THEOCRACY AS FASCISM |
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The Zero's intent with this newly–added (but often integral) category is not to disrespect any religion, spiritual beliefs, or lack thereof. Our only concern is behavior. Our equation is simply: Theocracy = Fascism. It matters not which particular religious mantle such individuals cloak themselves in — Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist — anyone who forces compliance with their own "interpretation" of religious doctrine is a fascist, and you already know what The Zero thinks of fascism.
Examples are presented via date order, and never separated out as to the belief–system involved — no matter what sort of "godly" aspirations they may claim, scratch any Theocrat, and you'll find a Fascist.
With sex outside marriage punishable by jail, migrant workers who become pregnant are often forced to keep their babies locked away
"A sweltering, windowless room in an old district of Dubai, no more than 5 metres by 3 metres in size, is home to nine people from the Philippines. Eight are adults, working long hours in low-paid jobs so they can send money home to their families. The ninth is a six-year-old boy.
His name is Jerry and he shares a tiny bed with his mother, Neng. Jerry loves dancing, Peppa Pig and doughnuts. This small dark room is the only home he has known, as he's spent his life in hiding as a stateless child. Growing up without a birth certificate or any other identification means he has no access to education and has never visited a doctor. Officially, this little boy does not exist."
The Guardian (Dubai), January 2, 2019
Woman who Bolsonaro insulted: 'Our president-elect encourages rape'
"In 2013, Bolsonaro was one of the authors of a bill proposing to revoke the right for rape victims to get legal abortions. Several days before his election, he signed a "term of commitment" with the Catholic church, pledging to defend the "right to life, starting from conception"."
The Guardian, December 23, 2018
Spokane GOP leader authors 'Biblical Basis for War' manifesto calling for end to abortion, same-sex marriage and death of enemies who disagree
"A Washington state GOP politician is facing fallout after he authored a chilling "Biblical Basis for War" manifesto that calls for an end to abortions and same-sex marriage.
Matt Shea, a four-term rep from Spokane who wants the eastern half of Washington to become a 51st state called Liberty, recently admitted in a Facebook Live video that he created the document.
The four-page document, leaked online by Spokane resident Tanner Rowe, includes multiple biblical citations and says vanquished enemies must "stop all abortions," disavow Communism, prohibit same-sex marriage and "obey Biblical law."
"If they do not yield – kill all males," the document reads.
"
NY Daily News, October 31, 2018
Texas jury convicts immigrant in 'honor killings' case
"HOUSTON — A Jordanian immigrant could face the death penalty after a Texas jury convicted him of killing his daughter's American husband and an Iranian women's rights activist in what prosecutors described as "honor killings."
Prosecutors say Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan was enraged when Nesreen Irsan left home to marry a Christian and convert to Christianity, so he orchestrated the killings of his son-in-law and his daughter's close friend who had encouraged the marriage.
"Honor and shame, that's what this is all about," special prosecutor Anna Emmons told jurors. "You heard him say honor is a big deal to him. And the only way to clean that honor is to kill.""
AP, July 26, 2018
Sudanese teen bride who killed husband during rape to be executed
"Hussein said that she refused to have sex with her husband after the ceremony, but on the sixth day, he raped her as three of his male relatives held her down to restrain her.
The following day, he attempted to rape her again and as she struggled to stop him, she stabbed him, killing him.
A Sharia court, which follows Islamic religious law, found Hussein guilty of premeditated murder last month and on Thursday officially sentenced her to death by hanging. Her lawyers have 15 days to appeal. "
Reuters, May 10, 2018
Iowa congressman Steve King implies that Muslim children are holding back 'our civilization'
" Rep. Steve King wrote his comment with a retweet of a message endorsing the anti-Islamic views of Geert Wilders, a far-right candidate in the Dutch election for prime minister.
"Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies," King wrote."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, March 12, 2017
Evangelical council's manifesto about 'biblical sexuality' and same-sex sin is straight out of the 1980s
" A religious coalition doubled down on their beliefs that "homosexual immorality" is sinful and that marriage should be between a man and a woman in a new statement signed by more than 100 Evangelical leaders.
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood on Tuesday released a statement on "biblical sexuality" that they've christened the Nashville Statement. It outlines 14 affirmations and denials pertaining to religion and human sexuality "in the hope of serving Christ's church," the statement's preamble reads.
The aim of the document is to address those who believe they can change God's design of man and woman in an increasingly post-Christian world, according to the statement."
NY Daily News, Augst 30, 2017
2 women unite to take 'honor' out of killing in Pakistan
"Naeema Kishwar shrouds herself in a burqa, showing only her eyes. She belongs to a political party that has been linked to the Taliban. And she comes from deeply conservative tribal lands where girls have been killed for going to school.
Sughra Imam sometimes wears a scarf draped lightly on her hair, but often her head is bare. She belongs to a liberal party whose leader, Benazir Bhutto, the first female prime minister of this predominantly Muslim nation, was assassinated by extremists. She comes from a prominent Pakistani family and was educated at Harvard.
