Switzerland votes in favor of ‘burqa ban’
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Location: Switzerland
A far-right measure to ban facial coverings won a slim victory in Switzerland on Sunday, March 7th. The proposal does not explicitly name Islam and also aims to stop violent street protesters, like Antifa, from wearing masks. Despite this, local politicians, media, and campaigners have dubbed it the "burqa ban." Practically no one in the country wears a burqa; the University of Lucerne estimates that only around 30 women wear the niqab. Muslims make up only 5% of Switzerland's population of 8.6 million people. Amnesty International stated, "after the ban on minarets (slender towers that are typically part of mosques), a majority of Swiss voters has once again backed an initiative that discriminates against a single religious community and needlessly stirs up fears and division."
New Study Finds That Being ‘Godless’ May Be Good For Your Health
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Location: North America
Several studies in recent decades found that being religious correlates with good health. Some have been led to conclude, according to those findings, that if religion is good for you, then being an atheist must be bad for your health. But according to a Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick, David Speed, that theory is not entirely true. Speed published his research paper on January 5th, 2021, entitled: Godless in the Great White North: assessing the Health of Canadian Atheists using data from the 2011-2012 Canadian Community Health Survey. Some of the beneficial aspects of being part of a faith group or church — including behavioral rules and social support — aren’t exclusively religious. Religiously active people may have an advantage over atheists with their strength in social support networks. However, there are a growing number of atheist social media networks to communicate with other like-minded atheists who have similar views and life experiences. Speed offers an important note to consider: health and well-being advantages often linked to faith groups’ comes from the social support structure, not the spiritual beliefs touted.
Indian Girl's Beheading Prompts Calls for “Honor Killings” Laws
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Location: Uttar Pradesh, India
On Thursday, March 4th, a man walked from his village home en route to the local police station in northern India — carrying a severed head. A man named Sarvesh Kumar carried the severed head of his 17-year-old daughter to the police station and admitted that he decapitated her as they arrested him. The viral video on social media, shows him carrying the head while he flashes the victory sign with his free hand. His voice is heard describing how he found his daughter at home alone, locked her in a room, and then beheaded her with a sharp object. This rekindled demands from human rights groups and women’s campaigners for better laws to fight against the practice of ‘honor killings’ and improve police investigations while also protecting potential victims. "The issue of a woman's right to choose her own spouse needs immediate attention, and a separate law should be made for dealing with honor killing," said the vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh chapter of All India Democratic Women Association, Ms. Madhu Garg.
Pakistani Court Grants Bail to Christian In Blasphemy Case
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Location: Pakistan
Nabeel Masih, a 16-year-old Christian, was accused in 2016 of committing blasphemy in a Facebook post, a post “defaming and disrespecting” the Kaaba in Mecca. Accusers claimed they discovered a picture on Masih’s timeline depicting a pig on top of the Kaaba. Masih was convicted in 2018 and was given a 10-year prison sentence. That sentence made 18-year-old Masih the youngest person ever convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan after previously serving two years without proper evidence. On March 1st, 2021, a Pakistani court finally awarded bail to Nabeel Masih. Masih’s attorney Naseeb Anjum, reminded the high court that his client has been languishing in jail for more than four years without any court progress. Anjum declared that he will quickly complete the necessary paperwork and free the now 20-year old Masih.
Samuel Paty: French girl admits to lying about murdered teacher
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Location: France
In October 2020, Samuel Paty was beheaded after showing pupils depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. The girl, whose objections sparked an online campaign against Paty, has since admitted that she lied. The 13-year-old girl originally told her father that Paty had asked Muslim students to leave the classroom while he showed the cartoon and that when she complained, she was suspended. The girl's father started a social media campaign over the incident, in which he identified Paty and the school. It then revealed that the campaign against the teacher had been based on a distorted account. Now it appears that the girl was suspended the day before the class was given. The girl explains in her leaked testimony that she made up the story to not disappoint her father. Prosecutors have said that there is a "direct causal link" between the online incitement against Paty and his murder.
