Category: Religion

Sudanese Police Beat Women Protesting Pants Ban

300px-Fomfr_whipSudanese police beat women protesting outside a Sudanese court Tuesday during the trial of Lubna Hussein, a former U.N. worker and journalist, who is facing flogging for wearing pants in violation of Islamic laws. We previously discussed the story, here. The police fired tear gas into a group of 50 or so women and beat them with batons for protesting against the Sharia court proceeding. Hussein’s lawyer was also beaten.
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Federal Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Santeria Priest in Home Sacrifices

goatvi3The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled in favor of a Santeria priest — Jose Merced, 46 — who sacrificed goats in his Texas home in Euless. The court ruled that the prohibition on the ritual violated the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act (TRFRA).

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Creationist Kills Evolutionist With Knife But Is Sentenced to Just Five Years After Court Finds Him a “Person of Good Character” and the Killing “A Complete Aberration”

320px-Ape_skeletonsScotsman Rudi Boa, 28, and his girlfriend Gillian Brown were on a trip to New South Wales, Australia when they met English backpacker Alexander Christian York, 33. The couple and York had some drinks and soon got into an argument over evolution. York ended up stabbing Boa to death but was given just a five-year sentence because the court found him a decent chap and the killing an “aberration.”
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New Alleged Victims Come Forward to Accuse Scientology Leader David Miscavige Of Assault

488px-scientology_symbolsvgIn the aftermath of recent stories of alleged abuse, additional former member of the Church of Scientology have come forward with accounts of abuse and claims of cult-like activities — including members who accuse Scientology Leader David Miscavige of assault.
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Former Journalist and United Nations Worker Faces Flogging in Sudan for Wearing Pants

300px-Fomfr_whipLubna Hussein, a former journalist and current United Nations worker, is facing 40 lashes for the crime of wearing pants in a public place — an act of unspeakable “indecency” under Sharia law in Sudan. She says that 10 other women arrested at a restaurant in Khartoum, including some non-Muslims, were already flogged.

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Official British Military Magazine “Soldier” Features Openly Gay Soldier on Cover Next to Headline “Pride”

blogimage_gaysoldier2.jpg_thumbs_600x852_thumbs_200x284The British army took a remarkable and commendable step this month by featuring Trooper James Wharton, an openly gay soldier. While U.S. military officers continue to fret over gays in the military and discharge decorated heroes for their private relations, the British has shown that tough guys can be gay guys.

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Sixteen-Year-Old Girl in Pakistan is Beaten and Gang Raped for a Year Before Being Turned Over to Police — Who Beat and Gang Rape Her

pray04sthumbnailPakistan flagThere is another horrific story out of Pakistan in the abuse of women and girls. In this case, Assiya Rafiq, 16, was kidnapped by a group of men who proceeded to beat and rape her for a year. When police accused them of bank robbery, the men agreed to turn over a bribe — and Assiya. The Police Chief and his officers then allegedly proceeded to rape her and accuse her of bank robbery.

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Matchmaker: New York Rabbi Arrested As Head of International Organ Trafficking Ring

200px-MatchmakerDVD2Rabbi Izhak Levy Rosenbaum of Brooklyn has been arrested for running an international human organ selling ring. Rosenbaum’s role was disclosed to the FBI by an anthropologist, Nancy Scheper-Hughes of the University of California, Berkeley, who has been studying organ markets. She described him as the “main broker” in the international trafficking of human organs — allegedly taken from “vulnerable” people in Moldova, Israel and possibly other countries and sold to wealthy recipients in the United States. Rosenbaum called himself “the matchmaker.”
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Saudi Arabia Arrests Man For Speaking About His Sex Life in Public

Saudi Arabia flagSaudi Arabian police have arrested Mazen Abdul Jawad for the crime of speaking about his sex life in public. Shariah law makes it a crime for him to be “publicizing his sinful behavior,” according to prosecutors. Various people filed complaints after Jawad appeared on a Lebanese show called “Red Line.”
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Arizona Father Reportedly Tells Police to Keep Raped Eight-Year-Old Girl

125px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg200px-flag_of_the_united_statessvgThe recent gang rape of an eight-year-old girl by four boys — aged 9-14 — was shocking enough. Now, police have stated that the girl’s father — who is from Liberia — blamed the girl for being raped and told that police “Take her, I don’t want her.”
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North Korea Executes Woman For Distributing Bibles

140px-Family-bible225px-Kim-jong-il_portrait North Korea has added yet another infamy to its record: the execution of Ri Hyon Ok, 33, for distributing Bibles. As is often the case, North Korea tacked on a charge of spying for South Korea and the United States — as if the two countries would enlist a spy who divides her time between surveillance and evangelical activities.
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Rabbis and Mayors Arrested in New Jersey Public Corruption Probe

mayorpetercammarano1ElwellA group of rabbis were among the 30 or so people arrested in New Jersey with two mayors in a major corruption probe. Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III (left) and Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell (right) were among those arrested in what is described as a “high-volume, international money-laundering conspiracy” where the rabbis used their their religious organizations to launder the money. There are also allegations of cash-filled envelopes going to politicians in garden-variety corruption claims.

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