But at least one thing unites the two: they have spent their political careers fighting for women. Although they have never met, and usually are on opposite sides of the aisle, Kishwar and Imam became unlikely allies in the battle to pass a historic law to protect women from murder by members of their own families."
http://www.foxnews.com, October 31, 2016.
Pakistani mother sentenced to death after burning daughter alive in 'honor killing'
"When she learned that her daughter Zeenat Rafiq had married a man of her choosing, Parveen Bibi allegedly complained that she'd brought shame to the family and beat her until she bled; days later, she burned the 18-year-old alive. "
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, January 16, 2017.
Marco Rubio says pregnant women infected with Zika virus shouldn't be allowed to have abortions
"Zika, which has infected 1,400 people in America, can cause birth defects in the babies of women infected with the disease, including microcephaly — a serious condition where newborn babies are born with unnaturally small heads."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, August 7, 2016.
Pregnant Pakistani woman killed by family for marrying a man of her own choosing
" A pregnant Pakistani woman's throat was slit by her own brother Thursday as revenge for the woman marrying a man against her family's wishes three years ago, police said.
Muqaddas Tawfeeq, 22, was lured home by her mother years after family ties were severed over the marriage, police told CNN. When she arrived, she was murdered by her brother."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, June 17, 2016.
Catholic Church ACQUITS Mexican priest who admitted raping 30 young girls even though he knew he was infected with HIV
"According to a bombshell report, which appeared in the Spanish-language news site Urgente24.com, the priest, Jose Garcia Ataulfo, was absolved of any wrongdoing by the Archdiocese of Mexico.
Ataulfo has admitted to sexually assaulting indigenous young girls from Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico known for its large indigenous population."
www.dailymail.co.uk, September 20, 2016.
Queens Democratic candidate wants to erase same-sex couples from school textbooks
"S.J. Jung, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky in the Sept. 13 primary, made the remarks in March to a group made up primarily of Korean churches."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, August 29, 2016.
California pastor rejoices in massacre at Orlando gay club: ‘The tragedy is that more of them didn’t die’
"“The tragedy is that more of them didn’t die,” Pastor Roger Jimenez told his Sacramento church Sunday morning, just hours after 49 people were killed in Orlando. “I’m kind of upset he didn’t finish the job — because these people are predators.”"
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, June 14, 2016.
Girl, 11, gives birth in Paraguay after abortion denied; stepfather charged
" ASUNCION, Paraguay — An 11-year-old Paraguayan girl who had been denied an abortion gave birth on Thursday, the culmination of a case that put a spotlight on child rape in the poor South American nation and drew criticism from human rights groups.
Elizabeth Torales, a lawyer for the girl's mother, told The Associated Press that the minor gave birth to a baby girl via cesarean in a Red Cross hospital in Asuncion, Paraguay's capital. Torales said that doctors told her there were no complications and both the mother and baby were resting. She said that her client, the daughter who gave birth and the girl's grandmother had requested custody of the infant."
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, August 13, 2015.
6 stabbed at Jerusalem gay pride march — allegedly by Orthodox Jew who just got out of prison for similar attack
"A homosexual-hating Orthodox Jew who did time for attacking marchers at a gay parade 10 years ago struck again Thursday, stabbing six people in Jerusalem with a large knife before he was wrestled to the ground."
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, July 30, 2015.
Pregnant 10–year–old 'denied abortion after being raped by stepfather'
"A 10–year–old girl who fell pregnant after being raped by her stepfather has been refused permission to have an abortion, a charity claims.
The child was admitted to hospital in Paraguay with stomach pains and doctors later discovered she was 21–weeks pregnant after being raped by her stepfather, Amnesty International said.
The charity said despite the high risk of the pregnancy and her mother's request, she has not been allowed to have an abortion.
Amnesty said the decision is 'tantamount to torture' and could have 'devastating consequences' on her health."
ITV News, April 30, 2015.
Corporations, cities and celebrities drive push to boycott Indiana after governor signs controversial religious freedom bill
"'The message this legislation sends to tourists, Indy local and the overall business community is one of exclusion,' Swartout said in Thursday's statement. 'It is clear that the Indianapolis business community is not in favor of the state's legislation'."
Daily News, March 27, 2015.
Religious freedom at heart of same–sex marriage political battle
"The wide–ranging bills would prohibit same–sex parents from adopting; penalize government employees who issue marriage licenses; and create loopholes for what amounts to discrimination against LGBT couples on religious grounds.
They have been filed in more than one–third of the 50 states, including Texas, Florida, Arkansas and Alabama."
Daily News, March 23, 2014.
Catholic League president says 'Muslims are right to be angry', Charlie Hebdo's publisher played 'role' in death
"Bill Donohue blamed the French satirical magazine's 'intolerance' while insulting religious figures for Wednesday's mass execution of 10 Charlie Hebdo employees and two police officers."
Daily News, January 07, 2014.
India Hindu group to press ahead on conversions in challenge to PM Modi
"NEW DELHI (Reuters)—The head of India's most powerful Hindu group vowed to press ahead with a campaign to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, stoking a sensitive debate that has stalled parliament and threatened the prime minister's economic reform agenda."
Reuters Press, December 21, 2014.
