- Dalai Lama Faces Backlash Over Video Asking Child to ‘Suck’ His Tongue
Location: India
The Dalai Lama sparked controversy after a video of him kissing a boy and asking him to "suck my tongue" at an event in Northern India went viral. The event was organized last February by the M3M Foundation in the hillside city of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lives in permanent exile. The viral video showed the young Indian boy approaching the 87-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner before asking if he could hug him. The Dalai Lama invited the boy to the stage, pointed to his cheek, and said, "First here," prompting him to hug and kiss him. Afterward, he pointed to his lips and said, "Then I think finally here also," to the boy before pulling his chin and kissing him on the mouth. "And suck my tongue," The Dalai Lama said after a few seconds, poking his tongue out. The religious leader issued an apology through a statement in which he "wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused," adding that he "regrets" what he did. Some of the Dalai Lama's supporters spoke against the criticism, claiming they were misinterpreted under a "Western lens." In Tibet, culturally, showing one's tongue is considered an act of respecting and greeting people. Namdol Lhagyari, a Tibetan activist in exile, tweeted, "Bringing in the narrative of other cultures, customs and social influence on gender and sexuality to interpret Tibetan way of expression is heinous."
- Georgia Becomes First US State to Officially Condemn "Hinduphobia"
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/georgia-becomes-first-us-state-officially-condemn-hinduphobia
Location: Georgia
Recently, Georgia made history as the first state in the US to take a legislative measure condemning "Hinduphobia." Republican state representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones passed the resolution in the House of Representatives. The resolution comes as other places in the United States, such as Seattle, Washington, made history by passing laws banning caste-based discrimination. The resolution recognized the many contributions made by the Hindu and Indian-American community to the United States in various fields. It was noted that the Indian-American and Hindu communities helped enrich America's social fabric, like ayurveda, yoga, food, arts, music, and meditation, which improved the lives of millions of Americans that adopted them. The resolution discussed the documented bigotry and hate crimes against Hindu Americans and accused certain sectors in academia of exacerbating "Hinduphobia" for allegedly accusing its religious texts and cultural practices of violence and oppression. Shobha Swamy, general secretary of the Coalition of Hindus of North America, said, "We urged for their help in combating such bigotry which advances hatred and creates the idea that Hindus and people of Indian origin need special laws and monitoring due to allegations around some inherent propensity to discriminate."
- US Professor Investigated for Showing Prophet Muhammad Drawing
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/us-professor-investigated-showing-prophet-muhammad-drawing
Location: US
The clash between academic freedom and religious sensitivity has taken center stage yet again, and this time, San Francisco State University is under fire. Recently, a controversy erupted after allegations that the university was planning to investigate Dr. Maziar Behrooz, an associate professor of history, for showing an image of the Prophet Muhammad while teaching Islamic history. The incident occurred during Professor Behrooz's Fall 2022 class, when a devout Muslim student objected vehemently to the drawing of the Prophet Muhammad that was shown in class. Despite the professor's efforts to explain that the view of the student was not universal among all Muslims, the matter escalated quickly, and the student complained to the university's history department chair as well as other higher authorities at SFSU. The fallout from the incident has been significant, with the university's Office of Equity Programs & Compliance informing Professor Behrooz of an investigation in March 2023. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has come out strongly against SFSU's actions, condemning the university for its handling of the situation.
- 14 Accused of Terrorism in Trial Over French Teacher's Beheading
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/14-accused-terrorism-trial-over-french-teachers-beheading
Location: France
The tragic beheading of Samuel Paty, a French secondary school teacher, sent shockwaves throughout France and the rest of the world. Paty was brutally murdered by an extremist in October 2020 for showing a drawing of Prophet Mohammad published in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. While the murder suspect, a Chechen refugee named Abdoullakh Anzorov, was shot on the scene by French authorities, the case is far from closed. French prosecutors are now seeking to convict 14 suspects related to the beheading, including Anzorov's friends Azim E. and Naim B., who are accused of helping him by accompanying him in buying a knife and driving him to the school. The national terror crime prosecutor's office has recommended charging six adults and six children for alleged offenses connected to the killing of Paty. As the trial continues, all eyes are on France as it seeks to bring justice to the victim and his family, and to send a message to extremists everywhere that such heinous acts will not be tolerated.
- Filipinos Nailed to Crosses for Easter Crucifixion Reenactment
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/filipinos-nailed-crosses-easter-crucifix-reenactment
Location: Philippines
Every year, on Good Friday, something truly extraordinary happens in the Philippines. Some Filipinos, as part of their repentance and show of faith, choose to re-enact the life and suffering of Jesus Christ by being nailed to the cross themselves. This tradition has been a source of controversy for many years, with the Catholic Church in the Philippines disapproving of the practice, and yet it still remains a deeply ingrained part of the country's religious culture. This year's Good Friday saw dozens of villagers in the farming town of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga registering to participate in real-life crucifixions, but only eight men showed up. Among them was Ruben Enaje, a 62-year-old sign painter who had already been crucified 34 times. Some repentants show their faith and repentance by beating themselves with sharp bamboo sticks and wood to atone for their sins, pray for healing, and give thanks for a better life during this holy week. Despite the Catholic Church's disapproval of these bloody practices, the spectacle in San Pedro Cutud draws as many as 15,000 tourists from all over the world.
