Some of the most egregious violations of human rights, including prosecutions for “blasphemy” and restrictions on women’s autonomy, occur in Islamic theocracies and Islamic republics. In these countries, secular reason defers to religious orthodoxy.
Under a philosophy that does not acknowledge the existence of universal human rights and instead classifies people’s worth by whether they belong to a religious tribe, this is deliberate. It leads to an atmosphere in which meaningful dissent is stifled, oppression based on religious doctrine is mandated, and truth is hidden from view. At their core, theocracies usurp the right of a country’s people to self-rule, instead placing that power with religious authorities.
The judgment of the world and the domain of government should be determined by empirical reality, rational deliberation, and the common good. Our vision is a world where religion is firmly a matter of private conscience and never involved in government.
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In this week's Unbelief Brief: Iran is taking a dangerous turn by proposing "hijab clinics" to institutionalize women who defy its dress codes under the guise of psychological treatment. In the U.S., Texas public schools face pressure to adopt a curriculum favoring Christian teachings, blurring the line between church and state. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s arrest of a transgender influencer for alleged blasphemy highlights the country’s growing crackdown on religious dissent.
Unbelief Brief
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This week’s Unbelief Brief looks at an Iranian student’s protest of hijab enforcement with a powerful act of civil disobedience, France faces UN backlash over its hijab ban in sports, and the UK debates removing Church seats from the House of Lords in a push toward greater secularism.
Unbelief Brief
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This week’s Unbelief Brief examines the rescue of a Yazidi woman trafficked to Gaza, Bibles in Oklahoma public schools and atheists outnumbering theists in the UK.
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This week's Unbelief Brief looks at an attack on secularism in India, how a Pakistani cleric gets a taste of his own medicine and examines yet another police killing of a suspected blasphemer in Pakistan.
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This week's Unbelief Brief exposes the harsh realities faced by women and dissenters worldwide.
The Unbelief Brief
Dissent Dispatch: Your Weekly Update
In this week’s Unbelief Brief, we look at charges against an Iranian actress for dancing in public and Erdogan’s vow to purge military officials for supporting a secular democracy.
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This week’s Unbelief Brief spotlights mob violence in Bangladesh, a terrorist attack in Afghanistan and Iranian citizens growing dissatisfaction with their government.
The Unbelief Brief
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This week’s Unbelief Brief covers another victim of Iran’s draconian hijab law and the return of a conservative Islamic political party in Bangladesh.