"Roeder, 56, testified at his trial that he killed Tiller, 67, to stop abortions, but appealed his conviction for first degree murder and the Sedgwick County District Court's sentence, referred to colloquially as a Hard 50 sentence."
Reuters Press, October 24, 2014.
Kurdish Female Fighters Face Jihadists in Iraq's North
"IS–led militants have overrun large areas of Iraq, and the group also controls significant territory in neighbouring Syria, enacting its harshly restrictive and brutal interpretation of Islamic law in both countries.
Tekoshin, 27, says she and other women are fighting the group not only because of the threat it poses to Kurds but because it 'is against women's liberation'."
AFP, September 13, 2014.
Al–Qaida leader says it has expanded into India
"NEW DELHI (AP)—Promising to "storm your barricades with cars packed with gunpowder," al–Qaida announced Thursday it had created an Indian branch that the terror network vowed would bring Islamic rule to the entire subcontinent."
Associated Press, September 04, 2014.
Indian Teen Raped, Murdered After She Protested the Public Beating of her Dad: Report
"The 16–year–old had gone missing after trying to protect her dad from being attacked by village elders. Three men have been arrested in West Bengal state after her battered body was found near railroad tracks."
Daily News, September 03, 2014.
Video Shows Sexual Harassment Common for Women in Egypt
"Sexual assaults in the country had become more frequent and brutal since the 2011 overthrow of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. Women who took part in political gatherings were especially targeted. But there is some momentum for changes in the culture."
Daily News, September 03, 2014.
'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Roberts on ISIS: 'Convert them or kill them.'
"Robertson's solution of "convert or die" was a chilling echo of the ultimatum that Islamic State militants gave to Christians, Yazidis and other minority religious sects who live in their new "caliphate." "Hundreds" of men have been killed for refusing to convert to the Islamic State's extremist interpretation of Islam," Amnesty International reports."
Daily News, September 03, 2014.
China Targets Ordinary Uighurs over Beards, Burkas
"KSU, China (AP)—Outside a mosque in China's restive west, a government–appointed Muslim cleric was dodging a foreign reporter's question about why young men of the Uighur ethnic minority don't have beards when one such youth interrupted.
"Why don't you just tell them the truth?" he shouted to the cleric under the nervous gaze of several police officers who had been tailing the reporters all day in the oasis city of Aksu. "It's because the government doesn't allow beards."
A plainclothes Uighur policeman swiftly rebuked the young man. "Be careful what you say," he warned."
Associated Press, August 24, 2014.
Indonesian President says Islamic State is 'embarrassing' Muslims
"The president of the world's most populous Muslim–majority country, Indonesia, on Thursday called the actions of Islamic State militants "embarrassing" to the religion and urged Islamic leaders to unite in tackling extremism."
AFP, August 21, 2014.
Islamic State Carves Jihadist Hub in the Heart of the Middle East
"Well financed and armed, IS insurgents have captured large swathes of territory in a summer offensive, as the Iraqi army—and now Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the self–governing north—have crumbled in the face of its onslaught, massacring Shi'ites and minority Christians and Yazidis as they advance."
Reuters Press, August 12, 2014.
Ukranian Murder Mystery Ensnares a Church in a Former Rebel Stronghold
"Protestants in Slaviansk had felt particularly under threat from the rebels. Despite about half of the town having fled the violence, several thousand Protestants, belonging to 15 or so non–Orthodox denominations, including the Church of the Transfiguration, still remained. And a number of them had been arrested by the separatists, accused of being "Satanists" or of helping the Ukrainian Army."
Christian Science Monitor, August 12, 2014.
Slideshow: Yazidis in Iraq Flee for Their Lives
"In a dusty camp here, Iraqi refugees have new heroes: Syrian Kurdish fighters who battled militants to carve out an escape route for tens of thousands trapped on a mountaintop."
Reuters Press, August 12, 2014.
Jihadist Offensive sparks mass Iraqi Christian exodus
"Kirkuk (Iraq) (AFP)—Jihadists seized Iraq's largest Christian town and surrounding areas Thursday, sending tens of thousands of panicked residents fleeing in what is being called a humanitarian disaster, officials and witnesses said.
AFP, August 07, 2014.
Kurds, Islamic State clash near Kurdish regional capital
"BAGHDAD (Reuters)—Kurdish forces attacked Islamic State fighters near the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil in northern Iraq on Wednesday in a change of tactics supported by the Iraqi central government to try to break the Islamists' momentum.
Reuters Press, August 06, 2014.
Pakistan mob kills women, girls over 'blasphemous' Facebook post
" ISLAMABAD (Reuters)—A Pakistani mob killed a woman member of a religious sect and two of her granddaughters after a sect member was accused of posting blasphemous material on Facebook, police said Monday, the latest instance of growing violence against minorities.
The dead, including a seven–year–old girl and her baby sister, were Ahmadis, who consider themselves Muslim but believe in a prophet after Mohammed. A 1984 Pakistani law declared them non–Muslims and many Pakistanis consider them heretics."
Reuters Press, July 28, 2014.
Islamic State Jihadists open 'marriage bureau'
"Beirut (AFP)—The Islamic State, which advocates public stoning for adultery, has opened a 'marriage bureau' for women who want to wed its fighters in territory they control in Syria and Iraq.
