Why Jihadists Strike During Ramadan

Violent acts of jihadist terrorism during Ramadan, though newly popularized by IS (ISIS), have deeper and older theological roots  The holy month of Ramadan has for decades in the West been seized upon as an opportunity to reject division and promote interfaith dialogue-a month of peace. Celebratory White House and Downing Street iftars are commonplace […] Read more

Mohamed Hisham, A Public Atheist In Egypt | Troy Garnaut

Mohamed Hisham, an Egyptian atheist incurred the wrath of Egypt’s conservative Muslim population when he spoke publicly about his atheism on live TV. by Troy Garnaut “I am Mohamed Hisham, and I am a public atheist in Egypt.” The weary but determined eyes of a young man look into the camera as the asylum plea […] Read more

The Growing Tide of Violent Rhetoric Against Baha’is in Houthi Yemen

Yemen’s Houthis incite violence against Baha’is on social media.   On March 23, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdel-Malek Al-Houthi made a speech in which he called the Baha’i faith a “satanic” movement that wished to “wage war” against Islam. On the same day of Al-Houthi’s speech, Houthi activist Ahmed Ayed published a tweet stating “we will […] Read more

Sceptic Amardeo Sarma on Humanism and Rationalism in the West

German sceptic Amardeo Sarma discusses critically analysing entrenched belief systems, including religion and a shockingly fervent homeopathic movement. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Was there a family background in humanism or rationalism for you? Amardeo Sarma: No, because both my parents were moderately religious. In fact, to give you an example, when I grew up, my father […] Read more

Liberal Islam and Migrant Integration with Seyran Ateş

Seyran Ateş, a lawyer and feminist activist, speaks with Conatus News about law, faith, feminism, and integrating migrants in Western societies. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: To begin, what was your background in faith and feminism? Insofar as I know, you are of Kurdish descent. Seyran Ateş: My mother is Turkish. My father is Kurdish. He died in 2014. […] Read more

Iranian Dreams: Exiles Describe Their Ideal Iran

We asked four Iranians, persecuted for varying religious and political reasons unable to return to their country what their ideal Iran looks like. The recent protests in Iran have sent a clear message that Iranians are unhappy with the state of their country. From economic policies to strictly enforced religious laws, Iranians are fed up […] Read more

Houthi Secretary-General Accuses Baha’is of Dividing Muslims

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis accuse Baha’is of seeking to divide Muslims, in an effort to incite hatred against the religious minority. In a statement last week, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badreddin Al-Houthi, the Secretary-General of Yemen’s Shia political party Ansar Allah, accused Baha’is of seeking to create disunity among Muslims. An article in ParsToday said: “Explaining that the […] Read more