Tag Archives: islam

Kazakhstan bans hijabs in schools

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The topic of the hijab is a tricky issue for secular countries. On the one hand, it’s an obvious form of religiously mandated modesty, forced upon women. On the other, it can be (in limited cases) a free expression of one’s religious devotion, though unsurprisingly this freedom is rarely granted outside of Western countries.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, young women who dare to defy the practice are routinely harassed and sometimes beaten to death, as was the case a year ago, with 22 year old Mahsa Amini. Since her death, more women have defied the mandate to wear it, even as thousands are arrested and killed. The ones living in exile of this theocratic country are not fans of the headscarf, as it has become a symbol of both social and political revolution.

Paradoxically, in England, a recent statue was erected celebrating this vicious denial of female agency. This is the same country where honor killings have gone up by 81%. Many of these killings go unsolved, as the family is unwilling to cooperate with police investigations. How many other faiths can boast of this kind of this devotion?

Kazakhstan is facing the growing threat of religious upheaval. The country is 70% Islamic, although the government tries its best to stay secular. Their recent solution to the danger of sectarianism is inelegant, to say the least. They recently banned the wearing of the hijab in schools, arguing that wearing it represents a kind of religious  propaganda. Officials stressed that the ban does not apply outside of school, but already, the familiar cries of oppressions abound. In protest, hundreds of girls refused to show up to their schools, and one official was beaten by two religious thugs when she refused to allow a student wearing one to enter.

This kind of restriction only serves to feed the grievances of the religious, who always feel oppressed, even when their boot is on your neck. Free societies are always at danger of losing their commitment to liberty, since this can often be used as a tool to spread religious repression. This is what the hijab represents; the cross-section of freedom and oppression. The irony of course is that were Islam in power, the choice to wear it would disappear for everyone. The dilemma of freedom is a one sided affair, but it is our responsibility to preserve it.   Still, we cannot win this fight by compromising the values we hold dear. Instead, if schools really believe that religious symbols represent propaganda, the only inoculant against dogma is a good education. If there’s one place everyone can improve, it would be this.

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 343

With the relaunch of the podcast into an audio blog, we begin by discussing Polish people leaving religion, a Korean cult that defrauded and kill their victim, and women in Gambia face the reality of FGM. Don’t miss out!

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The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 343
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Taliban refuses to let women be rescued from Earthquake

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A few days ago, a terrible earthquake rocked Afghanistan. It measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, which did a tremendous amount of damage in a country already devastated by war.

Since the country is now run by the Taliban, rescue efforts were almost non existent, with the fundamentalist organization showing up to the effected areas hours after the quake.

“For two to three hours after the earthquake, there was no information or accurate news,” said Rashid Azimi, a local aid coordinator not connected to the Taliban government, adding that it was the local residents themselves who cried for help when no one else was available to support rescue efforts.

The quake happened during the afternoon, when the men were off tending to their daily chores. This meant that the majority of victims were almost exclusively women and children, who are forced to stay inside the home and away from the prying eyes of others. To make matters worse, when people attempted to help those trapped under the rubble, they were greeted by armed Taliban soldiers that forbade them from helping, since strange men are not allowed to touch any women:

According to Maryam, it was not difficult for the local people to save the women, but some armed Taliban were there who were not allowing them to go near the women…the Taliban did not allow women to visit these areas for the first two or three days of the earthquake so that men and women could not gather there.

So to recap, the corrupt and pathetic Afghani theocratic government was not only terribly slow to react to a disaster, they also actively prevented women and children from being saved, and they hurriedly buried the bodies without ceremony so that the whole incident could be quickly forgotten.

The reaction from Western governments has been mixed. While there are attempts to help the victims, it’s believed that any aid sent to the country would most likely be appropriated by the Taliban, and its doubtful that any would make their way to those in need. The country is already under heavy sanctions, which has aggravated the situation. The truth is that very little can be done, so long as religious tyrants continue to exert their theocratic control. I don’t foresee this changing anytime soon.

Bangladeshi atheist blogger on the run

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Islam has to be the most insecure faith in the world. Ever since it’s invention, a strange mixture of religious plagiarism and local superstition, believers have had a murderous hatred of anyone that choose to abandon it. Christianity has long since abandoned the physical component of crusades, but Islam simply cannot transition away from this tradition. Any threat made against someone must be taken seriously. Salman Rushdie learned recently that one must always remain vigilant, as the murderous intent of the faithful never fades.

