Is Indian Superstition Replacing Rationality in Academia?

As Hindu nationalism continues to grow its influence in India, pseudoscience and falsehoods, often based on Hindu mythology and belief systems, are finding their way into the country’s top academic institutions, where the next generation of India’s scientists, doctors, and other experts are being educated.

4-Year-Old Child Sacrificed in Tantric Rituals in India

A four-year-old boy was found dead in India, with his body containing injuries sustained from what authorities believe was a human sacrifice ritual.

Four people have been arrested in UP's #Amethi after a 4-year-old boy was found dead in a pond with injuries sustained during "tantric" rituals. https://t.co/snriydBYIa

Upper Caste Hindus Threaten Immolation to Keep "Untouchables" Out of Temple

A temple entry issue raged in the village of Melpathi in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where some members of upper-caste Hindus blocked a local temple and even threatened to immolate themselves to stop Dalits from entering.

Widow Sacrifice Ritual: Indian Woman's Suicide Sparks Debate Over Tradition

A female engineer in the Indian state of Gujarat committed suicide after her in-laws allegedly pressured her to perform Sati, an ancient, now illegal practice in Hinduism where a widow sits on top of her deceased husband’s funeral pyre.

Two Men Hanged in Iran For “Blasphemy” Charges

Iranian authorities announced that two men accused of blasphemy were hanged amidst a rising number of executions since the protests that rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini under police custody in September 2022.

Witchcraft: Culture or Curse? African Union Addresses Dark Side of Belief

The legislative body of the African Union is planning to implement new rules to protect victims of ritual attacks and prevent people accused of witchcraft from being harmed and abused.

The Pan-African Parliament, a body attended by representatives from 48 African countries, met in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss the adoption of extensive guidelines that seek to help governments across the continent by teaching them strategies on how to tackle dangerous superstitions linked to witchcraft that often leads to attacks and abuse.

Self-Beheading: Indian Couple Commits Shocking Sacrificial Ritual

The state of Gujarat in western India was shocked upon hearing the news of a husband and wife committing suicide by decapitation as part of a gory sacrificial ritual. The couple’s family members reported that they had been offering prayers in their hut every day since last year.

"Starvation as a Path to Jesus": Kenyan Pastor Arrested After Followers Die

Authorities in Kenya found 15 thin and malnourished followers of a Kenyan church on the property of the organization’s pastor. Four of these 15 devotees died after the group was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Indian Woman's Menstrual Blood Sold for Witchcraft

A woman from Pune in the western Indian state of Maharashtra filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws for allegedly harassing her and collecting her menstrual blood for Aghori rituals before selling it, shocking many in the state.

The woman, who was not identified, lodged a first information report (FIR) detailing how her husband and his family harassed and abused her since she married him in 2019.

Indian Human Sacrifice Case Prompts Calls for Laws Against Superstition

A case of human sacrifice in Kerala, India, has garnered concern about the need for a law against black magic and harmful rituals performed in the name of "faith."

The gruesome deaths of two mercilessly assaulted and murdered women have brought attention to many who want an appropriate law against the harmful and evil rituals performed in the name of superstitions.