The jihadist group's office is operating from Al–Bab, a town in Aleppo province of northern Syria, for 'single women and widows who would like to marry IS fighters', said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights."
AFP, July 28, 2014.
Boko Haram kidnaps wife of Cameroon Minister, kills at least 3
"YAOUNDE (Reuters)—Nigerian Boko Haram militants kidnapped the wife of Cameroon's vice prime minister and killed at least three people on Sunday in a cross-border attack involving more than 200 assailants in the northern town of Kolofata, Cameroon officials said."
Reuters Press, July 27, 2014.
Video Shows Islamic State Blowing Up Iraq's Tomb of Jonah
"Sunni extremists from the so–called Islamic State blew up the tomb of the Prophet Jonah in Mosul on Thursday. The site is holy to both Christians and Muslims.
NPR's Leila Fadel reports that video of the explosion quickly spread online, and residents of the city and across Iraq were angered by the destruction."
NPR, July 25, 2014.
Sri Lankan hardline Buddhist links Dalai Lama to Muslim Extremism
"Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, the secretary general of the Sri Lanka's hardline group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), or "Buddhist Power Force", spoke out after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader called on monks in Myanmar and Sri Lanka to end violence towards Muslims in their countries."
Reuters Press, July 22, 2014.
Jihadists seize Iraq monastery
"'You have no place here anymore, you have to leave immediately,' a member of the Syriac clergy quoted the Sunni militants as telling the monastery's residents."
AFP, July 20, 2014.
Scores dead in first major ground battle in Gaza
"GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)—The first major ground battle in two weeks of Israel–Hamas fighting exacted a steep price Sunday: It killed 65 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers and forced thousands of terrified Palestinian civilians to flee their neighborhood, reportedly used to launch rockets at Israel and now devastated by the fighting."
Associated Press, July 20, 2014.
Jihadist Ultimatum Sparks Christian Exodus From Mosul, Iraq
"The Islamic State group running Mosul had already demanded that those Christians still in the city convert, pay a special tax or leave but messages blaring on mosques' loudspeakers appeared to spark an exodus. An earlier statement by Mosul's new rulers had said there would be 'nothing for them but the sword' if Christians did not abide by those conditions before noon (0900 GMT) on Saturday."
AFP, July 19, 2014.
Jihadists Stone Syria Woman to Death for 'Adultery': NGO
"It was the first 'execution' of its kind by the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, which has proclaimed the establishment of an Islamic 'caliphate' straddling Syria and Iraq."
AFT, July 18, 2014.
U.N. accuses Islamic State of executions, rape, forced child recruitment in Iraq
"ISIL and associated armed groups have also continued to... perpetrate targeted assassinations (of) community, political, and religious leaders, government employees, education professionals, health workers... sexual assault, rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls, forced recruitment of children, kidnappings, executions, robberies."
Reuters Press, July 18, 2014.
Many Killed as Boko Haram Extremists Attack Nigerian Town
"Well–armed Islamic extremists attacked as residents were preparing for the 5 a.m. dawn prayers and the civilian defense fighters could only resist with clubs and homemade shotguns, he said."
Associated Press, July 18, 2014.
Bodies found in northern Bahgdad as Sunni insurgents turn on each other
"Since the Islamic State swept through Iraqi cities and proclaimed its leader caliph of all Muslims last month, there have been increasing signs of conflict with other Sunni groups which do not necessarily share its rejection of Iraq's borders or its severe interpretation of Islam."
Reuters Press, July 14, 2014.
Iraqi Forces Killed 255 Sunni Prisoners: HRW
"The killings appeared to be retaliation for attacks by the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
The prisoners were all Sunni Muslims, while the majority of security forces and militia were Shia, they added."
BBC News, July 12, 2014.
Todd Akin Takes Back His Apology, Stands by Rape Comments, in New Book
"Todd Akin takes it back.
He's not sorry.
Two years after the Missouri Republican's comments on rape, pregnancy and abortion doomed his campaign and fueled a "war on women" message that carried Democrats to victory in the Senate, one of the few regrets he mentions in a new book is the decision to air a campaign ad apologizing for his remarks."
Politico, July 10, 2014.
Todd Akins lost in 2012, so he's returning to his Theocratic "base."
India's Supreme Court sets rules for Sharia Courts
"India's Supreme Court Monday rejected a petition seeking to ban Sharia courts, but stressed that they had no legal powers over Muslims and their decisions could not be enforced. India's 150 million Muslims follow their own laws governing family life and other personal issues such as marriage and divorce, with Sharia courts used to rule on such matters and mediate in disagreements. The top court said that Islamic judges, who interpret religious law, could only rule when individuals submitted voluntarily to them and their decisions, or fatwas, were not legally binding."
AFP, July 06, 2014.
Sri Lanka accused of turning blind eye to violence
"ALUTHGAMA, Sri Lanka (AP)—The attackers stormed in close to midnight, tearing through town with gasoline bombs and clubs before carting away piles of cash and jewelry they stole from Muslim families in this tiny corner of Sri Lanka.
