- Shocking: Indian Teacher Forces Kids to Slap Muslim Student!
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/shocking-indian-teacher-forces-kids-slap-muslim-student
Location: India
A horrifying incident in India's Muzaffarnagar district has sparked outrage nationwide after a video surfaced on social media showing a teacher, Tripta Tyagi, encouraging students to slap their seven-year-old Muslim classmate, Mohammad Altamash. The video shows a visibly anxious Altamash standing before Tyagi and his classmates as they took turns slapping him, while Tyagi instructed them to do it “properly” and made anti-Muslim remarks. The incident led to widespread condemnation, including from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who accused Tyagi of “sowing the poison of discrimination in the minds of innocent children” and blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for stoking intolerance and violence against religious minorities in India. Altamash's parents, who noted that the incident left their son severely traumatized, initially hesitated to file a complaint due to fears they would not be heard but decided to take action after the public outcry. Tyagi claimed the incident had nothing to do with the boy's religion. She asserted that Altamash’s father had asked her to be strict towards him, and because she was physically disabled and couldn't get up, she asked other students to discipline him. “His father brought the child in and said to straighten him out. Now, because I can’t get up, I thought I’d get one or two children to hit him,” Tyagi said. This version of events was vehemently disputed by Mohammad Irshad, Altamash's father, who stated that his son is good at his studies and expressed confusion as to why the teacher would treat him in such a manner. He suggested that the incident seemed to be motivated by hate, a stark contrast to Tyagi's defense that her actions were merely a response to a request for strict discipline.
- UK Imam's Shocking Lecture on Stoning Women To Death Sparks Outrage!
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/uk-imams-shocking-lecture-stoning-women-death-sparks-outrage
Location: United Kingdom
A UK imam, Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem of the Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, has caused a stir and prompted an official investigation after a video surfaced on social media of him detailing the process of stoning women to death. Saleem was seen instructing an audience to bury women up to their waists before stoning them in order to protect their modesty, as he explained, “According to the Sharia (Islamic law), when it comes to women, there must be a hole dug in the earth, in the ground, and she must cover up to half of the body”. While some online debated whether Saleem was merely describing the practice or actively endorsing it, another segment of the same lecture left little room for interpretation as Saleem clarified that stoning or lashing is the designated punishment for zina, or illicit sexual relations in Islam, depending on whether the individuals involved are married or unmarried. This incident has drawn further scrutiny to the Green Lane Masjid, which has a history of hosting speakers with controversial views on women, such as Abu Usamah who described women as intellectually “deficient”. Despite this background, the mosque was recently awarded £2.2 million from the UK government’s Youth Investment Fund to expand its youth services. However, following the circulation of the video and a letter from the National Secular Society expressing concern over the mosque's history, the government has paused the funding and initiated an investigation into the Green Lane Masjid.
- Footballer Neymar’s Cross Pendant Sparks Outrage Among Saudi Clerics
Location: Saudi Arabia
Brazilian soccer player Neymar found himself at the center of a heated controversy after wearing a diamond-studded cross pendant upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to mark his signing with the Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club. Although the event was a significant milestone for both Neymar and Saudi Arabia's sports sector, which has been actively recruiting global talents like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the focus quickly shifted to Neymar's choice of accessory. Many Islamic clerics and scholars took offense at the pendant, viewing it as a disrespectful gesture in a region considered the birthplace of Islam. Moroccan cleric Abdellah Nhari lambasted Neymar in a video, criticizing him for bearing "the trinity emblem on the land of monotheism," while Algerian cleric Moussa Azzouni denounced Neymar for wearing a cross pendant in "the land of the two holy Mosques" and urged Algerians to condemn Neymar's actions and instead consider the mujahideen and martyrs as role models. The incident sparked a flurry of debates on social media, with some users deeming the pendant disrespectful and offensive, while others accused the critics of hindering Saudi Arabia's progress in sports. Yasser Al-Qahtani, the retired captain of the Saudi national football team, defended Neymar on Twitter, accusing his critics of fostering discord and being "oblivious" to the true teachings of Islam, which he described as a religion of "tolerance and peace." Al-Qahtani's statements highlighted the broader tensions at play, as Saudi Arabia's efforts to modernize and attract global talent clash with deeply ingrained religious and cultural sensitivities.
- France Tightens Religious Clothing Ban: Islamic Abayas Banned in Schools
Location: France
In a bold move that has reignited fiery debates about religious freedom and secularism in France, Education Minister Gabriel Attal announced a ban on Islamic abayas in state schools. This decision, revealed during a television interview, amplifies the ongoing controversy initiated when hijabs were banned in schools. Attal asserted, “When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them.” The French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM) hit back, arguing that clothing is not “a religious sign.” This latest ban, following prohibitions on hijabs in 2004 and full-face veils in 2010, has unleashed a torrent of opinions across the political spectrum, exposing deep divides about the role of Islam in French society and the balance between upholding secular traditions and protecting civil liberties. With France's Muslim community, the largest in Europe, feeling targeted, the nation finds itself at a critical juncture, forced to reconcile its past with its increasingly diverse present.
