Six Sentenced to Death for Murder of Bangladeshi Gay Rights Activists

April 2016 was a dark time for Bangladesh’s LGBTQ+ community. On April 25, 2016, Bangladesh’s top gay rights activist, Xulhaz Mannan, was brutally murdered along with actor Rabbi Tonoy, identified by the local media as Tanay Mojumdar. Both are figureheads, pillars in Bangladesh’s thriving LGBTQ+ community.

International Criminal Court Charges Iranian National for 1988 Massacre

On June 22, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in Sweden began the trial for an Iranian national. The unnamed respondent is suspected of playing a vital role in the series of killings in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War.

Danish Creator of Famed Muhammad cartoon, Kurt Westergaard, dies at 86

Kurt Westergaard,a Danish cartoonist for Jyllands-Posten conservative newspaper since the 1980s, dies at age 86. According to the Danish Berlingske newspaper’s interview with the family, he died in his sleep after suffering from deteriorating health.

Extreme Church Program Accused of Abusing Kids With Fight Nights & Shame

NBC News interviewed a handful of former students (or ex-interns) regarding a Christian leadership training program at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, LA. These ex-interns attested that the program was abnormally brutal. They described their disturbing experiences.

Pakistani Taliban Claims Responsibility For Deadly Hotel Blast

On Wednesday April 21st, a deadly suicide blast took place inside the parking area of Serena Hotel in Quetta, Pakistan. The hotel is part of a five-star chain popular with diplomats and aid agencies and was also hosting the Chinese Ambassador in southwest Pakistan on the day of the blast.

Prophet Muhammad cartoon sparks massive fallout at UK Grammar School

On March 22nd, a West Yorkshire school teacher showed his students a cartoon image depicting the prophet Muhammad to illustrate a lesson within the school’s curriculum. Within three days, at least 50 demonstrators gathered outside of Batley Grammar School to protest the teacher’s actions.

Canada Declares China’s Actions Against Uyghurs is Genocide

Canada’s House of Commons voted unanimously to affirm that China’s actions toward it’s ethnic minority of Uyghurs is genocide. Justin Trudeau and liberal members of his cabinet did not attend the vote on Monday. By declaring China’s “reeducation” camps as part of an ongoing campaign of genocide, Canada joins the United States as the second nation to stand up to China’s violations of human rights.

Five Sentenced to Death in Bangladesh for Killing Atheist Blogger

In February 2015, a renowned Bangladeshi-American blogger and published author, Avijit Roy, was gruesomely murdered in Dhaka at age 42. Roy was a notableadvocate of the free-thought movement, particularly in Bangladesh,

Roy was an American citizen of Bangladeshi provenance and a critic of religious extremism. He was publicly assaulted by machete-wielding assassins who butchered him to death as he and his wife were leaving a Dhaka book fair in February 2015. His wife, Rafida Ahmed, suffered head injuries and lost a finger.

27% of White Evangelicals Think QAnon is Real

Among white evangelicals, over 25 percent still believe in “QAnon” conspiracy theories. This may suggest some people experience difficulty abandoning one conspiracy theory when they believe whole-heartedly in another.

Five Arrested For Threatening Teen Who Said “Islam is a ‘S**t’ Religion”

Police recently arrested five people for making death threats against the French teenager who said Islam is a ‘shit’ religion in a viral video.

Mila, the teenage girl (her last name is kept private), previously defended her intense atheist beliefs on French television after she offended Islam. During one outburst, she said the Quran is ‘full of hate.’