why-muslim-set-mosque-fire-protest-homelessness

Location: United States

In a startling twist of events, Said Murekezi, a 42-year-old homeless man, ignited the flames of a mosque in St. Paul, Minnesota, not out of religious hatred but as a fiery protest against homelessness. After boldly breaking into the Oromo American Tawhid Islamic Center, the mosque erupted into smoke, the act captured chillingly on surveillance footage. This disquieting arson marks the sixth attack against a mosque in Minnesota this year alone. Contrary to initial beliefs that the arson was an anti-Muslim act, it was revealed that Murekezi himself was a Muslim. He expressed dissatisfaction with the government and the Islamic center for not adequately assisting homeless individuals. His criminal track record paints a turbulent past, featuring previous charges for arson, burglary, and property damage. Murekezi, who was on probation during this unsettling incident, now stands charged with arson, burglary, and drug possession.

• Holy Hijinks: How One Lawmaker's Bible Prank Turned into an Ethics Inquiry!

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/holy-hijinks-how-one-lawmakers-bible-prank-turned-ethics-inquiry

Location: United States

In a case that marries the holy with hijinks, Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, a Democratic Representative and Presbyterian Minister from Arizona, has been thrust into the limelight after an unusual Bible-hiding prank ignited an ethics inquiry against her. Hamilton was caught on hidden cameras taking Bibles belonging to her fellow representatives and hiding them in unusual places, sparking an ethics complaint filed by three Republican representatives. They accused Hamilton of theft, disorderly conduct, and creating a hostile work environment. Hamilton's prank was intended to highlight the issue of the separation of church and state, but it appears the line between jest and disrespect was crossed in the eyes of her colleagues. Hamilton's apology stated that she never intended to desecrate the Bible or offend anyone and called for a genuine conversation about the separation of church and state. Despite issuing an apology and recognizing the offense her prank may have caused, the incident has sparked a contentious debate about religious discrimination and political retribution.

• Satanic Panic Nightmare Ends: Wrongful Conviction Dismissed After 30 Years!

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/satanic-panic-nightmare-ends-wrongful-conviction-dismissed-after-30-years

Location: United States 

In a triumphant end to a three-decade-long nightmare rooted in the infamous Satanic Panic, Melvin Quinney, a San Antonio man wrongfully accused and imprisoned for leading a Satanic cult and committing sexual abuse, has finally been exonerated. Quinney's ordeal began amidst a contentious divorce in 1990 when his wife accused him of heinous crimes tied to Satanic rituals. His children, then influenced by their mother, therapists, and law enforcement, developed false memories of abuse and occult practices. Quinney was sentenced to 20 years in prison and served eight before his release. His conviction carried heavy burdens, including a mandatory sex offender registry and estrangement from his children. With the unwavering support of the Innocence Project of Texas and his youngest son, Matthew, Quinney managed to reopen his case, leading to his full exoneration after his oldest son, John, recanted his previous testimonies. Quinney can now finally look forward to a future free from the terrors of the past, with the hope of reconnecting with his family.

• Upper Caste Hindus Threaten Immolation to Keep "Untouchables" Out of Temple

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/upper-caste-hindus-threaten-immolation-keep-untouchables-out-temple

Location: India

In an escalating conflict centered around the controversial topic of caste-based restrictions in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, tensions ran high as upper-caste Hindus in the village of Melpathi protested fiercely, even threatening self-immolation, to prevent Dalits (the group formerly known as "Untouchables") from entering the local Sri Dharmaraja Draupathi Amman temple. This incident, which reignited socio-religious tensions and even necessitated the deployment of law enforcement, has been brewing since April. Despite the Dalits registering a protest case about their prohibition from entering the temple, no further action was taken by authorities. This lack of response prompted the villagers to petition for their right to enter the temple. Tamil Nadu's Minister for Higher Education, K Ponmudy, publicly called for unity and religious equality, stressing the temple's inclusive administration by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department. However, the upper-caste Hindus remained defiant, staging fasting protests and threatening self-immolation. While local authorities managed to disperse the crowds and restore some order, the incident underlines the enduring challenges of caste discrimination.

• Persecuted Nigerian Atheist Prisoner "Adopted" by US Congressman!

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/persecuted-nigerian-atheist-prisoner-adopted-us-congressman

Location: Nigeria

In a significant development, US Congressman Jamie Raskin has taken up the case of Nigerian atheist Mubarak Bala, Bala, who has been sentenced to 24 years for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad. Congressman Raskin, through the Lantos Commission's Defending Freedoms Project, aims to bring attention to Bala's unjust imprisonment and advocate for his release. Bala's case highlights the dangers of theocracy and the suppression of freedom of expression and thought. Congressman Raskin emphasized the urgent need to defend these fundamental human rights globally and called on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to issue a pardon for Bala. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, alongside other organizations such as Freedom Now and the European Parliament, has also rallied behind Bala's cause, demanding accountability and urging the repeal of blasphemy laws. Mubarak Bala, the former President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, continues to appeal his conviction while human rights organizations work tirelessly to secure his freedom. Bala’s sponsorship by prominent politicians and institutions worldwide underscores the urgent need for the protection of free expression and freedom of belief for atheists. 

