• America’s Biggest Race-Baiter Converts to Islam

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/america-s-biggest-race-baiter-converts-islam

Location: United States 

Controversial activist Shaun King, once a prominent Christian pastor in the Black Lives Matter movement, has sparked fresh outrage by converting to Islam alongside his wife, citing Gaza's "faith and devotion" amid Israel's deadly military offensive as inspiration - even as the move renews long-standing scrutiny around King's opaque finances and a trail of abandoned initiatives. Videos showing King reciting the Muslim shahada at a Texas mosque went viral, but his conversion follows years of allegations he mishandles fundraising, from the millions raised for his Grassroots Law Project after George Floyd's murder (with claims of excessive self-compensation) to his clothing line labeled a "scam" over unfulfilled orders. Though rebuffing such claims, King has repeatedly drawn skepticism over lucrative racial justice ventures that fizzled like his failed relaunch of Frederick Douglass' newspaper. His newest controversy - embracing Islam while voicing strident support for Palestinians after over 30,000 were killed, then promptly announcing a paid "Uncensored Iftar" tour - has rekindled accusations King exploits causes for profit and inflamed critics already questioning his motives, transparency and even his biracial identity.

• Great Britistan? Anger as Train Board Hijacked to Preach Islam

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/great-britistan-anger-train-board-hijacked-preach-islam

Location: United Kingdom

A religious controversy exploded in London when Network Rail, Britain's state-owned rail firm, provoked anger by displaying a hadith quote from the Prophet Muhammad calling "sinners" to repent prominently on a main departure board at the busy King's Cross Station on March 19th, the 9th day of Ramadan. The Islamic scripture stating "All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of the sinners are those who repent often" was shown alongside the Muslim prayer times for fajr and maghrib, catching passengers off guard and sparking backlash across social media. While the Islam Channel praised "the beauty of Ramadan in unexpected places", secular groups like Humanists UK condemned the overtly religious message to a captive audience as "inappropriate and profoundly misjudged", arguing public spaces should remain neutral and demanding the transport secretary investigate. Though Network Rail defended marking religious festivals like Christmas and Diwali to celebrate its workforce's diversity, it admitted the hadith quote "shouldn't have been shown" on the main board, removed it, and pledged to use "general Ramadan celebratory messages" instead after its mistaken prominent display exposed tensions around religious expression in public spaces.

• Anti-Blasphemy Radicals Gaining Alarming Power in the UK

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/anti-blasphemy-radicals-gaining-alarming-power-uk

Location: United Kingdom

A chilling report from the UK government's Commission for Countering Extremism has raised urgent alarms about the alarming rise of "anti-blasphemy activism" rapidly gaining momentum and becoming "increasingly radicalized" in Britain. The explosive review, titled "Understanding and Responding to Blasphemy Extremism in the UK," found responses to perceived blasphemous acts are "more organized than ever" and being actively promoted by some charities with concerning links to "violent anti-blasphemy extremists" in Pakistan like the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) group. It identified a "new generation" of activists working to "make blasphemy a key issue" for British Muslims, highlighting recent "flashpoints" like death threats against a student over a damaged Quran. The report also flagged sectarian rhetoric and violence targeting the Ahmadi Muslim minority as a major part of this extremism. Among its recommendations, it called for reviewing the charitable status of linked organizations after a 2019 probe into pamphlets calling to "kill Ahmadis" at one charity mosque and advised designating anti-blasphemy activism as a specific form of extremism to potentially ban associated groups. The findings prompted urgent warnings, with the National Secular Society stressing "vigilance" is needed to uphold the "fundamental rights" to criticize all beliefs as "non-negotiable" and ensure "new blasphemy codes" aren't enforced "by intimidation or violence" amid this "disturbing rise."

