Islam, like most religions, imposes centuries-old dogma on women and demands their submission. Their role is as silent servants first and individuals second—and their treatment in Islamic states reflects this fundamental inequality. In too many of these states, women are explicitly denied rights afforded to men—freedom of movement, freedom to work, and freedom to wear what one pleases.
More broadly, troubling patterns in Islamic scripture and custom exacerbate gender inequality. It is women who bear the guilt and shame of “modesty culture,” not men. In many countries, women cannot initiate the process of divorce and are not entitled to any of the couple’s shared possessions, nor can they seek meaningful justice if they are raped by their husbands. And in the most extreme cases, a woman who fails to remain chaste and in her place risks honor violence.
Human rights—to blaspheme, speak, and live freely—are universal and do not discriminate by sex. No woman’s freedom or agency should be impeded for the sake of a religious text, and a religious culture that perpetuates inequality should not command deference.
Welcome
This week, we reflect on the tragic story of Shakil Ahmed, a young Bangladeshi student reportedly driven to suicide after a months-old Facebook post deemed offensive to Islam resurfaced—triggering mob threats and public outrage. Meanwhile in Pakistan, modest legal progress on child marriage faced fierce resistance from Islamic clerics defending the Prophet’s own example. And a new Human Rights Watch report details how Pakistan’s blasphemy laws continue to be weaponized against the poor and marginalized.
Unbelief Brief
Welcome to Our Latest Issue
Welcome! This week’s newsletter explores a fortuitous Supreme Court deadlock in favor of secularism in Oklahoma, alarming death threats by a UK imam, and the unwavering bravery of Iranian women defying the hijab mandate despite intensifying state crackdowns.
Unbelief Brief
Welcome to This Week’s Dissent Dispatch
Religious belief may be waning across much of the Western world, but America remains stubbornly devout. Meanwhile, in Britain, Qur’an-burning has nearly become a theological crime—until prosecutors recently walked back an alarming charge against protestor Hamit Coskun. And in Belgium, a misguided headscarf ban risks trading one kind of coercion for another. Plus: it’s your last chance to enter our 2nd Annual Draw Muhammad Day Contest—details below.
Unbelief Brief
Happy May, Dissenters
This week, we’re examining the fine line between religious identity and ideological excuse-making—from Mohammed Hijab defending terror in Kashmir, to Harvard confusing critique with bigotry. We break down Amnesty’s chilling report on the Taliban’s stranglehold over Afghanistan, keep watch on a looming SCOTUS decision that could open the door to publicly-funded religious schools, and unpack why treating Islam as above criticism does no favors to Muslims—or to truth. Plus: Draw Muhammad Day is back! Let the blasphemy begin 😈.
Unbelief Brief
Welcome Back
This week, we’re tracking a global tug-of-war over the hijab—one that’s testing the boundaries of religious freedom, secularism, and state power. In Iran, the regime is cornered, pressured by both defiant citizens and outraged hardliners. In France, new legislation threatens to sideline Muslim women in the name of laïcité. And in the UK, Mubarak Bala calls on lawmakers to practice what they preach by ending their own blasphemy laws.
Unbelief Brief
Welcome Back, Dissenter
In a surprising development, court proceedings in Pakistan involving fabricated blasphemy accusations are being streamed online, signaling a shift in public awareness and concern over the misuse of these laws. Meanwhile, a recent television drama, inspired by the tragic case of Mashal Khan, sheds light on the issue. On a different note, an assault on a hijab-clad woman in Ontario has raised questions about the motivations behind hate crimes. EXMNA Insights takes a closer look at what fasting during Ramadan is really about.
Unbelief Brief
Blasphemy Laws, Global Injustice, and the Fight for Free Expression
Blasphemy laws are as predictable as they are destructive—whether it’s Malaysia’s police pursuing an online post, the Taliban facing international charges, or a Catholic group in Indonesia using the same laws to silence criticism. This week, The Unbelief Brief examines these cases and what they reveal about the unrelenting grip of religious authority in legal systems worldwide. Plus, in EXMNA Insights, we explore the hidden toll of Ramadan on women, where societal pressures override religious exemptions, forcing impossible choices between faith, health, and survival.
Unbelief Brief
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.