• Message to the Athiest Republic From Iran
  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsynJv5gFcl/

In a powerful episode of our Atheist Republic News Show, our team shared a moving video sent by a member of our global godless community currently living inside Iran. This touching tribute was dedicated to Mohsen Shekari, a civilian protestor who was brutally executed in the midst of the recent anti-government rallies in Iran. Our member honored Mohsen's sacrifice by placing flowers at his gravesite "on behalf of all those in Atheist Republic" - an act that deeply moved our global community and leadership. This act symbolizes the tenacity and unity of our community, reinforcing our collective dedication to advocate for personal freedom and to stand firm against oppression. The courage and selflessness demonstrated by our members, even in the face of extreme adversity, serve as stark reminders of our continual pursuit of freedoms that some of us might take for granted. Make sure to catch the full video from Iran, and join us in celebrating the strength of our community's global solidarity and the indomitable spirit of our members.

A shocking investigation released by the Illinois Attorney General’s office on May 23rd revealed that 451 Catholic clergymen sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in the state within 70 years, more than four times than the 103 victims reported by the church when investigations began in 2018.

Illinois: nearly 2,000 children abused by Catholic clergy over 70-year period https://t.co/KNiYFtQWxB

— The Guardian (@guardian) May 23, 2023

During a news conference, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said investigators found that 451 Catholic clergy members in the state abused 1,997 children between 1950 to 2019, covering 69 years.

“It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse,” Raoul said at the conference, crediting those who accused the church for making the investigation possible.

Not drag queens?

— Texas Toon (@Texas_Toon) May 23, 2023

“These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence,” Raoul added.

The lengthy report also paints a painful picture of how Illinois church leaders are slow to acknowledge the severity of the abuse within the clergy. They were also accused of deliberately holding back actions that would confront the accused clergy and failing to warn devotees about possible abusers, sometimes even after decades after a clergyman was accused of abuse.

How many are in prison?

— Recreational Outrage (@PatrickXavier75) May 23, 2023

The investigation began in 2018 under Raoul’s predecessor, Lisa Madigan, who released a ferocious report on the abuse before she left office. Raoul, the current attorney general of Illinois, promised to continue the investigation, which saw 25 staff members review more than 100,000 pages of documents from the state’s dioceses and engage in more than 600 confidential conversations with contacts.

The report also mentioned victims who thought about taking their own lives after being abused and those who turned to alcohol or drugs to deal with “anxiety and feelings of unworthiness.”

While the report shocked many, the findings echoed known facts and scandals about dioceses in the United States, and some said that the reported numbers of victims and abusers might have been underreported.

And this is Just. One. State.

— Jedi Ghost (@JediCounselor) May 23, 2023

“There is no questioning the facts of the report – until 2018, when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them,” the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), an organization of sexual abuse victims, said in a statement released on the same day the office of the Illinois Attorney General announced the findings of the report.

The Catholic dioceses in Illinois released a joint statement on May 26th, saying that the report prompted them to review their policies and push for unspecified changes within the church.

“At this time, working with the office of the attorney general of Illinois, the leaders of all six Illinois dioceses endeavored to make clear and update our approach, mindful of our lived experience and best practices in this field,” Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, said in the joint statement.

“Survivors will forever be in our prayers, and we have devoted ourselves to rooting out this problem and providing healing to victims.” (Cardinal Cupich)
For the cardinal’s response to the Attorney General’s report, data and resources, please visit: https://t.co/kJWZ2eG3no. pic.twitter.com/sUpT1IpT3o

— Archdiocese Chicago (@archchicago) May 24, 2023

Illinois’s scathing report on the state of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church was not the first in the United States. Other states, like Pennsylvania and Maryland, conducted lengthy investigations that revealed the scope of sexual abuse inside Catholic churches. Some states, like Louisiana, refused to launch similar investigations, despite accusations of child sexual abuse within the roster of clerics in some dioceses.

A mosque currently under construction in the South Korean city of Daegu has been a point of contention between residents and Muslim students of a local university. So much so that residents have put severed pig heads in front of the construction site in protest.

Pig heads, BBQs: Mosque backlash tests S Korea religious freedom https://t.co/KfkUOShUp8

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 21, 2023

The plan to build a mosque to accommodate the Muslim students of the city’s Kyungpook National University (KNU) initially began in September 2020, when they received permission from the local district office to construct a mosque in a neighborhood near the university.

The need to build a mosque for the Muslim student community of KNU became apparent as the community grew in recent years. Initially, they bought and used an old house a few minutes from the university’s west gate. The house, called Dar ul Emaan Kyungpook Islamic Center, became too old and small for the growing Muslim student community.

However, residents near the site of the planned mosque fiercely protested against it, filing a petition and claiming that the mosque would turn their neighborhood into a “slum.” Unfortunately for the students, the local district office of Daegu ordered the mosque's construction to be suspended, citing concerns from the residents.

Locals in Daegu, South Korea place pig heads and barbecues outside of mosque construction site.

This is the third incident from a string of Islamophobic attacks the mosque has faced within the last few months. pic.twitter.com/0u8s9OcTGV

— Muslim (@Muslim) January 1, 2023

These developments shocked KNU’s Muslim student community, which fluctuates between 80 and 150 people and hails from countries with significant Muslim populations, such as Nigeria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. They were surprised to receive opposition from the residents as they did not resist when they established their Islamic center and used it for seven years.

South Korea’s Supreme Court annulled the orders from the local district office and allowed the mosque project to continue. But as the construction of the building resumed, residents intensified their campaign against the mosque and the KNU Muslim student community by first spreading anti-Muslim messages around the area.

