Muslim clerics declared victory last week in Niger after the government agreed to withdraw a course on sexual and reproductive health from the school syllabus. Islamic organizations and leaders denounced the classes as against Muslim values. Niger has the world’s highest fertility rate and 30 percent of girls are married by the age of 15. The country reports that average of around eight children per woman.
By age 18, 77 percent of girls are married in Niger which is predominantly Muslim.
The course, “Training on sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people for responsible behaviour,” was introduced in September in conjunction with the United Nations. It taught that people could decide if and when they had romantic relations or marriage. That outraged many clerics.
World health officials denounced the decision and noted that 73 percent of adolescent girls are still illiterate in Niger because they are forced into marriages. The spokesman for Islamic groups, Sambo Ousman, rejected such arguments as teaching “wrong” lessons and said that the decision to end the program affirmed that “the good running of education must involve Muslims.” He added that “Islamic associations do not in any way accept . . . the total lack of morality by undermining our values without exception, the confusion between freedom and licentiousness and the legalization of fornication and homosexuality.”
Fear of violence will not stop until the violence is stopped!
Atheism has fundamentalist evangelists.
Atheism has <a href="http://ffrf.org/uploads/images/ffrf-brookville5.jpg" fundamentalist evangelists.
Atheism has its own Saints.
Atheism makes their own religious displays.
Atheism is a religion.
Nothing new here. Just another example of how people will use whatever tools handy to dominate others for their own gain. It’s tragically sad. And there is no easy solution for them.
Yeah, commies back then were brutal – now they just shoot down airliners and slaughter civilians.
We welcome our new commie overlords!
“Pogo Hears a Who
No, I am saying that atheists directly killed 200 million people solely because of the atheist religion.”
_______________________________________________________________
Really?
1. Atheists do not believe in religion – thus your response is nonsense – Climate Change is not a religion – Evolution is not a religion – Christianity is a religion – the Muslims Clerics listed in the article appear to support an intolerant religion – Christians trying to pass kill the gays bills are religion based – but atheists do not believe in religion – no matter how much one’s attempt to change reality would assist weak religious based arguments
2. 200 Million killed because of atheism? Let’s see – was each person’s individual religion was checked? and only killed those that were religious? And didn’t kill even one atheist? And even now China goes after Falun Gong not because they feel it threatens their control/power? but only because of religion? Guess they have jailed or killed every religious person in China? or maybe not
@ Annie – my comment about revisionist history is quickly seen
@ pogo – the communists back then were brutal – no doubt – but the targeting of religious figures was based on the need for power and control – that said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion – especially wacky ones that breed on internet chat boards
Bill W – atheism is a religion. Climate changers have developed the religion of climate change.
I just don’t understand why these people continue to have children when they know they can not feed them. Religious views or not, continuing to bring vulnerable children into the world is reckless. Surely they don’t expect the USA to continue to feed them year after year after year. Well, I guess they do or they would stop squeaking out so many kids. Don’t have more children that YOU personally can take care of. Don’t you feel distraught when one of your children die from hungry? Can’t you put two and two together and think, hmmmmm if I didn’t have so many kids, I could feed the 2 or 3 that I started with and then none of the children would die. Third world mentality.
Time for the rise of the Unions. Come the revolution.
Scary but true. However, a couple averaging a 140 IQ having children should produce enough Generals for all those privates. This is the future of America with Generals like the Koch brothers keeping the worker pool pregnant, desperate, and willing to make it by on subsistence wages. Andrew Carnegie did it. All the big boys did it, do it, and will do it. It is the formula of the oligarchical government we have. Just be available when we call you, stay by the phone, you are a temp worker, if you don’t come when we call we will not call again. Walmart.
No, I am saying that atheists directly killed 200 million people solely because of the atheist religion.
Pogo, I know you were quite depressed, to the point of being morose actually over the SC ACA decision, but that’s no reason to think everyone is equally as morose. Cheer up! I’m glad you returned to life after that huge blow.
Annie – if you are on ACA, wait until you see your bill after the election. Projections are a 78% raise in rates for some people.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/01/09/the-worlds-happiest-and-saddest-countries-2/
The happiest and the saddest nations in the world. From Forbes no less!
@ Pogo – are you trying to say to say that atheists directly killed 200 million religious people solely because of their religion? Or because they were consolidating power and would kill anyone who threatened that power?
“.. their happiness quotient highest in the world.”
But they are not reproducing, so they’ll be gone in two generations.
And happy?
Dark lands: the grim truth behind the ‘Scandinavian miracle’
Not so much.
In the Guardian no less.
“propaganda against atheists/non-religious”
Never mind the 200 million dead by the atheists in the 20th century.
Propaganda!
Ooooo those scary European socialistic countries, their happiness quotient highest in the world. Totalitarian!
Annie – what is the happiness quotient of the UK?
One negative effect of wide availability of birth control is that high achieving women have fewer babies and underachieving women have more. Average intelligence levels decline.
Idiocracy IRL