- Bigoted Israeli Rabbi Calls Deadly Turkey-Syria Earthquake “Divine Justice"
Location: Israel
Recently, Shmuel Eliyahu, a member of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council, stirred controversy by describing the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria as “divine justice.” He expressed his views in an article for the Olam Katan, a conservative, religious, and right-wing weekly newsletter. In his Friday column, Eliyahu claimed that God punished the countries affected by the earthquake for allegedly mistreating the Jewish people, even comparing the quake to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea in the biblical story of the Exodus. “There is no doubt that those who would have seen the Egyptians drowning in the sea and who did not remember the whole event from beginning to end would have been filled with great pity for them and would have tried to save them from drowning,” Eliyahu said in his op-ed. “But the Israelites sang songs because they knew the Egyptians and understood that these drowners wanted to kill some of them and to continue to enslave the rest. They sang songs because they understood that there was divine justice here intended to punish the Egyptians, who had drowned the children of the people of Israel in the Nile so that all the wicked in the world would see and be afraid,” he added. Israeli religious leaders reacted in horror and outrage at his offensive comments regarding the tragedy.
- Three Men Sentenced to Hand Amputation for Theft in Sudan
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/three-men-sentenced-hand-amputation-theft-sudan
Location: Sudan
Three men in Sudan were recently sentenced to hand amputation for stealing, making it the first time such punishment was handed down in almost a decade. The men were accused of stealing gas cylinders in Sudan’s most populous city, Omdurman. They were also given a three-year prison sentence for mischief and a two million Sudanese pound fine as compensation. Their sentence would be carried out at an unspecified date at Koper Prison. The sentencing worries many, fearing that the ruling is a sign of Sudan sliding back into fundamentalism more than a year after a military coup halted the country’s transition to democracy. Sudan signed the United Nations Convention to stop torture and other forms of inhumane punishment in August 2021. The move should have led the country’s criminal code to be amended to better align with international human rights laws. The African Center for Justice and Peace Studies released a statement condemning the verdict and accusing the Sudanese government of not giving the three men a free and fair trial.
- Indian Rationalist Exposes Superstitious Godman As Fraud
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/indian-rationalist-exposes-superstitious-godman-fraud
Location: India
Recently, Shyam Manav, an Indian rationalist from the state of Maharashtra, exposed a religious “godman” who claimed he could perform miracles in front of the public with a challenge the priest couldn’t take on. He challenged Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who is famous for his televised massive public events, where he claimed he could “exorcize” spirits, heal sicknesses, read minds, and perform other “miracles.” Manav challenged Shastri, in a live event in the city of Nagpur, to prove his supernatural abilities by guessing ten people's names, contact numbers, and other personal details, just like he usually did at his performances, however this time Manav would pick the names. Manav would pay him 30 lakh Indian rupees, equivalent to more than 54,000 USD if Shashtri was able to prove his powers. But Shastri did not accept the challenge, and thus he cut his eight-day program short before leaving the state altogether. Born to a conservative Hindu family, Manav recalled believing in many superstitions and gurus himself until he went to college and met many people who introduced him to rationalism. Since then, Manav founded an influential anti-superstition organization that challenges godmen who claim to have powers and fights other dangerous forms of thinking. Manav has even been involved in implementing the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act of 2013, an important law used to prevent superstitious abuse.
- Badass Iranian Woman Goes Viral Throwing Off Hijab, Regime Bites Back
Location: Iran
The Iranian regime is prosecuting Zeinab Kazempour, a female engineer, for "disrespecting" her headscarf. She was seen removing her hijab and throwing it on the ground as she stood on stage in front of her colleagues and walked out of a meeting to elect new board members of the Iran Construction Engineers Organization. A video of this incident went viral online. According to a Twitter post showing the video, Zeinab threw away her headscarf to protest the decision to block her from being elected to the board for her "improper" hijab. Zeinab is now being prosecuted for this act of defiance, which is connected to ongoing mass demonstrations challenging the regime. However, Iranian state news agency Tasnim denies the report that Zeinab was not elected. They stated, "It was falsely claimed that this individual was disqualified (from the branch election) for not wearing the headscarf."
- Iran & China Urge Taliban to Lift Restrictions on Women
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/iran-china-urge-afghanistan-lift-restrictions-women
Location: Afghanistan
On February 16th, China and Iran issued a call to end restrictions on Afghan women’s rights to education and work. In a joint statement that came at the end of a visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, China and Iran condemned the discriminatory measures against women, as well as ethnic minorities. During his visit, the two allied countries reaffirmed their close political and economic ties and their rejection of the West’s interpretation of human rights and democracy. The statement said, “The two sides ... called on the Afghan rulers to form an inclusive government in which all ethnic groups and political groups actually participate, and cancel all discriminatory measures against women, ethnic minorities and other religions.” The statement also suggested that the US and its allies “should be responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan." China and Iran’s joint statement is notable coming from Iran’s fundamentalist theocratic regime, which had been challenged by months of protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, as well as from China’s communist regime, which had been criticized for its treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority along with its harsh implementation of the zero-COVID policy.