They need proper education and tabling on Islam. I am sure Koreans would love to be Muslims and they would come in hoards once they get it. So I am not so worried cus Koreans aren't violent like the Westerners

— CURSED (@ProjectTitans1) January 1, 2023

"Islamophobic pamphlets were distributed throughout the area, and rallies targeting our religion, Islam, were held," Muaz Razaq, a Pakistani Ph.D. student who also serves as the KNU Muslim community’s media representative, said in a media conference last April.

Messages such as "Muslims who kill people brutally and behead them, get out of this area right now” written in English and "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim” in Korean were seen near the building site.

May Allah guide South Koreans to Islam

— Birdzilla (@birdeavor) January 1, 2023

It didn’t end with anti-Muslim banners and placards. Last October, a severed pig head appeared in front of the construction site, which Razaq described as a “disappointing moment” for the community. A committee hosted a pork barbecue party near the site. Soon, a tall display refrigerator with three severed pig heads was placed in front of the construction site.

Islam is the greatest Islam in the world, there is and will never be any pagans

— Muhammad Raju (@Muhamma65474078) January 2, 2023

Because Islamic law does not allow pork consumption, pork meat and severed pig heads have been used as symbols of anti-Muslim hate worldwide, including in the United States.

This tension poses a challenge for South Korea, which has been experiencing a demographic crisis and has seen immigration as a solution to this problem. But as the country continues to receive immigrants from various parts of the world, issues like the one in Daegu show how the largely mono-ethnic East Asian country is poorly prepared to face an increasingly multicultural reality.

A temple entry issue raged in the village of Melpathi in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where some members of upper-caste Hindus blocked a local temple and even threatened to immolate themselves to stop Dalits from entering.

Issue simmering in Melpathi since April when few members of Adi Dravidar community denied entry to Sri Dharmaraja Draupathi Amman temple..TN Govt says under HRCE.https://t.co/nCdo0XGylO
Protestors said they would not allow Dalits to enter, three attempted to immolate themselves.

— Harsh Madhusudan (@harshmadhusudan) May 22, 2023

The incident reignited tensions between groups in Melpathi and led to the deployment of law enforcement personnel to prevent unforeseen events.

The issue has been raging in the village since last April when members of the Adi Dravidar or Paraiyar community, a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, were prohibited from entering the Sri Dharmaraja Draupathi Amman temple. A case was registered after members of this community protested against this action. However, villagers noted that nothing else was done after registering the case.

Most likely a community temple of OBCs, thats why they were spared of draconian atrocity act, in TN OBC dominate politics(periyar movement). It is most casteist state. You will be shocked how badly they treat dalits, but dalits endure all bcz hate for common enemy 3% brahmins

— (@Jaiminiiy) May 21, 2023

A few villagers submitted a petition to the collector’s office on May 17th, asking them to take immediate action to be allowed to enter the temple and arrest those responsible for denying them entry during last month's festival.

“I have informed them (the Adi Dravidar community) that they will be allowed into the temple. The officials have briefed them as well. I request the other residents of the village to set aside these differences inside the temple, everyone should be treated equally.” K Ponmudy, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Higher Education, said on May 17th regarding the issue. “For political reasons, a few people are carrying out these things, and people should not fall for this.”

The minister also said that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department administers the Sri Dharmaraja Draupathi Amman temple, and it was informed that everyone should be allowed to enter the temple.

In TN , ALL brahmin priest temples allow all castes , including SC-ST - this temple is run by Vanniar, a MOST Backward Caste , with non vedic tribal deities and goat sacfrice ,and the Vanniar Dravidians oppress SC

— Hulakhu3 Khan (@Hulakhu3Khan) May 21, 2023

However, not everyone in the village was pleased with Ponmundy’s decision. Upper-caste Hindus in Melpathi condemned his statement and staged a dharna, or an act of fasting at the door of an offender until one’s demands are met, in front of the temple, hurling their ration cards and voter IDs in protest.

Yes yes. The headline is wrong. I saw another report which calls them dominant caste groups which is more appropriate

— av (@unraveaero) May 22, 2023

The upper caste protesters insisted that they would not allow Dalits and lower castes to enter the temple, despite police intervention. Some protesters even threatened to burn themselves in protest during arguments with the authorities.

After authorities, including the tahsildar (tax collection officer) and revenue divisional officer, staged multiple peace talks with the protesters, the crowds stopped and were eventually dispersed.

Residents of Melpathi were also informed that the temple is under the administration of the HR & CE department, with a notice on this being issued as well. Villupuram District Collector C. Palani said the state government will take the necessary steps to ensure everyone can access the temple.

A female engineer in the Indian state of Gujarat committed suicide after her in-laws allegedly pressured her to perform Sati, an ancient, now illegal practice in Hinduism where a widow sits on top of her deceased husband’s funeral pyre.

Gujarat | Sangita Lakhra, a native of Rajasthan, died by suicide by jumping into Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad after being constantly taunted & harassed by her in-laws after her husband, Vishnu's death. FIR registered against five of her in-laws. Efforts to arrest the accused… pic.twitter.com/MQSN5LCLM1

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2023

The victim, identified as 28-year-old Sanghita Lakhra, was a native of Bhilwara in the state of Rajasthan. She killed herself by jumping into the Sabarmati River and drowning herself. A report from the Times of India also said that she allegedly left a suicide note detailing her misery after her husband died in an accident last February 2022.