The onslaught incited by the Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Power Force, a hard–line group that has gained thousands of followers in recent years, killed at least two Muslims and injured dozens more last month in the worst religious violence Sri Lanka has seen in decades."
Associated Press, July 05, 2014.
Rebel Leader Kony "Hibernates;" Evades Jungle Hunt
"He's like a myth," Ugandan Lt. Col. John Kagwisa, the intelligence officer for military operations against the rebels, said of Kony. "His (fighters) see him as some kind of god, their spiritual god. They say that Kony can see what you're doing in the bush even if you're many miles away."
Associated Press, July 04, 2014.
Myanmar Police Break Up Buddhist Mob
"Police in Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, used rubber bullets Wednesday to disperse a Buddhist mob that was attacking a Muslim–owned tea shop."
Voice of America, July 02, 2014.
Iraqi Christians Flee Mosul for Erbil
"More than two weeks after ISIL and other Sunni militias swept across northern Iraq and claimed Mosul, civilians continue to flee their homes — many of them Christian. Mosul's archbishop told local news outlets thousands of Christians have fled clashes near Mosul over the past few days."
Global Post, June 29, 2014.
ISIL staged 'mass executions' in Iraq's Tikrit: Rights Group
"(Reuters)—Photograph and satellite imagery indicate that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) insurgents have carried out mass executions in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, Human Rights Watch reported on Friday.
ISIL, radical Islamists who want to re-create a mediaeval–style caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria, has stormed largely unopposed across much of northern Iraq, taking cities including Mosul and Tikrit, seizing border posts with Syria and advancing to within some 100 km (62 miles) of the capital Baghdad."
Reuters Press, June 27, 2014.
Living in "total fear" of Boko Haram in Cameroon's North
"Hostage–taking has scared off potential tourists. Ze Bita, head of customs in the Far North region, said there had been a sharp drop in customs revenues, even though the security presence has cut down on cotton smuggling into northern Nigeria."
Reuters Press, June 26, 2014.
Taped calls reveal Brooklyn cabbie threatened to kill family of daughter's lover in Pakistan
"Mohammed Ajmal Choudhry, 61, is accused of arranging the 'honor killings' after his daughter left her arranged marriage and escaped from Pakistan with her lover. His daughter, Amina Ajmal, 23, testified about the secret recordings and revealed that one of her three sisters had also run away from home."
Daily News, June 26, 2014.
The Ethnic Cleansing Going on Right Now You've Probably Never Heard Of
"Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled their homes, their leaders tortured and killed. Is this what democracy in Burma was supposed to look like?"
Take Part, June 26, 2014.
N. Carolina Students Can Now Pray in School
"North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, has signed legislation that will explicitly allow students in public schools across the state to engage in voluntary student–led prayer."
Daily Caller, June 25, 2014.
Egyptian Christian Jailed for Contempt of Religion
"LUXOR, Egypt (AP)—A court convicted an Egyptian Christian to six years imprisonment for blasphemy and contempt of religion on Tuesday."
Associated Press, June 24, 2014.
Sudanese Woman Facing Death Sentence Gives Birth
"She is reportedly slated to remain in jail for two years to nurse the child before she is to be flogged and hanged.
The court's sentence has prompted statements of concern from Western governments and human rights groups.
Her lawyers continue to appeal and petition for clemency."
ABC News, May 27, 2014
Malaysia's Top Court: term 'Allah' For Muslim Use Only
"KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)—Malaysia's top court ruled Monday that non–Muslims cannot use the word "Allah" to refer to God, delivering the final word on a contentious debate that has reinforced complaints that religious minorities are treated unfairly in the Muslim–majority country."
Associated Press, June 23, 2014.
Mormon Woman Facing Excommunication Holds Vigil
"[Kate Kelly] was shocked to find out earlier this month from her bishop that she is facing excommunication from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints, of which she is a lifelong member. The leader of 'Ordain Women' is accused of apostasy, defined as repeated and public advocacy of positions that oppose church teachings."
Associated Press, June 22, 2014.
Jindal Says Rebellion Brewing Against Washington
"WASHINGTON (AP)—Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Saturday night accused President Barack Obama and other Democrats of waging wars against religious liberty and education and said that a rebellion is brewing in the U.S. with people ready for "a hostile takeover" of the nation's capital."
Associated Press, June 22, 2014.
Ugandans Drum Alarms to Rescue Abducted Children
"The widespread fear of murder is why civic groups believe this fishing community on the shores of Lake Victoria can be mobilized for change. Eight children have been abducted and ritualistically killed in Buikwe this year, their mutilated bodies dumped in bushes and sugarcane plantations, according to local officials.
Across Uganda at least 729 children were abducted in 2013, according to a Ugandan police report that also cited a 39 percent increase in crimes against children over the previous year."
Associated Press, June 22, 2014.
OH Bus driver lied about Bible stopping bullets during 'race–fueled gang attack': police.
"Rickey Wagoner, 49, told police in February that he was attacked by three black teens who stabbed and shot him three times — but that two bullets were stopped by his copy of 'The Message', a contemporary take on the New Testament. But cops said Wednesday the disgraced driver shot and stabbed himself, and made up the story about the teens."