- Taliban Bans Contraception, Citing "Western Conspiracy to Control Muslims"
Location: Afghanistan
Recently, the Taliban stopped the distribution of contraceptives in two of Afghanistan’s major cities, claiming that their use by women is part of a “conspiracy” by Western countries to control the Muslim population. According to the Guardian, Taliban fighters are going door to door, demanding pharmacies to stop selling birth control and even threatening midwives. The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health hasn’t issued any official statement on the ban yet. Many activists criticized the move and have called on the Taliban to follow international agreements which allow universal access to sexual and reproductive health care. Ustad Faridoon, a Taliban official based in Kandahar, stated that contraceptives are occasionally necessary for a mother’s health, and he said he doesn’t support a total ban.
- Bahrain Puts Muslims on Trial for "Questioning Islam"
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/bahrain-puts-muslims-trial-questioning-islam
Location: Bahrain
Three members of Tajdeed, a Shia cultural and religious organization in Bahrain, are to be put on trial for allegedly questioning the foundations of Islam, a move that is further deepening divisions between the country’s Shia majority and its ruling Sunni royal family. Two of the accused persons were identified as Reda Rajab, the organization’s president, and Jalal al-Qassab, a researcher for the association. The organization uploaded a series of videos on YouTube that have angered several prominent Shia clerics in the Shia-majority country. The videos were considered as an attack on Islam and called on believers to ostracize them. Tajdeed responded, via a statement, that the organization doesn’t question the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Instead, they claim to challenge the opinions of scholars who came after the Prophet Muhammad, including modern-day clerics. "Al-Tajdeed Society will plead to reject the charges against it because it is a charge based on a misunderstanding as a result of a campaign of truncating and distorting the content it broadcasts, which aims, in particular, to sanctify the book of God from invalidation and criticize the illogical interpretations that have been added to it.” the statement read. Bahrain was previously rocked by massive pro-democracy demonstrations led by the Shia majority against the country’s Sunni monarchy during the Arab Spring protests in 2011. With the help of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Bahraini authorities suppressed the protests with force, although low-level unrest still remains.
- Christian Backlash Against Transgender Characters in "The Sims" Game
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/christian-backlash-against-transgender-characters-sims-game
Location: USA
In the latest version of the video game The Sims, created by Electronic Arts, players can include top surgery scars in their characters and let them wear chest binders, shapewear, and medical wearables. LGBT fans rejoiced at this news since the new features would allow them to play the game based on their life experiences. American Family Association (AFA), a Christian fundamentalist and anti-LGBT group, released a statement condemning the Sims game. According to the organization’s executive vice president, Ed Vitagliano, gender-affirmation surgery is a “new expression of ancient paganism in its everlasting war against absolute truth and decency.” Vitagliano aired his concerns and added: “We continue to warn parents that our culture is not a place of moral neutrality… The false prophets of sexual anarchy and gender confusion are modern-day manifestations of Ahab and Jezebel –– determined to lead the nation in rebellion against God and His word… the Bible says we should choose this day whom we will serve. For the sake of our very souls, we should be resolute in our faithfulness to Jesus Christ.” This is not the first time the AFA took issue with anything related to the LGBT community in the entertainment industry, saying that Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s performance at the 2023 Grammy’s brought “debauchery and Satanic worship” to the world.
- Ex-Muslims Launch WikiIslam in Arabic!
https://exmuslims.org/press-release/wikiislam-now-available-in-arabic/
Location: Global
Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) has launched an Arabic WikiIslam, an online encyclopedia dedicated to providing critical and objective information on Islamic beliefs, customs, and history. The website aims to counterbalance religious and apologetic sources of information and provide free thinkers and skeptics in the Arabic-speaking world with the tools they need to argue in favor of science, rationalism, and naturalism. WikiIslam has been an important resource in irreligious circles online and contains articles on various Islamic topics. EXMNA has focused its initial translation efforts on the most significant articles for the Arabic-speaking audience. The work of revamping WikiIslam is ongoing, and both the English and Arabic sites can be accessed online.
- Armin Navabi’s Glorious Return to Twitter!
https://twitter.com/ArminNavabi
Great news! The founder of Atheist Republic, Armin Navabi, has returned to Twitter after being suspended for roughly two years due to mass false reporting by angered Hindu nationalists. He was incorrectly suspended from the platform and has now been freed from "Twitter jail." Armin has already started releasing short educational videos on his account about religion and other interesting topics, such as Islamic reform. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter @ArminNavabi!