Ramesh Lakhra, Sanghita’s father, who also runs a grocery store in the city of Surat, filed a complaint with the Sabarmati Riverfront (West) police station in the city of Ahmedabad. He said in his complaint that his daughter’s mother-in-law and four other members of her husband’s family subjected Sanghita to domestic violence, which caused her to commit suicide.

Sati is a rich tradition of ancient India among the religious hindoos. The practice has an eternal value and should be protected and adhered to.

If the lady wanted to kill herself, why not do it in the pyre itself to prove to the world that she and her husband are inseparable?

— Ujwal Anurag (@UjwalAnurag) May 23, 2023

Ramesh also noted in his first information report (FIR) that Sanghita experienced depression after the death of her husband. The report also stated that the suicide note she allegedly wrote was found in her diary.

The purported suicide note by Sanghita narrated that her mother-in-law, Kailash Devi Lakhra, and four other members of her husband’s family constantly pressured her to perform Sati to prove her good character. The FIR filed by her father also detailed how she was forced to move back to her parent's home in Surat after her in-laws kept harassing and taunting her after her husband’s death.

Sanghita was reportedly missing on May 10th, and her body was found in the Sabarmati River the next day. The FIR also stated that she left audio and text messages for her brother and apologized to him before she took her own life, as cited by police sources.

Btw: facts: the Mughals banned it - Baba Nanak banned it -then the British banned it - THEN it was still such an issue: had to be added to Indian constitution burning women is bad. It’s still on going…..

— Deep (@YayArea408209) May 24, 2023

Before her death, Sanghita worked at a mall in Surat and pursued a post-graduate computer engineering degree.

The case sparked conversations over the tradition of Sati, also called Suttee. British Governor General Lord William Bentinck repealed this ancient Hindu practice in 1829.

Caste discrimination is also banned officially, but….

— JP S. Deol (@jpdeol) May 24, 2023

After gaining independence from the British Empire, the practice persisted, and 30 cases of sati or attempted sati were recorded from 1943 until 1987, when an 18-year-old widow from Rajasthan, Roop Kanwar, performed sati and killed herself.

This well-documented case reignited debates on sati and prompted the Indian government to pass The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act of 1987, which prohibited the practice and the encouragement of sati. Nevertheless, the law needed to be applied more consistently and adequately, as cases of sati were still recorded well throughout the 21st century.

A man in San Antonio was officially exonerated after being wrongfully imprisoned for eight years during the Satanic Panic in the United States, where thousands of unsubstantiated cases were made.

"San Antonio man wrongfully convicted in 1991 has charges dismissed in Satanic Panic case": https://t.co/JovSyIvCrk

— Colin Miller (@EvidenceProf) April 11, 2023

Last April, Judge Christina Del Prado of the 227th District Court dismissed the case against Melvin Quinney, who was accused of indecency with a child in 1990.

“It’s like the beginning of the end of a very long nightmare,” Melvin Quinney said regarding the hearing that made his acquittal official.

Because Melvin was exonerated, his conviction has been dropped, and his name would no longer be included in the state’s sex offender registry. His case is among several cases of Satanic Panic that gripped the United States in the 80s and 90s, where innocent people like him were accused of either running Satanic cults or performing Satanic rituals without any substantial evidence.

Melvin’s case started in 1990 when he and his wife were going through a divorce. During their divorce, his wife accused him of leading a Satanic cult and murdering people as part of their rituals.

His now ex-wife contacted the authorities, and their children, John and Sarah, were taken by Child Protective Services and interviewed by law enforcement officers and therapists for several weeks.

Sarah and John started developing false memories of Satanic ritual abuse (SRA) and occult rituals after weeks of coercion and manipulation from their mother, therapists, law enforcement officers, and other adults. In particular, John came to believe that his father sexually abused him and his sister, Sarah, and committed murders as part of his satanic rituals.

Melvin was arrested in 1991, and John’s testimonies were used against his father during the trial. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was later freed after serving eight years.

However, Melvin’s ordeal did not end with his release. He had to register as a sex offender and had no contact with his children. John and Sarah’s false memories of him leading a Satanic cult and performing occult rituals persisted into early adulthood. 

After years of hesitating to contact his children, Melvin posted a photo on Facebook asking his children to reach out to him. Matthew, Melvin’s youngest son, saw the post and got in touch with him. He was only a few weeks old when his father was imprisoned for the false accusations.

With the help of the Innocence Project of Texas, John, now an adult, returned to the court to testify, this time to admit that the accusations he threw against Melvin were false and to help him clear his name.

The Innocence Project of Texas said Melvin Quinney is a victim of the "Satanic Panic" hysteria of the 1990's.
https://t.co/OemCnBCIoy

— WFAA (@wfaa) April 11, 2023

The Conviction Integrity Unit of the District Attorney in San Antonio took up the case and concluded that Melvin was wrongfully convicted.

“I admire Mr. Quinney and his family so much for sticking with him and pursuing justice, truth in his case,” Mike Ware, executive director of the Innocence Project of Texas, said. “I also really respect the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office in the way they handled this case.”

Now that his conviction has been overturned, Melvin hopes that, with the help of the compensation owed to him by the state, he can finally move on and live closer to his kids and grandchildren in Dallas.

More than a year after a landmark case in Nigeria that saw atheist Mubarak Bala imprisoned for expressing his views on religion, a US congressman took up his case and joined in the calls to free Bala.