- UK Man Jailed for Casteist Slurs in Social Media Post
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/uk-man-jailed-casteist-slurs-social-media-post
Location: UK
Recently, Amrik Singh Bajwa, was arrested in the UK for posting casteist slurs on social media, making it the first time someone was convicted for caste-based discrimination in Britain. After an investigation, the Thames Valley Police accused Amrik of violating Sections 127(1)(a) and (3) of the UK’s Communications Act of 2003 for sending offensive and obscene messages online. The allegations stem from a Tiktok video that Amrik posted in July 2022. In the clip, he hurled slurs, sexual abuse, obscenities, and even threats of rape against the Dalit Sikh community and the Chamaar and Choohra Dalit communities. He also praised the upper caste Hindu community, Jat, for sexually abusing Dalit women in India as a source of pride. A spokesperson for Caste Watch UK also said, “His criminal conviction will send a strong message that such caste hate speech and abuse will not be tolerated in Britain.” OP India, an online news outlet, argued that Bajwa was actually a Jat Sikh and accused news site Maktoob Media of “fanning Hinduphobia” in the West.
- The Taliban Returns to Atrocities: Public Executions & Torture
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/taliban-returns-atrocities-public-executions-torture
Location: Afghanistan
In a shocking display of brutality, the Taliban in Afghanistan has resorted to using a full-length hijab, traditionally worn by women, to publicly humiliate two men accused of petty theft. The men were forced to stand on a platform, dressed in the chador, for all to see, as a form of punishment. This appalling act is seen as an attempt to degrade the men and portray them as women, therefore weak and spineless. This incident is just one example of the Taliban's growing suppression of human rights since seizing power over a year ago. The regime has resorted to brutal executions and public punishments to instill fear in the population. They have implemented measures to limit women's roles in public life, such as banning them from gyms, schools, and even seeing doctors. Afghan Witness documented at least 36 cases of public punishments carried out upon orders by Taliban courts between October 2022 and March 2023, with an estimated number of more than 300 victims.
- Worrying Report Claims 400K Involved in Blasphemy Cases In Pakistan
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/worrying-report-claims-400k-involved-blasphemy-cases-pakistan
Location: Pakistan
In a press conference in Pakistan, Rao Abdul Rahim, a lawyer and the chairman of the Legal Commission on Blasphemy, claimed that more than 400,000 people were allegedly involved in “blasphemous” activities. The information is based on a report submitted to the Lahore High Court by the Cybercrime Wing of the country’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Rahim cited an incident where FIA agents arrested four people in 2022 for blasphemy charges. The investigation revealed that the four suspects organized a “blasphemy” group in 2019, which quickly grew to 32,000 members upon their arrest. Rahim said that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) should use modern technology to inform the FIA about the blasphemers so they could be arrested and convicted. Rahim also claimed that his organization helped the Pakistani government arrest 119 people accused of “blasphemous” activities. Of these 119 suspects, 11 have already been sentenced to death. He appealed to Pakistanis to observe April 7th as the “National Awareness Day for Prevention of Indecent Content on Social Media” to spread awareness about blasphemy.
- New Study Reveals Bias Against Atheists in Court
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/new-study-reveals-bias-against-atheists-court
Recently, the British Journal of Psychology published a report which showed that jurors holding religious beliefs are more likely to be biased against defendants who prefer to take an affirmation instead of swear an oath to a God, revealing a longstanding moral suspicion against non-religious people in many parts of the world. The study collected data from 443 participants through Prolific, an online platform. An oath is a religious commitment to speak the truth, while an affirmation is a secular version of the same pledge. The researchers acknowledged that even though taking an affirmation might not significantly impact all outcomes, the ingrained prejudice against non-religious defendants or witnesses could still be a factor that tips the balance in heavily contested cases. The data showed that people tend to see religious oaths as more convincing and trustworthy and that religious individuals were more prejudiced against defendants who chose to take an affirmation.
- HELP! ATHEIST REPUBLIC REMOVED FROM FACEBOOK!
Contact: Susanna@atheistRepublic.com
Recently, Atheist Republic received a notification stating that our Facebook page was "republished" after it was determined that we did not violate community standards for a meme we had posted. This means that our page was removed and then republished.
This was a clear indication that the strike against our page was incorrect. However, upon checking our Facebook “Page Quality,” we noticed that the same meme still negatively impacts our Page Quality, despite the reinstatement. This means our page is a imminent risk of being removed if we are hit with another incorrect community standards strike. Not only this, but these strikes also penalize the page by deprioritizing it in the Facebook algorithm, meaning that fewer people see our content and reach the Atheist Republic community.
We are seeking help from someone within Facebook who can assist us in submitting internal appeals for all the incorrect community standards strikes against our page. Atheist Republic needs your help! If you or anyone you know works at Facebook or Meta, please reach out to our CEO at Susanna@AtheistRepublic.com!
