Update on Zara Kay: Australian Gov must get involved!
https://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/2021/01/update-no-5-australian-government-n...
HELP Zara: https://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/2020/12/urgent-action-update-2-drop-all-cha...

Atheist Republic is reiterating its call upon the Australian Government to prioritize & work urgently to ensure the safe return of atheist activist Zara Kay. Zara, Founder of Australian charity Faithless Hijabi, was detained in Tanzania on trumped-up charges on 28 December 2020 and held for 32 hours. Since being bailed, Zara has been made to report to the police station every single weekday until 11 January. Now, she has had to report sporadically. In the over three weeks since her initial detainment, there has been no court date or movement towards a resolution of her case. The continued and unnecessary delays raise serious concerns regarding Zara’s safety. The Australian government has a duty to protect its citizens abroad!
CALL TO ACTION: You can help by contacting Australian authorities and demanding they step up their advocacy for Zara Kay. Australian citizens should be able to rely on their government to help them fight judicial harassment when overseas.
#JusticeForZaraKay #JusticeForZara #StandUpForZaraKay

Indian Man Spied for Pakistan in Exchange for Nudes
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/indian-man-spied-pakistan-exchange-...
Location: India

India’s Crime Inspection Department (CID) apprehended a man enticed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to leak sensitive information with nude photos of women and seductive conversations with them, India Today reported. He added that his greed for more pornography led him to reveal secret military information. “Satyanarayan Paliwal… has been booked and arrested by CID (Special Branch) on espionage charges. He has confessed to being in touch with an agent of Pakistan intelligence agency and possessing sensitive military information,” said Rajasthan Police as per a report in ANI. While being interrogated, Paliwal claimed women tempted him on behalf of ISI. They often had erotic conversations with him and shared nude photos to persuade him to share information regarding the Army’s movement in border areas and the Pokhran firing range. Paliwal said he became greedy and started sending more sensitive information about the Indian Army to the agency for more photos and long conversations.

Ahmadiyya Sect’s Faith in Question in Malaysia
https://www.facebook.com/130148817071986/posts/3944877828932380
Location: Malaysia

On March 19th, the High Court in Malaysia will decide whether the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam is legally considered Muslim or otherwise. This will be a key development, as thus far, Pakistan is the only nation to have officially declared “Ahmadis” to be non-Muslims. A three-member Court of Appeals bench chaired by Badariah Sahamid sent the case back on August 27th, ordering the High Court to ascertain the individuals' religious beliefs. Badariah, who has since retired, said the Selangor shariah court had no jurisdiction over them if they were Ahmadiyya by authentic faith. She said that, should it be proven that they were following the faith after apostatizing from Islam, the religious court had authority over them. Going back to July 6th, 2018, Vazeer ruled that the Selangor shariah court had no right to interfere with the religious activities in the Ahmadiyya community. Muslims from larger sects, such as Sunnism, generally regard Ahmadis as non-Muslims, apostates, or heretics. The judge also ruled that the Selangor Islamic Religious Department does not have the legal authority to bring charges against members of the sect for violating a state fatwa against Ahmadiyya teachings.

Muslims Jailed for Forced Conversion of Sikh Girl in Pakistan
https://www.facebook.com/130148817071986/posts/3944724018947761
Location: Pakistan

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced three (out of the eight Muslims accused) to imprisonment along with a fine for forced kidnapping, conversion, and marriage of a Sikh girl in 2019. The court sentenced Muhammad Ehsan to jail for two years. The other two, Muhammad Salman and Muhammad Ahmed, were penalized with six months in prison and a fine of Rs 10,000 each. The case gained legal attention after Jagjit Kaur, was forcibly taken from her home by Muhammad Ehsan and his family. They later forced Kaur to convert to Islam and marry Ehsan, changing her name from Jagjit Kaur to Ayesha. The matter gained global attention when the Sikh community demanded that Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, honor his claims about the protection of minority communities in the country and ensure the return of Kaur to her family. The community also presented significant allegations regarding the forced conversion of minorities in Pakistan.

LGBT Virgin Mary Declared Blasphemous in Poland
https://www.facebook.com/130148817071986/posts/3945644352189061
Location: Poland

Three female Polish activists are on trial, facing two years in prison for offending religious feelings. The indictment follows an incident in April 2019, when posters and stickers bearing a rainbow-haloed version of the Black Madonna appeared near a church in Płock, a city in central Poland. The doctored image traded the golden halos around the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus with representations of a rainbow flag, a common symbol of the LGBT community. Authorities charged the women with "offending religious beliefs" under article 196 of Poland's Criminal Code.  The trial, which began Wednesday, captivates international attention both for the use of the controversial law protecting religious feelings and raising the issue of LGBTQ rights in Poland. Last year, President Andrzej Duda told an election rally that "LGBT ideology" was "more dangerous than communism."