Daily News, June 18, 2014.
China's Crackdown on Religion Continues With Another Cross Removal
"There are more than 67 million Christians in China, according to the Pew Research Center, but a Chinese official for religious affairs said the spread of the religion was 'too excessive and too haphazard' in an address to Communist Party members."
The Wire, June 17, 2014.
Rick Perry sticks to diagnosis that homosexuality is a medical condition
"'I may have the genetic coding that I'm inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that,' Perry said in remarks that were broadcast by the local CBS affiliate. 'And I look at the homosexual issue in the same way'."
Daily News, June 16, 2014.
Louisiana's Governor Signs Into Law New Abortion Restrictions.
"Oklahoma's governor signed such a measure last month. Similar laws have taken effect in five states: Kansas, North Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Texas, where about a third of abortion clinics have closed since that state's law took effect late last year after legal battles. Laws have been blocked in Alabama, Mississippi and Wisconsin pending the outcome of court challenges."
Reuters Press, June 13, 2014.
U.S. Agency urges Myanmar to scrap proposed religious laws
"Draft laws in Myanmar aimed at protecting the country's majority Buddhist identity by regulating religious conversions and interfaith marriages have 'no place in the 21st century' and should be withdrawn, a U.S. government agency said on Wednesday."
Business Insider, June 11, 2014.
PM Tony Abbott allocates big money for God in schools...while slashing Australia's budget for health, science, and the environment.
"The program — already the subject of parent–led High Court challenge over religious funding in the secular state school system — used to allow schools to use the money for a church–backed chaplain or a secular welfare officer.
However under Tony Abbott, that all changes, with the government outlawing funding for secular support, raising the ire of teachers' groups and gay rights organizations and outraging schools forced to lay off welfare officers and youth workers."
Global Post, June 06, 2014.
Nigeria: Is Goodluck Jonathan's Southern Strategy on Boko Haram a Problem?
"As the International Crisis Group notes in an April report, the Jonathan administration should recognize 'that unless issues of bad governance and systemic corruption are addressed vigorously and transparently, all other measures will be nothing but stop-gaps'."
Christian Science Monitor, June 07, 2014.
Scores killed in Boko Haram village raids
"The group, which wants to create a hardline Islamic state in northern Nigeria and has killed thousands since 2009, kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in Borno on April 14."
AFT, June 04, 2014.
Aung San Suu Kyi's Silence on the Rohingya: Has 'The Lady' Lost Her Voice?
"HRW executive director Kenneth Roth was withering in a recent report: 'The world was apparently mistaken to assume that as a revered victim of rights abuse she would also be a principled defender of rights.'"
CNN.com, May 31, 2014.
Rape Victim's Mother Attacked in Northern India
"Police in northern India have arrested three men for brutally attacking the mother of a rape victim after she refused to withdraw her complaint, an official said Friday, as investigators sought clues in a gang rape elsewhere in the state that left two teenage cousins dead.
The attack of the mother this week in the town of Etawah in Uttar Pradesh state followed the May 11 rape of her teenage daughter. A local man was arrested after the woman filed a complaint with authorities."
Yahoo News via the AP, May 30, 2014.
'Honour killing' in front of Lahore Court
"A woman was stoned to death by her own family in front of a Pakistani high court on Tuesday for marrying the man she loved, police and a defence lawyer said. Nearly 20 members of the woman's family, including her father and brothers, attacked her and her husband with batons and bricks in broad daylight before a crowd of onlookers in front of the high court of Lahore, said police official Naseem Butt.
Arranged marriages are the norm among conservative Pakistanis, who view marriage for love as a transgression. "
The Hindu, May 27, 2014
As many as 300 killed in Boko Haram attack on town
"Boko Haram targeted those living along the border, gunning people down in the marketplace, and setting houses on fire and then shooting them dead when they tried to escape."
Daily News, May 7, 2014.
Desperate Rohingya kids flee alone by boat
"From Malaysia to Australia, countries easily reachable by boat have been implementing policies and practices to ensure that Rohingya Muslims don't wash up on their shores — from shoving them back to sea, where they risk being sold as slaves, to flat out barring the refugees from stepping onto their soil.
Despite pleas from the United Nations, which considers the Rohingya to be among the most persecuted groups on earth, many governments in the region have refused to sign refugee conventions and protocols, meaning they are not obligated to help. The countries said they fear adopting the international agreements could attract a flood of immigrants they cannot support."
Associated Press, April 28, 2014.
Nigerian Unrest: Gunmen Abduct 'about 100' Schoolgirls.
"The school is located not far from where the Islamist militant group Boko Haram have been carrying out attacks, as the BBC's Will Ross reports."
BBC News, April 15, 2014
Iraq Wants to Legalize Child Marriage
"A new law would approve marriage to girls as young as nine in a bid to appease the nation's conservatives ahead of parliamentary elections."
Daily Beast, April 09, 2014.
Muslims debate centuries–old Tradition of Female Genital Mutilation in Somalia
"UNICEF activists are campaigning to educate Somaliland communities about the harms of female genital mutilation. But the stigma of being 'uncut' is still so strong that many leaders say they will not stop practicing FGM."
