The right to blaspheme is fundamental—and it’s under attack.
In as many as 33 Muslim-majority countries today, most of which have Islam as their state religion, daring simply to speak out against religious customs, express one’s lack of belief, or otherwise say anything deemed offensive by religious authorities is enough to brand one a criminal. If victims are lucky, they might live in purportedly “lenient” countries and get off with a fine and a brief prison sentence. If they are unlucky, they may live in one of the roughly dozen countries in which either blasphemy or apostasy (leaving Islam) is a capital offense. That is, if violent fundamentalist militants don’t find them before the state does.
But even outside the Muslim world, intolerance for those who speak freely about Islamic doctrine is endemic. While apostates can be put to physical death in several Muslim-majority countries, they can face social death in the West, frequently cut off from friends and family and even sometimes subject to abuse.
Another week, another battle for freedom
From Iran’s hijab crackdown to creative Ramadan rule-bending, this week’s Dissent Dispatch covers resistance in all its forms. The Unbelief Brief details how Iranian President Mahmoud Pezeshkian’s refusal to enforce the new hijab law signals potential change—but women still face brutal repression for defying the dress code. Meanwhile, as International Women’s Day approaches, the regime’s hypocrisy is on full display, with artists like Mehdi Yarrahi facing lashings for daring to speak out.
This Week’s Latest
This week, The Unbelief Brief examines the brutal persistence of honor killings and the Taliban’s escalating repression in Afghanistan. EXMNA Insights explores the irony of the Nation of Islam rejecting slave names only to adopt others with similar implications.
Welcome Back to Dissent Dispatch
This week brings sobering reminders of the consequences of defying religious orthodoxy. In South Africa, the murder of Muhsin Hendricks—a pioneering figure who sought to reconcile Islam with LGBT+ rights—underscores the deadly risks of challenging doctrine. In London, a Qur’an-burning incident resulted in violence, and yet it is the attack victim who now faces charges for “religious harassment.” And in Tajikistan, the government’s attempt to curb Islam’s influence by dictating women’s dress is just another form of coercion. The fight for true freedom—of belief, speech, and personal autonomy—continues.
The Unbelief Brief
This Week: Blasphemy, Power & Secrecy
From journalists to judges, The Unbelief Brief explores how no one is safe from Pakistan’s blasphemy vigilantes. But a new court order might be the first step toward dismantling these extremist networks. Meanwhile, in honor of Black History Month, EXMNA Insights takes a closer look at the Nation of Islam—its origins, its controversial teachings, and its place within the broader Islamic world.
The Unbelief Brief
Welcome to This Edition of the Unbelief Brief
This week, in The Unbelief Brief, we examine a heartbreaking case of honor violence. In the UK, a man has been convicted under a law that increasingly resembles a de-facto blasphemy law, raising concerns about free speech. In EXMNA Insights we dive into a critical yet often overlooked discussion: the deep historical ties between Islam and the transatlantic slave trade.
The Unbelief Brief
Your Weekly Dispatch Has Arrived
Welcome back! This week’s Unbelief Brief takes us to the unusual suspects of Sweden, Quebec, and New York. We share our thoughts about Miraj in EXMNA Insights and share a recent case from Pakistan in The Persecution Tracker.
The Unbelief Brief
Back at It – Here’s What’s New This Week
This week in The Unbelief Brief, we examine the uncertain fate of Iranian musician Amir Tataloo, the escape of rapper Saman Yasin after years of imprisonment, and the arrest of Turkish influencer Murat Övüç for “insulting religious values.” Plus, don’t miss the latest in our Persecution Tracker Updates, where we detail Övüç’s case in more detail.
The Unbelief Brief
Welcome Back to This Week’s Insights
This week’s Unbelief Brief takes us from Bangladesh’s unsettling proposal to remove secularism as a guiding principle of the state, to Spain’s encouraging steps toward repealing its outdated blasphemy law, and finally to the murky complexities of a Sri Lankan monk’s imprisonment over incendiary anti-Muslim rhetoric. Finally, in EXMNA Insights we explore what Religious Freedom Day means to us.
Unbelief Brief
Your Weekly Dispatch Awaits
Welcome back! This week’s Unbelief Brief brings the good news of Mubarak Bala’s release from prison. In EXMNA Insights, we reflect on the lasting importance of Charlie Hebdo’s work, 10 years after the tragic attack, and discuss Meta’s latest change. Finally, explore Mubarak Bala’s story in our Persecution Tracker Update, and don’t miss the newly released 2024 Persecution Tracker Report.