Rushdie is not the only target of Islamic ire. The perpetual and disturbing harassment of atheist blogger Asad Noor has forced the Bangladeshi man to flee to India after a number of threats to his life were made. He was being harassed not only by locals, but also by his own religious government, who appears to want to put him behind bars for blasphemy:

The local police raided the blogger’s house in Amtali village in the southern Barguna district in the dead of night on 14-15 July 2020, hounding his parents when they couldn’t find him. Police raided their house again on 16 July. On 18 July in the early morning, the police raided the house again and detained Asad’s father, Tofazzal Hossain, his mother, Rabeya Begum, two younger sisters (one was minor), and two other relatives, without any formal charge or warrant. The local police kept the family members in detention for 40 hours before releasing them in the night of 19 July.

Noor now lives anonymously in India, no doubt looking over his shoulder in fear every day, wondering when some brainwashed maniac will strike either him or one of his family members. Muslim believers are upset that he has not only abandoned the faith, but dares to encourage others to do so. Two of his fellow countrymen, Bijoy Hossain Tanil and Farhan Choudhury, living in comfort in both Paris and the UK, have gained notoriety after they released (and subsequently deleted) social media videos calling on his execution. Since both live in countries which allow freedom of expression, they have not been jailed, though I would not be surprised if authorities now have them in their sites.

Personally, I believe that religiously motivated threats should be taken as seriously as school shootings. In fact, I would not be opposed to the deportation of anyone who encourage the murder of others, especially if these threats are religiously motivated. Keep in mind that religions are often also political organizations, and a call to action is akin to a declaration of war. People take religion as seriously as they take their patriotic duty, and so, despite being a free speech purist, I believe an exception must be made in the case of religion, where words carry with them the power to activate the zealotry of their flock.

The West cannot afford to remain complacent on the threat to civilization that Islam poses. So long as Muslim fundamentalists continue to threaten people, or openly attack them at peaceful venues, they will continue to be a threat to the values and ideals of a free and open society.

 

Sweden rocked by terrorist attack

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It began with a football match. Belgium had come to challenge their Swedish rivals, and the stadium was packed with fans eager to cheer on their teams, and by all accounts it was turning out to be a beautiful day. Arriving a little late to the game, a few stragglers were making their way inside the building when a bearded man approached and opened fire on them, killing two and seriously injuring a third. He then sped away on his moped.

Unsure if there were more and if this was part of a larger attack, the match was suspended, with the players going back to their locker rooms, and the terrified audience told to wait, rather than flee chaotically and add to the confusion. For agonizing hours these spectators were held captive, until finally near the stoke of midnight, they were allowed to leave.

A video had made its way to social media, with the suspect releasing a statement claiming to have killed others, and crediting his murderous act on his beloved religion of Islam. The Tunisian man had been living in the country illegally, his request for asylum having been denied back in 2020. Keep in mind that the country is not a troubled spot, and has accepted almost 10,000 asylum seekers themselves from other African countries.

While the country still reels from the shock, fears in the country are at an all time high. There are concern that others may try and mimic the act, especially with pro Palenstinian demonstrations happening throughout the country. It’s a tense time, and not doubt that the political repercussions of this act will be felt, not only in Sweden, but other European countries that realize that there are real dangers of violent spillover as the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to escalate.

Gambian Women face renewed threat of FGM

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In 2015, Gambia did something that few African countries dared: they banned Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM. The penalty for mutilating young women is up to 3 years in jail, and a fine of no less than 700 USD (which is a substantial sum there). Recently, politicians, along with religious leaders, are demanding it be “decriminalized”.

Muslim Imams have been fighting to reinstate the barbaric practice, claiming that the law is “anti-Islamic”. One imam, named Abdoulie Fatty, recently paid the fines of three women that had been found guilty, effectively telling others in the community that anyone caught destroying the reproductive organs of young women would be helped.

“We want to tell them that anybody who blew the whistle on these women and those who arrested them and the magistrate who sentenced them and any other person who support them, we will curse them until we leave this world to ensure that Allah destroys them. That will deter others. We don’t want violence but enough is enough. Let us stop provoking and offending each other. We should follow the command of Prophet Muhammad. Instead, they are fighting Islam, but Allah will be the judge.”

