In response to the derogatory attacks former US President Donald Trump made against atheists and other non-religious people at a recent event, the Secular Coalition for America, a group of non-religious organizations in the United States that also promote the separation of church and state, issued a statement condemning his remarks.
After a series of controversial protests involving burning the Quran, which sparked outrage from Muslims worldwide, Sweden approved a new protest, but this time would involve burning the Torah and the Bible.
Swedish authorities have approved a protest involving the burning of Torahs and Bibles outside the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden’s national radio broadcaster reported https://t.co/PXe3uL0T8B
As the much-anticipated Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie in the titular role stirred political controversy and was banned in Vietnam for a scene showing a map that seemingly depicted the “nine-dash line” used by China for its claims on the South China Sea, the Greta Gerwig-directed film found itself in another scandal, this time a religious one after an American pastor called for holy judgment over its LGBTQIA+ content.
Female university students were barred from universities in Iran after refusing to follow the country’s mandatory hijab laws. This resulted in sham disciplinary “hearings,” class suspensions, and threats of being given zero grades.
Students barred from Iranian universities for refusing to wear a hijab https://t.co/zN4h9KxF2B
A Filipina drag performer stirred controversy after a viral performance at a local bar where she dressed up as Jesus Christ and danced to a remixed version of a Filipino-language Catholic Mass worship song, sparking a heated debate on where to draw the line between “expression” and “mockery”, especially in a country like the Philippines, where around 79% of the population identify as Catholic.
In response to the most recent Quran-burning incident in Sweden, where an Iraqi immigrant burned the religious book in front of a mosque in Stockholm last June, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution on July 12th on religious hatred, condemning the acts of burning the Islamic holy book in Sweden.
France's highest administrative court ruled on June 29th that the country’s soccer federation has the right to ban players from wearing headscarves during matches, even if the action means limiting their freedom of expression.
France’s highest administrative jurisdiction says the country's soccer federation is entitled to ban headscarves in matches. https://t.co/YwoqABk0DL
A young Christian man in Pakistan was fined and sentenced to death by a court on June 30th for allegedly committing blasphemy. This decision came after the Pakistani government agreed last month to try blasphemy suspects under the country’s anti-terrorism laws and existing anti-blasphemy laws.
Since the “love jihad” conspiracy theories started spreading in India due to the rise of right-wing Hindu nationalism, many Muslim men were targeted in the country for allegedly luring Hindu women into Islam via love and marriage. But in a bizarre plot twist, a Muslim woman was accused of love jihad after allegedly running off with another girl.
With artificial intelligence like Midjourney and ChatGPT improving and evolving each day despite many issues, many people see new developments that can make this new technology even more powerful.
Indians have also jumped on the AI trend and developed chatbots independently. But unlike ChatGPT, which can help you create a 500-word essay in just a few seconds, or Midjourney, which can help you create artwork with just a few prompts, these Indian chatbots take the form of the Hindu god Krishna, trying to provide spiritual guidance and answer questions related to religion.