Former US Presidential Spiritual Advisor Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison
https://www.facebook.com/130148817071986/posts/3945450125541817
Location: United States of America

The former Houston megachurch pastor, Kirbyjon Caldwell, was once a spiritual adviser to presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The pastor was a frequent visitor to the White House during the George W. Bush administration and even officiated Jenna Bush's wedding. In Louisiana, authorities sentenced Caldwell to six years in federal prison for defrauding more than two dozen people out of millions of dollars by selling worthless Chinese bonds. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Louisiana, Caldwell and Louisiana financial adviser Gregory Alan Smith were indicted in 2018 by federal officials after encouraging 29 people to invest about $3.5 million (between April 2013 to August 2014) in historical bonds issued by China before the Communist takeover in 1949. They told investors they could see returns as high as 15 times their initial investment. Sadly, the bonds from the former Republic of China existed only before the communist takeover there in 1949. Now the bonds are considered to be no more than "collectible memorabilia" by the Securities and Exchange Commission."

Thai Woman Gets 43 Years For Sharing Criticism of Monarchy
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/thai-woman-gets-43-years-sharing-cr...
Location: Thailand

Accused of criticizing the royal family, authorities sentenced a Thai woman to 43 years in prison, the harshest sentence ever for insulting the monarchy in this country. This sentence could be seen as a "warning shot" to protesters demanding reform in the kingdom, according to analysts. The former public servant, known only as Anchan, posted audio clips from a podcast on social media. The 63-year-old said she shared the audio files but never commented on the content. Thailand's lèse-majesté law forbids any insult to the monarchy and is among the world's strictest restrictions on free speech. Thailand resuscitated the controversial law last year after a three-year break; in an effort to curb demonstrators from demanding changes to the monarchy with anti-government protests. According to her lawyer, Reuters news agency reported that Anchan pled guilty to 29 distinct violations related to sharing and posting clips on YouTube and Facebook between 2014 and 2015.

Utah Charter School Linked to Polygamous Mormons Under Investigation
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/utah-charter-school-linked-polygamo...
Location: Utah, United States of America

The West Valley City public charter school is under investigation by The Utah State Charter School Board for its lack of diversity and spending irregularities. FOX 13 News reported that Vanguard Academy has ties to the Kingston group, a known polygamous sect of Mormonism in Utah. Within the past five years, Vanguard Academy has enrolled only one non-white student. The school also spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on companies related to the Kingston family, according to public records. The Kingston group is one of Utah's only hate groups, declared such by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2017. "Vanguard has never, and will never, use discrimination or bias to describe enrollment or single out our students based on race, religion, family surname, or any other association," said Suzanne Owen, the Vanguard Academy principal. Owen also commented that she was “not familiar” with the Kingston group. However, multiple past and present members of the Kingston group and family members say that Owen is one of the "spiritual" wives to Hyrum Kingston. A former member of the group, stated, "...it's a well-known fact that Suzanne is married to Hyrum Kingston, which is the leader's brother... I think if Suzanne is going to lie about even being affiliated with the Kingstons, then that just discredits everything else that she said."

Indian Muslim Comedian Munawar Faruqui Jailed Despite No Evidence of Blasphemy
https://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/indian-muslim-comedian-munawar-faru...
Location: India

Munawar Faruqui was detained following a complaint by members of a right-wing vigilante group in India. He was denied bail twice despite officials saying they had no video evidence of him "insulting" Hindu deities. On January 1st, 2021, police arrested Faruqui and four others at Monroe's Cafe', India's central city of Indore, where the comedians planned to perform. Some critics say that Indian comedian Munawar Faruqui's arrest is an attack on freedom of speech. As he continues confinement without bail, the well-known comedian now awaits his fate in two states after being arrested for allegedly insulting Hindu deities. Each investigation potentially carries a four-year prison term. But no evidence exists to justify the arrest. On January 13th, Officer Khatri denied that police had any such video proof against Faruqui, but he defended Faruqui's arrest. Khatri praised the Hindu vigilantes for being 'active and alert.' He added, 'it didn't really matter' if Faruqui was innocent of the allegations. A video surfaced of Faruqui's performance in April 2020. Officer Khatri said the video, where the comedian found humor in a popular Hindi song, also proves Faruqui's 'intent' in the 2021 case. "They were going to do it, anyway," he added.
Atheist Republic takes Twitter to the Better Business Bureau!

Armin and Susanna discuss how the President & CEO of Atheist Republic, Susanna,  was suspended from Twitter without notice. They discuss what they believe likely triggered this ban without explanation and a specific individual who may be behind it. They also discuss their newly devised plan to file a complaint against Twitter via the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and the Federal Trade Commission if necessary.