To be clear, FGM, which is mainly practiced in African countries, is never mentioned in any Islamic doctrine. It’s origins date back thousands of years, when it was forced upon Egyptian slaves to ensure their fidelity. It has since evolved into a ritual designed to forever destroy the ability for women to enjoy sex. Instead, procreation is to be forever be painful and associated with shame (just the way religion likes it).

Islam’s perpetual fear of the opposite sex is evident in how every restrictive and sexist practice is enthusiastically adopted by the faith. The abuse of women and Islam go together like peanut butter and jelly; it’s a match made in heaven. How women can not only tolerate, but actively participate in this murderous cult is beyond me, and will forever remain one of the great tragedies of existence.

 

Mosque Bombing in Pakistan kills 50

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Religion is a poison. It is a cancer that eats away a person’s empathy and love. Instead of trying to learn to live with your fellow man, religions like Islam demands that those who believe differently be destroyed. Devoid of mercy or compassion, these murderous fools are willing to destroy their lives, and the lives of others, in the mistaken belief that a bronze age god cares about the mundane details of existence. The so-called “religion of peace” should rather be given the moniker of “religion of pieces”, for it seems some of their members have a hard time holding themselves together.

If you want a bunch of examples from one country just this month, look no further than Pakistan. The country has been rocked by multiple incidents over the past few days. It began in the early days of October, when 11 people were killed in a mosque in Kyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A few days later, another 5 lives were taken in a separate attack. Now, more recently in the city of Mastung, 50 people have been slain during a celebration in a mosque, victims of an unidentified group that no doubt had some petty theocratic dispute.

It’s a confusing act for those of us outside the faith. We forget that there are far more internal conflicts within Islam than with the secular world. Religion is not monotheistic, and the various interpretations are not confined to mere intellectual disagreements. To these deluded fools, the stakes could not be higher in their deadly game of pretend. I promise you that until humans have the foresight to reject these violent and dangerously insecure faiths, these tragedies will continue to happen with frightening regularity.

Study finds Muslim women have Vitamin-D deficiency

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As I’ve spoken many times before, criticizing Islam is a tricky business. Accusations of racism abound, despite the fact that an idea, and not an ethnic group, is being attacked. There are few things as contentious as the Hijab, that restrictive piece of clothing forced upon women that suggests that the desire that men feel for them is their fault, and more importantly, their responsibility.

It should come as no surprise that constantly wearing a piece of fabric on your head, or all over your body, is not natural, and that there are consequences for doing so. A study in 2012  found that women who wear concealing clothing were likely to have serious vitamin deficiency, which would lead to a number of health problems later in life, including bone density issues, as well as muscle weakness. So, not only is the restrictive dress code of Islam bad for women psychologically, it turns out that it’s also causing a lack of vitamin-D, but it can also lead to serious hair loss, bad odors, and infections galore.

I’m sure there are still soft-headed idiots that will claim that restricting the choices of women is an important part of Islamic culture. This sort of excuse is ridiculous. The health and wellbeing of people is far more important than outdated, sexists traditions that seek to put limitations and control on the opposite sex. So, the next time someone wants to celebrate women wearing the Hijab (like making statutes celebrating it)*, you at least have something to show them.

*On a side note, the statue looks like someone trapped in an iron mask. Fitting, wouldn’t you say?

 

 

Canadian Muslims organize anti-gay rally

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Islam is the world’s most insecure religion. Every other day, they are jailing, or even stoning, apostates and non-believers. Of course, if you start to point out how violent and insecure they are, you get instantly accused of “Islamophobia”, their magic word that’s used to silence any critic. The mere mention of racism is enough to stifle most soft headed liberals who retreat at the idea of hurting anyone’s feeling, or challenging their identity. It’s what has allowed this barbaric religion to continue to abuse and even kill those who oppose their homogony.

