This Week's Dispatch is Here

This week’s Unbelief Brief provides updates on Islamism and Islamic intolerance in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

EXMNA Updates: Free panel event in NYC on Oct. 29th at 1PM EST: Ending Extrajudicial Violence Resulting from Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws.

Unbelief Brief

In Pakistan: extrajudicial violence in reaction to online blasphemy accusations is becoming increasingly more widespread. “Vigilante groups,” made up of volunteers have been wildly successful in “scour[ing] the internet” in search of blasphemy offenders, even going as far as to entrap innocent people into committing blasphemy. This explains the disproportionate number of online blasphemy cases coming out of Pakistan and also serves as a potent example of how legal culture reinforces and encourages vigilante action in countries like Pakistan where mob lynchings of suspected blasphemers are common. These vigilantes have taken it upon themselves to bring blasphemy crimes to the attention of authorities who may otherwise not detect them— frequently leading to formal death sentences. Read more about the phenomenon here.

In Afghanistan, it seems the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has gotten too extreme, even for some Taliban officials. Last week, it was reported that the Taliban had opted to ban “images of all living beings” from being published in Afghanistan in accordance with their reading of Islamic law. It now appears that some Taliban ministers are opposed to this rule on the grounds that it would be “detrimental to the Taliban's interests.” The power struggle may have something to do with the Taliban reportedly seeking to move away from state TV and transition backwards to radio—negatively affecting certain Taliban officials who enjoyed the notoriety they achieved via television appearances. Even in a system claiming to be wholly transcendent and transfixed on spiritual concerns above all else, human pettiness is so often revealed as the true motivator of actions.

And lastly, in Iran: much focus has been given in this newsletter to the regime’s treatment of political dissidents, its treatment of women who refuse to adhere to repressive “modesty” guidelines, and the increasing brutality of its enforcement of its already-draconian laws. It is easy in this sea of authoritarianism to forget that the regime is also still busy oppressing religious minorities, especially those of the Baha’i faith. We’ve just gotten a reminder of this, though, in the sentencing of 10 Baha’i women to various terms of imprisonment totaling 90 years altogether for “educational and propaganda activities against the sacred Islamic law.” It’s the same playbook for any authoritarian system: to strangle the minds of its subjects—and it’s one the Islamic Republic has been deploying against the Baha’is for more than 40 years.

EXMNA Updates

EXMNA is co-presenting a powerful panel on extrajudicial killings driven by anti-apostasy and anti-blasphemy laws. Hear from advocates, activists, and survivors on what UN Member States can do to protect those at risk. Free tickets available—register now!

Until next week,

The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America

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