Daily News, March 1, 2014.
Uganda Newspaper names 200 'Top Homos'
"A day after passing one of the world's most restrictive laws, Uganda paper publishes a list of people it says are gay. Under 'Exposed' headline, the paper also warns on 'using mouth for sex.'"
Daily News, February 25, 2014.
The Simple Reason Nigeria Just Banned Gay Marriage
"In the face of this pressure, why would Nigeria's government enact such an anti–gay law? Sodomy was already outlawed in the country, and it's unlikely that many homosexuals were publicly calling for same–sex marriage, so why bother?
The answer is depressingly simple: It's an incredibly popular opinion, and oil–rich Nigeria doesn't need Western aid in the same way other African nations do."
Houston Chronicle, January 14, 2014.
Cameroon man jailed for being gay dies from hernia
"'Roger was a courageous man who became an accidental activist after he was arrested simply for expressing his love for another man,' [Human Rights Watch Neela] Ghoshal said."
Daily News, January 13, 2014.
Mother burned daughter with hot knife for talking to boy online: police
Sahar Thabit of Hollywood, Fla. was allegedly enraged that her daughter preferred a boy she met on the Internet to the cousin her parents arranged for her to marry.
Daily News, March 21, 2013
Herbert and Catherine Schaible Will Be Charged With Murder For 'Faith-Healing' Death of 8-Month Old Son
A judge upheld murder charges Wednesday against a fundamentalist Christian couple in their infant's faith–healing death, saying things might be different if their toddler hadn't died four years ago "under strikingly similar circumstances."
Huffington Post, August 07, 2013
Vatican Snubs U.N. Probe On Sex Abuse Cases
Says it won't disclose information about abuse cases
Time, December 04, 2013
Bangladeshi 'stepson affair' woman dies after caning
"A group of village elders and clerics sentenced Sufia Begum under Sharia law to 40 lashes for adultery. The 40–year–old died of her injuries almost a month after the beating in Rajshahi district, her family says."
BBC News, December 20, 2013.
Pakistan girl 'fated' to die in acid attack: mother
News.com Australia, November 05, 2012
No woman should be forced to bear a child because someone else says so
"This isn't about political parties; it's about the looming danger of living under a theocracy—about a US version of Taliban rule. I am aiming at the elections of individuals who would, if elected, enact laws which are inherently repressive."
Andrew Vachss Tumblr post, 2012.
Welcome to the real world, Todd Akin
"Incest is nothing more than rape–by–extortion. If you don't think so, or if you think that the victim should be punished for such a crime, you shouldn't be voting — you should be emigrating to a country ruled by the Taliban."
The Zero, © Andrew Vachss, 2012.
Rep. Roger Rivard criticized for 'some girls rape easy' remark
Milwaukee WI Journal Sentinal, October 10, 2012.
Richard Mourdock, Mitt Romney, and the GOP Defense of Coerced Mating
"Rape and abortion have become major flashpoints this election cycle because they are where two incompatible views of women's place collide."
The Atlantic, October, 2012.
Lawmaker who made rape comment wins endorsement of family values groups
"Madison — A group that says it promotes family values on Tuesday endorsed a state represenative who drew widespread criticism last week for saying his father told him "some girls, they rape so easy" as a way to warn him that some women could agree to sex but later claim it wasn't consensual.
The lawmaker who made the comment, Rep. Roger Rivard (R–Rice Lake), was among the 45 candidates endorsed Tuesday by Wisconsin Family Action, a group that opposes abortion and gay marriage and says it is committed to boosting family values. "
Milwaukee WI Jounal Sentinal, October 16, 2012.
Rand Paul Is Defending Richard Mourdock
"Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is stepping in to the Indiana Senate race to defend Republican Richard Mourdock, who ignited a firestorm Tuesday when he said that pregnancies caused by rape are 'something God intended to happen.'"
Business Insider, October 24, 2012.
Why pro–life groups still stand by Mourdock
"Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock is under fire for comments made in a Tuesday night debate, in which he describes pregnancies resulting from rape as "something God intended to happen." Republican politicians quickly distanced themselves from Mourdock. Pro–life advocates have had the opposite reaction: They have doubled down on their support for the candidate and the strong anti–abortion position he's articulated."
The Washington Post, October 24, 2012.
Saletan: Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock are not outliers
"Akin and Mourdock are hardly alone. Their view — that abortion should be prohibited even in cases of sexual assault — isn't just the party's official position. It's the most commonly held position among new Republican nominees for the U.S. Senate."
Newsday Op:Ed, October 25, 2012.
Richard Mourdock: Even pregnancy from rape something 'God intended'
"In a Tuesday night debate with his Democratic rival and a Libertarian candidate for one of Indiana's U.S. Senate seats, Republican candidate Richard Mourdock suggested that pregnancies resulting from rape are 'something that God intended to happen,' despite the 'horrible situation' from which they derived."
CBSNews.com, October 24, 2012.
Pictured: Inside the Life of a Child Bride
" One in three girls in the developing world will marry before they turn 18. Those with no education are most likely to be married. It's a trend that propagates poverty, STDs and economic dependency.