President Buhari: As you leave office, please exercise your last chance to free Mubarak Bala, a religious prisoner, husband and father of a three-year-old boy. Sentenced to 24 years in Nigeria for his nonviolent humanist activism, Bala must be released. https://t.co/lJk0UVqGU4

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) May 25, 2023

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced that he would sponsor the case of Mubarak Bala through the Lantos Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project. The commission was established in honor of former Representative Tom Lantos, an American Jewish congressman and a leading human rights advocate during his term in the US Congress.

“I'm sponsoring Nigerian political prisoner Mubarak Bala through the @TLHumanRights Commission.” Representative Raskin posted on Twitter. “Bala is imprisoned for not believing in an afterlife and speaking out against religious extremism. His case underscores the dangers of theocracy. President Buhari, free him now!”

I'm sponsoring Nigerian political prisoner Mubarak Bala through the @TLHumanRights Commission. Bala is imprisoned for not believing in an afterlife and speaking out against religious extremism. His case underscores the dangers of theocracy. President Buhari, free him now!

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) May 16, 2023

The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission allows members of Congress like Rep. Jamie Raskin to cast light on political prisoners and prisoners of conscience worldwide like Bala and also gives them a platform to demand accountability for their unjust treatment.

Through a press release, Rep. Raskin’s office also explained his reason for sponsoring Bala’s case and urged outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to release him.

“Authoritarian regimes use blasphemy laws to imprison and torture people who dare to engage in critical thinking and honestly express their beliefs,” Rep. Raskin said in his press release. “Bala’s case highlights the urgent need to defend freedom of expression, freedom of thought, and human rights around the world.”

“Nigeria, it is time to end the theocratic persecution of Mubarak Bala. President Buhari, I urge you to immediately issue a pardon for Mr. Bala before your term ends this May.” Rep. Raskin added, directly addressing President Buhari.

Aside from the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, several organizations also took up the case and amplified calls for Bala’s release. Initiatives and groups like Freedom Now, the Political Prisoners Initiative of Freedom House, and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom sponsored Bala’s case and urged authorities to free him.

No one should spend 24 minutes—much less 24 yrs—behind bars for the absurd thought crime of “blasphemy.” I join @USCIRF in condemning Nigeria's sentencing of humanist leader Mubarak Bala to 24 years in prison for criticizing Islam on social media. Nigeria—call off this outrage!

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) April 11, 2022

The European Parliament also passed a resolution last April 2023 condemning the use of blasphemy laws in Nigeria to implicate individuals like Mubarak Bala and Yahaya Sharif Aminu, an Islamic gospel musician from Kano, and also called for their release.

Several human rights NGOs, including Humanist International, also reached out to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and submitted a petition seeking expert opinions on Bala’s case. Humanist International also called on the Nigerian government to repeal federal and state laws on blasphemy.

Humanists International welcomes news that US Congressman Rep. Jamie Raskin has adopted the case of Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s (Lantos Commission) Defending Freedoms Project. #FreeMubarakBalahttps://t.co/OhgjQY7ddz

— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) May 18, 2023

Mubarak Bala previously served as the President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria before his arrest. In April 2020, the self-identified atheist was arrested by authorities in Kano for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad, violating Section 210 of Kano State’s Penal Code and Section 26 (1)(c) of the country’s Cybercrimes Act of 2015. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison, and he’s currently appealing his conviction.

Three men in Iran accused of killing three members of the country’s security forces were executed by the Islamic Republic on May 19th, sparking massive protests across the country and drawing condemnation from various governments and human rights organizations.

The Tasnim news agency and the website of Iran’s judiciary confirmed the executions of 30-year-old Majid Kazemi, 36-year-old Saleh Mirhashemi, and 37-year-old Saeed Yaqoubi on the dawn of May 19th at the Dastgerd prison in the city of Isfahan, located in central Iran.

BREAKING: Iran has executed 3 men accused of deadly violence during last year’s anti-government protests despite objections from human rights groups, authorities say they killed a police officer and two members of the paramilitary Basij group in Isfahan. https://t.co/bxAqDSmbWN

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 19, 2023

The three men were charged with the crime of “enmity against God” after being accused of being responsible for the deaths of two members of the Basiji paramilitary force and a law enforcement officer during anti-government protests on November 16, 2022. However, the Iranian government failed to show definitive evidence that would link the three men to the incident.

Their families gathered in front of the Dastgerd prison, worried about the safety of their relatives. Crowds also gathered outside the facility as early as the night of May 18th as news of their imminent execution spread.

Saleh Mirhashemi’s father holds a sign that says:

“My son is innocent. He did not have weapons.”

Saleh is one of 3 young men who is at risk of imminent execution. The families of the men have asked people to gather outside Dastgerd Prison at 10pm tonight to halt the executions pic.twitter.com/9Yf2FzAs6R

— Nazanin Nour (@NazaninNour) May 17, 2023

The three men’s family members and other Iranian figures, such as actress Taraneh Alidoosti and football player Ali Karimi expressed concern over their fate and stepped up campaigns to halt their executions. Demonstrations showing support for Kazemi, Mirhashemi, and Yaqoubi were held in Berlin, London, and Stockholm.

After they were executed, Iranian state media played videos of what appeared to be the three men’s confessions to the murder, which were extracted under torture, according to Amnesty International. Handwritten notes from the three men were also posted on Twitter, appealing for help and support.

"Hello. We ask our dear fellow citizens not to let them kill us. We need your help. We need your support." One of the letters, which went viral on social media, wrote.

Don't let them kill us!

