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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

In Pakistan, a judge has ordered court proceedings to be streamed online “in a case seeking the formation of a commission to investigate allegations of fabricated evidence in blasphemy cases.”  As Dawn reports, the judge in the case “remarked that the case had become a matter of significant public interest” and “noted that the courtroom was filled beyond capacity with many more people gathered outside.” The government appears to be dragging its feet in the creation of such a commission, but the fact that so many people showed up to the courtroom seems to indicate that the problem of false blasphemy accusations is penetrating the Pakistani public consciousness.

Indeed, just recently a Pakistani television drama has touched on the issue for the first time. Sultana Siddiqui, producer of the program Tan Man Neelo Neel ("Bruises on Body and Soul"), said she was motivated by the case of Mashal Khan, who was tortured and beaten to death over an accusation of blasphemy against him. The show has reportedly “generated millions of views and widespread praise on social media.” There may be signs that an understanding of how destructive the “misuse” of blasphemy laws can be is steadily rising in Pakistan, even if opposition to blasphemy laws as a concept remains elusive.

Lastly, a hijab-clad woman was recently assaulted in a public library in Ontario, with the assailant dousing the victim’s hijab in “an unknown fluid” before attempting to ignite it with a lighter. Canadian politicians like recently sworn-in Prime Minister Mark Carney and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh were quick to condemn the assault as an act of “Islamophobia” motivated by hatred. While this may well be the case, it appears that specific details about the motivation of the attacker have either not emerged or not been repeated by police. The victim herself said she “noticed a woman murmuring and cursing” before being attacked, and authorities have not yet determined whether this can be prosecuted as a hate crime. Any assault such as this is condemnable, and attacking someone over nothing more than a religious article of clothing they happen to be wearing in public is reprehensible. However, it seems pertinent to wait for further details before declaring whether this attack was motivated by anti-Muslim bigotry, or if it was an assault resulting from mental illness or general aggression.

EXMNA Insights

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, traditionally understood as a command from Allah intended to instill taqwa (God-consciousness or piety). This is clearly outlined in the Qur'an (2:183): “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous.” The original purpose, then, is not humanitarian or social but spiritual obedience and moral refinement. Yet in recent decades, the rationale has shifted in popular discourse. Today, many Muslims claim fasting is meant to help cultivate empathy with the poor and hungry. While this reinterpretation may seem compassionate, it is not supported by the Qur’anic text or early Islamic traditions. Rather, it is a modern moral reframing, likely influenced by contemporary humanitarian values, to make the practice more palatable in a globalized world. Notably, while the Qur'an offers exemptions for travelers, the ill, and later jurisprudence added allowances for pregnant women, there remains no exemption for those who are destitute and chronically food insecure.

This reframing is not only theologically tenuous but logically inconsistent. Many of the world’s Muslims already live in poverty, and suffer from chronic malnutrition, water scarcity, and inadequate healthcare. According to World Bank data, countries with majority-Muslim populations — such as Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan — face extreme poverty, with millions living on less than $2 a day. In such contexts, Ramadan fasting becomes not an exercise in solidarity with the poor, but a burden on those already deprived. Refraining from food and water for 14+ hours, depending on the time of the year, in sweltering climates is not a spiritual discipline—it borders on cruelty.

In sum, the evolving justifications for Ramadan fasting—from divine obedience to social empathy—mask fundamental contradictions. For many modern Muslims, especially the impoverished, the ritual is less a spiritual exercise and more a harmful, mandated austerity.

EXMNA Updates

In case you missed it, our very own Muhammad Syed spoke at the HaRamadan Live Special: A World Without Allah! 

Yet again, there was an attempt to shut down WikiIslam, a site owned and operated by EXMNA that provides accurate and accessible information from traditional and critical ‎perspectives on the beliefs, practices, and development of Islam. A DDoS attack on the site caused service disruptions on the evening of March 17th. The attack has, for now, stopped. We will remain uncompromising in countering such attempts to silence and bury objective information about Islam.

Until next week,

The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America

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