Pope Francis Meets Iraq’s Top Ayatollah as Both Urge Peace
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Location: Iraq
On March 5, Pope Francis embarked on a historic four-day trip to Iraq to meet with top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, other religious officials, and laymen of local religious minorities. The meeting was a meaningful milestone in the global history of interfaith dialogue and Iraqi history. He visited Najaf, Ur, Erbil, and Mosul, where he prayed at the ruins of four churches destroyed by ISIS. It was the first nation he visited after the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. Despite the spate of rocket attacks and a deadly bombing in Baghdad in the preceding weeks, he proceeded with his plan. The pope’s visit to Iraq offers moral support to Iraq’s persecuted and dwindling Christian community. Hopefully, it will encourage the Iraqi leadership to put more effort into protecting the many minorities the country is home to.
First Transgender Newscaster in Bangladesh
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Location: Bangladesh
On the anniversary of Bangladesh's 50th years of independence, Boishkahi TV appointed the first-ever transgender newscaster in Bangladesh. Tashnuva Anan Shishir, a model and actor, will start her journey as a news presenter from March 8th, coinciding on International Women's Day. A dancer, model, and voice artist, Tashnuva's precedence as the first-ever transgender news presenter will inspire thousands of transgender women in Bangladesh. Tashnuva said, "I want to build a team... from the transgender community to raise awareness about the obstacles we face. I want to help these individuals build sustainable livelihoods. We need to prioritize people's capabilities over their gender identities."
9-year-old Girl Dies after “Exorcism”
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Location: Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan police say they have arrested two people connected to the death of a 9-year-old girl who was repeatedly beaten during an exorcism ritual. The two suspects in the crime, the woman performing the exorcism and the child's mother, appeared recently in court to hear charges over the girl's death. According to a police spokesperson, the mother believed her daughter had been possessed by a demon and brought her to the exorcist's home so a ritual could be performed to drive the spirit away. The spokesperson said the exorcist first put oil on the girl and then repeatedly hit her with a cane. After the girl lost consciousness, she was taken to a hospital, where she died. The police urged the public to be cautious about such services as the girl was not the first to die during this type of ritual.
First American Caste-Discrimination Lawsuit: New Developments
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Location: California
California regulators sued Cisco Systems in 2020, saying an Indian engineer faced workplace discrimination because he is a Dalit. The State of California alleges that the major tech-industry employer violated civil rights laws by discriminating against a worker because he was born into a lower caste. In October 2020, the federal lawsuit was previously voluntarily dropped by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, saying it will re-file the complaint in a state court. On March 3rd, 2021, a US-based organization fighting against caste discrimination, the Ambedkar International Center (AIC), approached the California Supreme Court to be admitted as an "amicus curiae" in the case. Amicus curiae is a person or organization who is not a party to the litigation at hand but is allowed to offer the court their expertise on the matter concerning the lawsuit. The testimony of this courageous Dalit engineer has opened the floodgates, with many more now speaking openly about their experiences of caste discrimination in the workplace.
Atheist Republic DEMONITIZED on YouTube!
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On March 8th, 2021, it was brought to the attention of Atheist Republic leadership that their Youtube Channel had been demonetized. YouTube has notified Atheist Republic that the channel was demonetized for containing “harmful or hateful conduct.” More specifically; “content that is incendiary, demeaning, or promoting violence or hatred, especially on the basis of protected characteristics.” We can reapply for the YouTube Partnership Program to earn our monetization back in one month, after removing the problematic videos & content. However, with no feedback from YouTube on what protected group or class we were allegedly hateful towards, or in what specific video, we can’t tell what videos to delete. If we reach 1000 patrons, we will be able to keep paying all of our team members without ever having to worry about being demonetized or removed from any platform ever again. Please help us get there by supporting our work on Patreon.