Photographer Stephanie Sinclair partnered with UNFPA for "Too Young to Wed," a series of stark photos highlighting the lives of child brides."
Daily News, October 12, 2012.
The GOP's Stealth Plan to Redefine Rape
"Republicans pulled controversial 'forcible rape' language from a pending bill, but they're trying a backdoor maneuver to ensure the legislation achieves the same effect."
Mother Jones, May 3, 2011.
12 Convicted in Jind Honour Killing Case
"Jind: Two years after a newly–wed youth was lynched by villagers in the presence of police escort for marrying against social norms, a local court here has convicted 12 persons in the honour killing case while acquitting a chief of 'jat' community organisation."
Zee News, September 24, 2011.
Afghanistan: Imprisoned Rape Victim Freed
"A woman sentenced to 12 years in prison after being raped by her relative in Afghanistan has been freed, according to CNN.
The woman, identified only as Gulnaz, gained international attention last week after President Hamid Karzai pardoned her for sex out of wedlock. The president's office also released a statement saying the woman had promised to marry her attacker, sparking international outcry."
Huffington Post, December 14, 2011
Americans' Role Seen in Uganda Anti–Gay Push
"For three days, according to participants and audio recordings, thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how 'the gay movement is an evil institution' whose goal is 'to defeat the marriage–based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.'
Now the three Americans are finding themselves on the defensive, saying they had no intention of helping stoke the kind of anger that could lead to what came next: a bill to impose a death sentence for homosexual behavior."
New York Times, January 3, 2010.
The Lord's Resistance Army's New Reign of Terror
"The LRA continues its horrific campaign to replenish its ranks by brutally tearing children from their villages and forcing them to fight" said Anneke Van Woudenberg of the New York–based watchdog. "The evidence points to Joseph Kony, the LRA leader, as the author of this atrocious campaign."
The Independent, August 13, 2010.
'All People Are The Same To God': An Insider's Portrait of Joseph Kony
"Mr. Kony, who has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2005, has engaged since the late 1980s in the mass abductions of children from villages and government–run camps in the Ugandan countryside. His hostages, seized in ambushes along roads and in raids on settlements, became the living fuel for a grim, millennial war."
New York Times, December 31, 2010.
Women protesting 'rape law' in Afghanistan pelted with stones by angry mob
"KABUL — A group of some 1,000 Afghans swarmed a demonstration of 300 women protesting against a new conservative marriage law on Wednesday. The women were pelted with small stones as police struggled to keep the two groups apart."
Daily News, April 15, 2009.
A Child's Hell in the Lord's Resistance Army
"The LRA, which wants to topple the Ugandan government and create a government based on the Ten Commandments as law, is led by Joseph Kony, who claims to represent the Acholi people. Except support among the Acholi has dwindled, and adults ceased to enlist in the LRA. But children were more easily manipulated. The LRA began snatching them from villages. Grace says children make up more than 80 percent of the LRA. They are subjected to a "spiritual initiation" and sometimes ordered to kill relatives or neighbors. Pretty girls are given to older commanders as wives; the others are often killed."
Washington Post, May 10, 2006.
Anti–Abortionist Extradited to U.S.
"James Kopp, the suspect in the 1998 murder of a New York doctor who performed abortions, was extradited to the United States on Wednesday, the Justice Department said. Kopp left France on a plane with U.S. marshals late Wednesday morning and was expected to appear in U.S. federal court in New York later in the day."
MNSBC News, June 5, 2002.
La. Court Upholds Ban on Sodomy
"In a defeat for gay rights activists, the state Supreme Court refused Thursday to strike down Louisiana's nearly 200–year–old ban on sodomy."
Associated Press, March 29, 2002.
Gay, Religious Groups Demand Moore Resign
"Moore in his opinion wrote that homosexual conduct of a parent 'creates a strong presumption of unfitness that alone is sufficient' to deny a parent custody.
'It is an inherent evil against which children must be protected,' Moore wrote, citing state laws that prohibit homosexuality.
Moore went on to write that the state has the responsibility to protect families and has the 'power of the sword, that is, the power to prohibit conduct with physical penalties, such as confinement and even execution'."
Tuscaloosa News, February 23, 2002.
Christian Rebels Wage War of Terror in Uganda
"A year after Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, vowed to wipe out the insurgency in the north of this central African country, the bloodthirsty gangs of self–styled revolutionaries and Christian fundamentalist rebels known as the Lord's Resistance Army have not only survived, but are stepping up their campaign of terror.
Theirs is a familiar kind of warfare in this part of the world, repeated in different forms in Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Zaire. Though the rebels claim to be fighting to overthrow Mr. Museveni, their war consists mainly of killing civilians, sowing terror in the countryside and making it appear to Ugandans and the outside world that the central Government cannot control the nation."
New York Times, March 5, 1997.
The Ultimate Fascism
"Our course is clear. If we truly want to halt the poisonous blooms of fascism, we must start at its root. If we don't act to save the children, we cannot save ourselves."
Dispatch by Andrew Vachss, originally published
Originally published in Expo, No. 1, 1996 (Sweden)
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