Their obvious bigotry has become so open now that Canadian Muslims have decided that it would be acceptable to hold a march AGAISNT gay and trans people. They are billing it as a “Million Man for Kids”. The Alberta Muslim Social Association’s facebook page claims that the organization “…was built to bring families together in a safe and fun atmosphere.” Well, it’s all fun and games until someone in your family isn’t controlled by their Abrahamic faith, or likes someone of the same sex. Then it’s time to destroy them. Just listen to their bullshit mission statement:

As someone once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”, over the past few months, thousands of parents, community leaders and activists from the Abrahamic tradition and others have justly voiced their concern regarding gender ideology and the protection of kids demanding more control and transparency over school curriculums. These concerns haven’t stemmed from a place of hate but rather from the obligation of protecting and preserving our children and future generations.

The good news is that these clowns have had zero success in spreading the word of their hate-march. In fact, if you look at the comments on their page, it’s almost universally negative. If I had to guess, it’s doubtful more than a handful of these hate-mongers are going to show up. If you want to tell these assholes how you feel, don’t be shy! They deserve to know what we think of them.

Lawrence Krauss walks out of UCL debate over segregation of sexes

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During a scheduled debate between Lawrence Krauss and Muslim apologist Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (he’s the clown I spanked a few days ago over his supposed arguments for God), a fundamentalist group called the “Islamic Education and Research Academy” forced the students to segregate themselves according to their sex. A few students, who had decided not to observe this ridiculous custom, were being ejected for failing to comply with the misogynistic seating arrangements. Single women were being forced to sit in the back (so as not to tempt men who apparently lack any form of self control), despite previous assurances from the organizers that this would not occur.

After his courageous walkout, students were again allowed to sit wherever they wanted, and apart from this disruption, it seems as though the debate went smoothly (despite some objections from culturally backward assholes, that is). Thanks Dr. Krauss for standing up for what you believe in!

Is this what getting owned by a Muslim looks like?

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This video, hilariously titled “Dan Barker gets OWNED by Muslim Hamza Tzortzis”, showcases perfectly the kind of pathetic, nonsense arguments you get into when talking to these apologists. Tellingly, the video does not offer a chance for Barker to reply, so I thought I might do him that solid. Let’s take a look at his argument, shall we?

Asinine Assumption #1: We know God exists, so arguments for God isn’t “God in the Gaps”

Buying into a belief system doesn’t make it true. For something to be “proven”, it needs to pass a number of rigorous tests. The first, and most important, is falsifiability: the ability for an idea to be disproved. This is perhaps the most difficult concept for god-pimps like Hamza to understand. In their limited world view, they simply accept, with no real evidence, that their all powerful creator simply exists and his very nature defies all attempts to categorize him. Such a conceit must be rejected immediately without effort: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and a book inspired by an illiterate child rapist fails to impress.

Asinine Assumption #2: The specific wording of your God matters

When this guy starts blabbing on about how the word ‘the’ in ‘the merciful’ must inherently mean that God is superior to human beings, I just have to shake my head in profound disbelief at the childish nature of this kind of thinking. What the fuck does that prove?

Asinine Assumption #3: Islam invites differences of opinions, considers these a ‘mercy’

Either he’s deliberately being deceitful, or he’s decided to ignore the fact that Islam is still fighting its own theology with other variations of the faith. There has been very little ‘mercy’ in the way Sunni treat Shia, or Shia treat Sunni. And let’s not forget the efforts of the Taliban to destroy the cultural heritages of other faiths. Clearly, he’s in the minority opinion that his religion invites diversity.

Asinine Assumption #4: The Qur’an is a scientific book

This is a common trope of all religions: they claim their obscurist, vague book describes in detail real scientific phenomenon that would have been impossible for desert people to know. For instance, did you know that

1. Humans were created out of a clot of blood.
2. The Sun revolves around the Earth.
3. The Moon is further away than the stars.
4. Your sperm is produced in your spine.
5. Bees eat fruit, not pollen!
6. Birds fly because god wills it.
7. Mohammad flew into the heavens on a winged horse called Buraq.
8. Fresh water and salt water cannot mix.

Need I go on?

Asinine Assumption #5: We believe things based on testimony

If there’s one thing you can rely on, it’s the fact that human beings are the worst, least trustworthy witnesses around. Not only is memory a total wash: it’s notorious for fabricating things. In science, we actually plan for the human element, doing our best to take ourselves as much out of the equation as possible. The idea that knowledge is based on testimony is a religious idea, not a modern one.