• Shocking Video Reveals Teen Who Stabbed Jewish Man Is ISIS 'Soldier'

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/shocking-video-reveals-teen-who-stabbed-jewish-man-isis-soldier

Location: Switzerland 

In a shocking incident that has rocked Switzerland, a teenager was arrested after stabbing and critically wounding an Orthodox Jewish man in Zurich on the evening of March 2nd. Authorities have revealed chilling evidence that the suspect, a 15-year-old Swiss national, appeared in a video expressing solidarity with the Islamic State group and even calling himself a "soldier of the caliphate." According to Mario Fehr, the city's cantonal police security chief, the disturbing footage shows the teen referring to the stabbing attack in Arabic and calling for a "battle against the Jews" - leading Fehr to denounce it as a "terrorist" and "antisemitic" act. While the 50-year-old victim's life is no longer in danger, the incident has sent shockwaves through Switzerland, which was largely spared from the ISIS-inspired terror that rocked other Western nations in the mid-2010s. As authorities investigate whether the suspect acted alone or as part of a group, the brutal stabbing has stoked fears and drawn condemnation from Jewish community leaders amid a surging wave of global antisemitism following last year's deadly Hamas conflict with Israel.

• You Won't Believe What Qatar Did to This Gay British Airline Worker

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/you-wont-believe-what-qatar-did-gay-british-airline-worker

Location: Qatar

In a shocking case that sparked international outrage, a 44-year-old British man was imprisoned in Qatar after authorities used a fake dating app profile to entrap and arrest him due to his sexuality - before being granted provisional release last week. Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a dual British and Mexican citizen who worked as a manager for British Airways, responded to a fabricated Grindr message in February that turned out to be a trap set by Qatari police. His brother Enrique alleged that Manuel was then denied access to HIV medication, legal representation, and had drugs planted on him - actions human rights groups decried as "cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment." The disturbing case galvanized a "#QatarFreeManuel" campaign demanding his freedom, as both the Mexican embassy and UK Foreign Office provided consular assistance. While now temporarily released, Manuel's ordeal exposes the perilous risks LGBTQ individuals face in the conservative Gulf nation, where homosexuality remains criminalized, raising alarms over Qatar's treatment of the community after hosting the 2022 World Cup.

• We Interviewed One of the Islamic Republic’s Top Propagandists

https://www.youtube.com/live/2x07RZbaeQU?si=4OoAYAq_ybgKIllc

Location: Iran 

This week, we had a groundbreaking development. Our founder, Armin Navabi, conducted an exclusive interview with Mehdi Nasiri, a former Iranian regime insider and the ex-editor of the conservative newspaper and mouthpiece of the regime, Kayhan Daily. Despite his background as an Islamic cleric and a propagandist for the regime, Nasiri has caused shockwaves in Iranian media by openly criticizing the Islamic Republic, exposing its covert activities in Gaza, and directly challenging the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. In this riveting one-on-one interview, Armin confronted Nasiri about his involvement with the government and broached controversial topics, including free speech and Quran burning. The interview has already made waves in the Iranian sphere. If you understand Persian, this is a must-watch video that delves into the inner workings of the Iranian regime and its dissenters. Don't miss this rare opportunity to gain insights from an insider-turned-critic: https://www.youtube.com/live/2x07RZbaeQU?si=4OoAYAq_ybgKIllc

• The ISIS Attack on Moscow Made Antisemites Even Dumber

In this week's explosive edition of "Suzie Rants," brace yourselves as our firebrand CEO Susanna McIntyre unleashes her fury on the staggeringly ignorant reactions to the recent ISIS attack on Moscow. With razor-sharp wit and uncompromising candor, she dismantles the absurd claims and conspiracy theories circulating online – from those delusional souls denying ISIS's involvement despite the terrorist group's own claim of responsibility, to the deranged voices falsely asserting that ISIS is a front for Israel, an outrageous claim considering Israel has been a frequent target of the group's heinous attacks. Susanna's rant is a takedown of the willful ignorance and misinformation that often follows such tragic events, leaving you equal parts entertained and enlightened as she challenges assumptions, shatters preconceptions and reshapes your understanding of the world. Make sure to tune it!