This is a letter smuggled out of prison written by three prisoners in Iran. They were all executed shortly after. The letter reads, "Hello. We ask our dear fellow citizens not to let them kill us. We need your help. We need your support."

Saeed Yaqoubi,… pic.twitter.com/nWInRTPSHM

— Armin Navabi (@ArminNavabi) May 22, 2023

Kazemi, Mirhashemi, and Yaqoubi were among the seven people that the Islamic Republic executed in relation to the massive anti-government protests that swept the country in September 2022 after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died under the custody of the “morality police.”

Many human rights organizations condemned the executions, and it also stirred massive protests across several cities in Iran, including the capital Tehran. In a video shared on social media, protesters were heard chanting slogans such as "Death to the dictator!" and "Death to Khamenei!”

شهروندان تهرانی در ستارخان تجمع کرده و شعار مرگ بر خامنه‌ای ضحاک سر دادند. جمعه ۲۹ اردیبهشت#خانه_اصفهان #شهروندخبرنگار #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/FJ2jqwDwdM

— ایران وایر (@iranwire) May 19, 2023

The European Union also denounced the executions “in the strongest possible terms,” and they called “once again on the Iranian authorities to immediately end the strongly condemnable practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters.”

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), more than 220 people were executed by the Islamic Republic in 2023 alone. More than 582 people were also sentenced to death in 2022, the highest number since 2015, exceeding 333 executions recorded in 2021.

A homeless man in St. Paul, Minnesota, was arrested on May 17th for setting a mosque on fire. He told authorities he burned the building to protest homelessness.

Ya Allah. This is the fourth arson attack on our community in less than a month. My thoughts are with the Muslim community in St. Paul and the whole Twin Cities metro. We are stronger than fear. We will not be terrorized. https://t.co/UgxPc6tYsX

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 17, 2023

42-year-old Said Murekezi is charged with second-degree arson and second-degree burglary of a religious building for burning and breaking into the Oromo American Tawhid Islamic Center. He’s also facing fifth-degree drug possession charges, as authorities found methamphetamine on him when he was arrested.

Found footage allegedly showed Murekezi on the morning of May 17th enter the mosque through a broken window. After ten minutes, he emerged from the building’s east side, and smoke was seen coming from the mosque. Investigators used facial recognition technology to match the found footage to Murekezi.

The arson was the sixth attack against a mosque in Minnesota this year alone. These acts of arson and vandalism prompted Muslim leaders and government officials to call for unity with the Muslim community.

Minnesota Muslims "on edge" after sixth incident of vandalism, now an arson targeting a St. Paul mosque. https://t.co/fgGw2zr5oL

— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) May 18, 2023

Although people initially thought the arson at the Tawhid Islamic Center, which was last used as a mosque in 2021 and is now used as an office space, was an anti-Muslim attack, documents revealed that Murekezi was a Muslim and that he burned the religious building because he was upset that Muslims and other Americans slept out in the cold without being helped by the government or the Islamic center.

Murekezi also told authorities that he was glad he was arrested because if he weren’t caught, he would “torch another one” or a "church." Documents also revealed he stayed in the mosque overnight and looked for things to burn.

A Muslim man was the arsonist. pic.twitter.com/G7rinh888X

— GayPatriot (@GayPatriot) May 21, 2023

But this wouldn’t be the first time Murekezi would face charges for arson and burglary. In 2020, he was arrested in connection to a fire that broke out at a residential unit at Dorothy Day Place. He also faced complaints for breaking the windows of an Islamic community center in Minnetonka last 2021 and again at a Catholic church in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Murekezi had undergone several mental health evaluations and had no listed home address. He was also in custody at the Hennepin County Jail from April 28th to May 15th. He was on probation for first-degree criminal damage to property. Court documents currently don’t list an attorney for his case.

An Arizona representative, who is also a minister, is under investigation by the state’s House of Representatives for staging a prank involving the Bible.

State Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, a Democrat and a Presbyterian Minister, is facing an ethics complaint for her playful prank, where camera footage saw her hiding Bibles from her fellow representatives in unusual places, like under the table or inside a refrigerator.

Arizona lawmaker caught stealing Bibles from statehouse's members-only lounge. https://t.co/bPwa3Rt2Hu pic.twitter.com/PqQZpZEAo9

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 26, 2023

The Republican leadership in Arizona’s House of Representatives caught wind of Hamilton’s stunts, so they installed hidden cameras in the building to catch who was doing the prank. When Hamilton was seen hiding her colleagues’ Bibles, not everyone in the House was amused with her antics.

In fact, three Republican representatives, Justin Heap, David Marshall, and Lupe Diaz, filed an ethics complaint against Hamilton. They accused her of theft, disorderly conduct under House rules, and creating a hostile work environment, violating state and federal laws that protect workers from religious discrimination.

"We, and other members of the Arizona House who cherish our faith and hold the Bible in reverence, do not see Representative Stahl Hamilton's disrespect of scripture as playful in any regard," the complaint said.

Because the House of Representatives is not a judicial court, an ethics complaint cannot file criminal charges against anyone. However, the inquiry can lead to a vote within the legislature, resulting in Hamilton’s censure or expulsion.

"Something of this magnitude that's made national news, I think it's only wise to allow the person that has the claim held against him to come and speak about it," Joseph Chaplik, a Republican state representative who also heads the House’s Ethics Committee, said regarding the prank. "Due process, let them talk and understand what happened and let's figure out if this is a valid or invalid claim against them."