Asinine Assumption #6: Islam has no problem with non-believers or apostates

The classic mistake most of these religious apologists make is that they assume their liberal interpretation of their religion is shared by others. That’s simply untrue. The fact remains the vast majority of Muslims do believe non-believers are doomed to hell, and apostasy is a crime punishable by death. Several Muslim countries have these laws in the books, and only international pressure has allowed the stay of executions for unlucky individuals who dare question the ‘truth’ of Islam.

Sorry, I’m a little confused now…who exactly got OWNED here?

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 295

This episode, Ryan joins me as we talk about my experience with visiting JW’s, and a special “God talks” segment, as well as the book “infidel”.

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 295
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Islam’s outrage industry causes more destruction

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With the glory days of Islamic enlightenment a long and distant memory, the only thing it seems this religion can muster is violent outrage these days. If it isn’t a piece of shit Imam claiming that all freethinkers should be prosecuted and jailed, it’s a bunch of religious thugs stirring up violence in order to remove any rivals. In Bangladesh, a country of some roughly 140 million Muslims, the outrage caused by the non-movie The Innocence of Muslims has given people an excuse to act out their violent opposition to other religious faiths. They’ve traded hurt feelings for burnt temples, as thugs set fire to 40 Buddhist temples, injuring 20 people (though luckily it appears that no one was killed). All they needed was the accusation of a Buddhist child having desecrated a Qur’an for the violence to erupt. It really is that easy to get them riled up.

Of course, it’s irrelevant the accusation turned out to be complete garbage: the fact remains their religious insecurities and insanity are a potent enough combination that one only needs to create a spark for this pile of rubber tires soaked in gasoline to be set ablaze. And rather like this noxious combustion, Islam seems poised to continue this campaign of terror, all under the false pretense of ‘hurt feelings’.

As some of you might remember back in 2006 with the Dutch cartoon controversy, the images of Muhammad had been out for some time before violence erupted. It was only when a few influential mullahs got their hands on them that the problems really began. And just like that situation was merely an opportunity for certain individuals to gain more power (and for others to gain an early ticket to oblivion), so too will the outrage industry of Islam continue to oppress other minorities, masking their systematic attack on other faiths as expressions of humiliation or marginalization. It’s time to see through this deception, and hold the people who exploit the insanity of this fucking religion accountable.

Racism disguised as piety

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When you believe in a dogma without question, odds are you’ve managed to find fertile ground for your racist, sexist, or bigoted ideas. Like this South African man who apparently forgot apartheid wasn’t quite over:

A Muslim police officer in Johannesburg says his religion does not allow him to share a toilet with black colleagues, according to a report on Wednesday.

“I am a Muslim and they need to consider my religion. I have to sit when I urinate and I cannot use a dirty toilet. People are narrow-minded and I am a committed Muslim.”

While I’m not a fan of Islam, there isn’t even a theological justification for what this man is saying. He’s just simply a racist d-bag who happens to think everything Mohammad said was the word of God (except for the times when Satan was talking to him), and he wants validation for his shitty behavior through religion.

Don’t you also find it telling the way he tries to turn it around and accuse everyone else of prejudice? This strategy is pretty common in religious circles. These clowns think their beliefs make them a ‘race’, and it’s therefore racist to speak out against their unverifiable claims about the universe (Jews and Muslims make this accusation so often, it’s lost all meaning anyway). It takes guts to tell someone that they have no true understanding of what the word ‘race’ even means. What do you expect when you believe in things without evidence (or even in direct conflict with it)?

Mother gets probation for imprisoning and torturing daugter

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What do you do when your uppity, independent minded 19 year old daughter has the gall to refuse an arranged marriage with a stranger twice her age? Why, you burn her with a hot spoon, that’s what! What better way to preserve your cultural heritage than by torturing your loved ones into submission. Hey, isn’t that what Islam means?

Yusra Farhan won’t be winning any “Mother of the Year” awards, especially considering this isn’t the first time she’s been caught abusing her daughter. In Feb 8th, the whole troop was arrested after they tied the poor girl (who has not been named) to a bed and beat her mercilessly after she was caught talking to a boy. Since this violates their “Iraqi culture”, they decided that the best way to solve the problem was through ritualistic abuse. You know what they say: families that commit felonies together, stay together.