More than a year after he posted a video where he briefly narrated how the Egyptian government mistreated him and even prevented him from leaving the country by taking away his passport, Egyptian ex-Muslim and atheist Sherif Gaber faces a new challenge after an Egyptian court sentenced him to another five years in prison for criticizing Islam.
Egypt has recently unveiled its decision to ban the niqab, a type of Islamic religious garment worn by women, at schools, sparking a debate in one of Africa’s largest Muslim-majority countries.
"Females always pull the short straw."
Egyptians talk to Al Jazeera about the recent government decision to prohibit students from wearing niqab https://t.co/OhPSgafG81
Sherif Gaber lived a typical life as a university student in Egypt, studying sociology at the Suez Canal University in Ismailia. But his life would change because of an argument with a teacher and a few Facebook postings that got him into legal trouble.
Around a decade after that, Sherif Gaber became a vlogger and political activist, fighting for human rights in a country notorious for its human rights violations under its authoritarian government.
A human rights group released a new report detailing how security agencies and government officials in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have been using social media and dating apps to crack down on LGBTQIA+ people.
The report by Human Rights Watch, titled “All This Terror Because of a Photo: Digital Targeting and Its Offline Consequences for LGBT People in the Middle East and North Africa,” exposed how governments used digital methods to clamp down on the region’s LGBTQIA+ community.
This past November, an Egyptian atheist blogger was arrested by authorities and was allegedly charged with insulting Islam.
Hesham Fouad Ahmed or Hesham El Masry joined a debate hosted by Bassem Sam against an Imam, Ahmed Karima. The discussion was broadcasted live on Youtube on October 30, 2022.
An Egyptian deputy sheikh likened homosexuality to terrorism, calling it a “moral perversion” and urging religious authorities to fight against homosexuality, according to a report by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
An Egyptian Salafi leader released a “fatwa” (religious edict) declaring that football is a “waste of time,” sparking a debate in the Arab country as Egyptians continue to follow the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Younis Makhyoun, the former party president and chairperson of the Islamist and ultraconservative Al-Nour Party, answered a question from a viewer who asked him whether football is allowed in Islam.
Egypt has decided to introduce sexual education courses into the primary education curriculum. Although on the surface, this may seem highly progressive for the middle-eastern country, its main aim is to stop the spread of "homosexuality." Homosexuality is considered "deviant" behavior and extremely frowned upon in the country.
Atheist Republic is saddened to learn of the recent passing of an important member within the international Atheist Republic community, the Egyptian Ex-Muslim that was known to us as "Confused Heathen," "Confused Hamlet," and "Labby" to close friends. Confused Heathen was an active member of the Atheist Republic YouTube live chats and Discord community and became the founding creator and moderator of the Atheist Republic Subreddit.
On June 20, in Mansoura, Egypt, a student was stabbed to death in front of her university after refusing a colleague's marriage proposal. Nayera Ashraf is yet another victim of violence against women in the country.