Three lawmakers filed a complaint Monday that Tucson Democrat Stephanie Stahl Hamilton violated House ethics rules by her admitted action of hiding Bibles. https://t.co/udCWCGkN7m

— Arizona Daily Star (@TucsonStar) May 2, 2023

While Republicans and Hamilton’s own pastor, who described the prank as “ill-advised,” did not find the joke funny, others understood her intention behind the playful act. The Democrat representative said her prank was a commentary on the separation of church and state and the weaponization of politics in Arizona and elsewhere in the US.

"I don't necessarily agree with putting a Bible in a refrigerator," Rev. Katie Sexton-Wood, head of the interfaith Arizona Faith Network, said, adding that she appreciates the point Hamilton is trying to make.

Others saw the complaint as political revenge against her, who filed an ethics complaint last March against a Republican state representative for spreading baseless election conspiracy theories against other elected officials.

"This should not be about political retribution, and I'm worried with what I'm seeing so far," Representative Andrés Cano, House Minority Leader, told PBS regarding the inquiry against Hamilton.

Hamilton apologized for the prank during a speech, saying that she never meant to desecrate the Bible or offend anyone and adding that the conversation regarding the separation of church and state should have begun as an actual conversation instead of a prank.

"I recognize that my actions could have been seen as something less than playful and offensive," Stahl Hamilton said. "And for those of you who I have deeply offended, I apologize."

• Drag Queen Nuns Disinvited from Baseball Event After Catholic Backlash

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/drag-queen-nuns-disinvited-baseball-event-after-catholic-backlash

Location: United States

The baseball field is no stranger to curveballs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers just threw one that's ignited a heated debate. Buckling under pressure from Catholic and conservative groups, the Dodgers abruptly disinvited the colorful drag queen charitable organization known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from their upcoming annual LGBT Pride Night. The Sisters, infamous for their satire of the Catholic Church, yet applauded for their vast community service, were initially lauded as honorees. Critics like Senator Marco Rubio and Catholic League President Bill Donohue spurred the Dodgers' stunning about-face with accusations of “anti-Catholic bigotry.” However, the LGBT community has reacted in response with LA LGBT Center and ACLU of Southern California threatening to boycott the pride event unless the Dodgers re-invite the Sisters back to the lineup.

• 6 Ex-Muslim Christians Face Death Penalty for Conversion in Libya

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/6-ex-muslim-christians-face-death-penalty-conversion-libya

Location: Libya

According to human rights activists, six Libyans were arrested in March for converting to Christianity and engaging in proselytization. The detained individuals, including members of the Amazigh minority group, were accused of violating laws that are increasingly used to suppress human rights organizations and civil societies. The Libyan Christians were charged under Article 207 of the Penal Code, which prohibits the dissemination of views that challenge fundamental constitutional principles or the social order. The Internal Security Agency (ISA) claimed that the arrests were aimed at dismantling an organized group seeking to persuade people to abandon Islam. The ISA shared videos of confessions online, prompting families to be informed of their loved ones' detention. Activists have raised concerns about the targeting of civil society members and international organizations using Article 207. The situation has led many human rights activists to leave Libya, while those who remain work covertly for their safety.

• Islamic Leader Claims Mossad Used Prostitute to Kill Historic Imam

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/islamic-leader-claims-mossad-used-prostitute-kill-historic-imam

Location: Iraq

In a startling assertion, radical Iraqi Shia leader, Qais Al-Khazali, publically charged that the "Israeli-Jewish intelligence agency" utilized a woman, Qatam, to orchestrate the assassination of Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam, in the 7th century. Al-Khazali alleged, "It is either through money or through women. Right? In this case, it was a woman. There is no doubt that she worked for the Israeli Mossad back then, and through her, they recruited [Imam Ali's killer]." He also accused the Jews of being responsible for the deaths of Imam Ali's sons, Hussein ibn Ali and Hasan ibn Ali. Further, he provocatively stated that "The Umayyads were mere collaborators with the Jews," insinuating that the Jews collaborated with the Umayyad dynasty and used women to carry out the assassinations.

• The Doomsday Cult Mother Convicted of Triple Murder

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/doomsday-cult-mother-convicted-triple-murder

Location: United States

In a chilling verdict that brings closure to a gruesome saga steeped in doomsday prophecies and deadly fanaticism, a mother from Idaho, Lori Vallow Daybell, has been convicted for the shocking murders of her two children and her husband's previous wife.

Daybell, a seemingly ordinary woman, underwent a disturbing transformation following her "instant connection" with Chad Daybell, an author of Mormon-based doomsday fiction, after they met in 2018. Their bond deepened as they started a religious podcast together and led rituals, even claiming they had been married in past lives.

Daybell's beliefs spiraled into darkness when she started branding her own children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as "zombies" – individuals allegedly possessed by evil spirits. In 2019, her then-husband, Charles Vallow, alerted authorities about Lori's alarming claims of being a "goddess" tasked with precipitating the biblical apocalypse. His concerns fell on deaf ears, leading to his murder in July 2019 at the hands of Lori's brother, Alex Cox. In a horrifying twist, Tylee and JJ mysteriously disappeared just a month after Charles' death. Their whereabouts remained an mystery until June 2020, when their remains were discovered in Chad's backyard.

The unexpected death of Chad's wife in October 2019 added another layer of morbidity to the saga, with Chad marrying Lori only two weeks later. Her death was later ruled a murder. Lori was found guilty on all counts related to the disappearance and murder of her children on May 13th and awaits sentencing. Now known as the "doomsday mom", Lori also awaits trial for her alleged involvement in the murder of her fourth husband in Arizona.