- 'Soldiers of God' Lead Violent Assault on Lebanese Drag Event
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/soldiers-god-lead-violent-assault-lebanese-drag-event
Location: Lebanon
In a harrowing act of violence, the 'Soldiers of God,' an extremist Christian paramilitary group, unleashed an onslaught on a Beirut bar, Om Bar Room, during a drag event, epitomizing the escalating wave of hatred and bigotry against the LGBTQIA+ community in Lebanon. The group, notorious for promoting violence and endorsing far-right ideologies akin to those in Europe and the US, besieged and attacked the bar, wreaking havoc on the property and assaulting attendees while bellowing, "This shop is for Satan. It’s promoting homosexuality. That’s forbidden in the land of the Lord." Eyewitness accounts reveal a chilling apathy from the police, who, despite being present during the assault, chose to question the bar owner and attendees about the performance rather than intervene. This latest assault is part of a broader pattern of attacks and heightened anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric from religious and political leaders in a country once celebrated for its religious diversity. This incident lays bare the mounting challenges confronting the LGBTQIA+ community not just in Lebanon, but across the Middle East.
- Judge Rules Religious Parents Can't Opt Kids Out of LGBT Lessons
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/judge-rules-religious-parents-cant-opt-kids-out-lgbt-lessons
Location: United States
A US District Court dismissed a request by parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, to allow their children to opt out of classes discussing LGBTQIA+ books, stating that the use of the storybooks did not cross the line from "permissible influence to potentially impermissible indoctrination." This decision followed the Montgomery County Public Schools' (MCPS) announcement of a more inclusive English/Language arts curriculum, which included books such as "Pride Puppy!" and "My Rainbow," sparking a public outcry and concerns about the age-appropriateness of the books. While some school principals initially allowed families to opt-out, the MCPS ended this option in March, leading to a lawsuit by three Muslim and Christian families who claimed that their religious freedom was violated. Eric Baxter, vice president of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said, "The School Board should let kids be kids and let parents decide how and when to best educate their own children consistent with their religious beliefs." Meanwhile, David Fishback of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) in Maryland applauded the decision, saying it could make a difference in the lives of children experiencing depression, suicide, and loneliness due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. The decision is a preliminary injunction, and the case is still pending a final decision.
- Taliban's Dark Reign: The Alarming Surge in Female Suicides in Afghanistan
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/talibans-dark-reign-alarming-surge-female-suicides-afghanistan
Location: Afghanistan
The takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021 has led to a significant surge in female suicides, highlighting the desperation among Afghan women to escape a regime that severely curtails their rights and freedoms. Although global trends show more men than women die by suicide, data from 11 surveyed provinces in Afghanistan, collected privately by health workers and published despite a Taliban ban on sharing up-to-date statistics, reveals that more women than men have died by suicide or have attempted to take their own lives. This alarming trend is attributed to the Taliban's repressive restrictions on women, increased forced and underage marriages, and the loss of freedom and hope. While nearly half of the Afghan population already suffered psychological distress due to the country's long history of poverty and conflict, the situation has become particularly acute for women, as evidenced by the fact that in Herat province, a provincial hospital reported that about 90% of mental health admissions were “breaking down under the weight of the new restrictions,” according to a medic working there. This surge in female suicides has raised concerns among human rights activists and United Nations officials who blame the Taliban's increasing restrictions on women's public life.
- Nigeria's War on Homosexuality: 67 Arrested at Gay Wedding!
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/nigerias-war-homosexuality-67-arrested-gay-wedding
Location: Nigeria
In a massive crackdown on homosexuality, Nigerian authorities arrested 67 people attending a gay wedding, marking one of the largest such arrests in a country where homosexuality is outlawed. The police spokesperson, Bright Edafe, emphasized that homosexuality "will never be tolerated" in Nigeria, and despite initially arresting 200 people, 67 were detained after investigations. Edafe highlighted that Nigeria cannot emulate the Western world due to cultural differences and noted that the suspects would be charged after the investigation concludes. This incident underscores the ongoing persecution faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in Nigeria, where the 2013 Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act criminalized gay marriages and homosexuality, despite condemnation from some Nigerians and the international community.
- NYC Mosques Now Allowed to Broadcast Call to Prayer Without Permit
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/nyc-mosques-now-allowed-broadcast-call-prayer-without-permit
Location: United States
In a move that prioritizes one religion over others and blurs the line between church and state, New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced that mosques will no longer need a permit to publicly broadcast the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, on Fridays and during Ramadan. While Adams claims this will foster inclusivity, it raises concerns about the separation of church and state, a principle that Adams has publicly dismissed, stating, “State is the body. Church is the heart. You take the heart out of the body, the body dies.” This decision not only sets a dangerous precedent but also disrupts the delicate balance of religious freedoms in a city home to a diverse array of faiths. As Afaf Nasher, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’s New York chapter, stated, “The sound of the adhan is not just a call to prayer; it is a call to unity, reflection, and community.” It's important to question if this move truly promotes unity and community for all New Yorkers, regardless of their faith or beliefs.