• Tragic Attack on Tunisian Synagogue: 3 Dead, 10 Injured

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/tragic-attack-tunisian-synagogue-3-dead-10-injured

Location: Tunisia

In a chilling assault that has stunned Tunisia and the world, the annual Jewish pilgrimage at the historic Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba was tragically disrupted on May 9th. An armed onslaught by Wissam Khazri, a national guardsman, claimed five lives, including his colleague, two civilians and three servicemen, and left dozens injured in its wake. The drama unfolded rapidly, with Khazri neutralized by security forces within a mere two minutes of his arrival at the complex. The motive behind this heart-wrenching assault remains a mystery, as Tunisian authorities piece together the events leading up to the attack. Tunisian President Kais Saied convened an interfaith gathering after the attack, standing in solidarity with the Jewish community and vowing to ensure their safety. With investigations unfolding rapidly, four suspects have already been apprehended. The repercussions of this attack reverberate not only within Tunisia's tourism industry, but also its vibrant Jewish community, leaving a nation in shock and a world watching closely.

• New Report Reveals the Declining Role of Religion in American Society

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/new-report-reveals-declining-role-religion-american-society

Location: United States

A new report by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows that fewer Americans consider religion important in their lives compared to a decade ago, indicating significant changes in the religious landscape of the United States. The study, titled "Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social and Political Upheaval," surveyed 6,600 adults across all 50 states. The findings reveal that only 16% of Americans now view religion as the most important thing in their lives, down from 20% in 2013. Additionally, only 36% of Americans see religion as one of many important aspects of their life, compared to 43% a decade ago. Meanwhile, the proportion of religiously unaffiliated Americans has grown from 16% in 2006 to 27%. However, Christianity remains the dominant religious affiliation, with Christians of color accounting for 25% of the population. The report also highlights the increasing involvement of churches in political and social issues, with a majority of churchgoers believing that congregations should provide perspectives on pressing social issues.

• Iran's Hijab Rule: No Veil, No Vehicle

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/irans-hijab-rule-no-veil-no-vehicle

Location: Iran

Iran has introduced a new rule requiring female drivers and passengers to wear hijabs while inside vehicles or face impoundment, despite widespread opposition to the country's mandatory hijab laws. The state-owned Fars News Agency released a video explaining the new directive, which is in line with Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code and new directives from the Interior Ministry and the Judiciary. According to the video, if a female passenger or driver is caught violating the rule for the first time, a warning will be sent to the vehicle's owner. Repeat offenses will result in a 15-day impoundment of the vehicle, and subsequent offenses will lead to indefinite impoundment. The strict enforcement of hijab laws has had a negative impact on Iran's economy, leading to the closure of thousands of businesses and unemployment for many Iranians.

• Clergy Sexual Abuse: French Catholic Church's New Digital ID Strategy

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/clergy-sexual-abuse-french-catholic-churchs-new-digital-id-strategy

Location: France

The Catholic Church in France has introduced digital ID cards with QR codes for members of the clergy to address the issue of sexual abuse within the institution. The French Bishop's Conference announced the implementation of these cards, which are the size of a bank card and contain background information about the holder. By scanning the QR code, anyone can access information about a clergy member, including their status for performing sermons or hearing confessions. Green indicates no restrictions, orange indicates some limitations, and red signifies the revocation of clerical status. The move comes in response to a 2021 report by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church (CIASE) and criticism from victims who highlighted the problem of gyrovagues—suspended priests who continue to perform religious duties. Previously, clergy members used paper documents called "celebret" to certify their profession, but the French Catholic Church opted for digital IDs due to concerns about forgery and difficulty in updating the old system. While some victims' groups are skeptical of the effectiveness of the ID cards, the Church sees it as one of several measures to combat sexual abuse, alongside training priests and supporting victims.

• How Important Is Religion to Urban Indians? New Survey Offers Answers

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/how-important-religion-urban-indians-new-survey-offers-answers

Location: India

According to a recent survey by Ipsos, 8 out of 10 urban Indians believe in God and embrace different faiths. The survey, titled "Global Religion 2023; Religious Beliefs Around the World," was conducted in 26 countries, including India, and involved interviews with over 19,000 adults aged 18 and above. In India, 86% of urban respondents believe that religious practices are crucial for leading a moral life, and 83% feel that religion helps them overcome life's challenges. Furthermore, 8 out of 10 urban Indians think that religious individuals are happier, and 86% believe that religion defines their identity. However, 73% of surveyed Indians feel that religion does more harm than good, surpassing the global average of 47%. Despite the rise of religiously unaffiliated individuals in countries like the United States, 99% of Indians identified with a religion, with only 1% being unaffiliated. Unfortunately, the survey also highlighted that 73% of urban Indians lose respect for those who do not believe in a religion or God. 

• Reading Letters From Our Haters!

The Atheist Republic news team recently reviewed an amusing batch of hate mail that had arrived at their doorstep! The news team, Armin & Susanna, found themselves confronted with a tapestry of bizarre claims and questionable arguments. From references to giants and underwater caves to peculiar connections between pizza parties and the existence of God, the hatemail takes many twists and turns. Given the new "evidence" for God encountered in this hatemail, it might just mean the end of Atheist Republic! Make sure to tune in to discover how truly bizzare this hate mail is!