From a surprising US Supreme Court tie to an imam’s death threats in the UK and Iranian women’s hijab defiance—see what’s unfolding.

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Welcome to Our Latest Issue

This week’s Unbelief Brief explores a fortuitous Supreme Court deadlock in favor of secularism in Oklahoma, alarming death threats by a UK imam, and the unwavering bravery of Iranian women defying the hijab mandate despite intensifying state crackdowns.

Unbelief Brief

In a somewhat unexpected win for secular governance, the US Supreme Court [[link removed]]last week reached a deadlock on whether Oklahoma could open and publicly fund a Catholic charter school. Justice Amy Coney Barrett “did not participate” in the case for undisclosed reasons—had she done so, the outcome might have been different. Nonetheless, this tie means no new precedent was set: tax dollars cannot fund the proposed school, nor are other states required to fund religious charter schools. That the outcome was uncertain—and may have turned solely on a fluke—remains a concerning sign.

Across the pond, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has suspended an employee, who is also an imam, after he threatened another imam with death for alleged blasphemy. The employee, Omar Abdallah Mansuur, was reportedly angered by the other imam’s “moderate” views and for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. In a video posted to social media, Mansuur declared, “The punishment is the death penalty. When he repents, he will be put to death in the manner Muslims are killed. If he refuses to repent, he will be caught, killed, and thrown away in a hole like a dog.” The other imam, now hiding somewhere in Europe, has been warned by police to avoid mosques, crowded areas, and has been discouraged from returning to the UK.

Mansuur has also called atheists and apostates—likely including many of our readers—“bacteria” and claimed it is “completely permissible” and “logical” to murder them. The UK’s National Secular Society is urging police action [[link removed]] following these chilling statements. Mansuur’s explicit call for an innocent man’s murder—whether he “repents” or not—clearly constitutes incitement to violence. While we defend robust free speech rights, even for hateful Islamic fundamentalists, no one should be forced into hiding due to credible death threats. Mansuur’s statements deserve to be prosecuted.

Lastly, the CBC reports on Iranian women who continue to resist [[link removed]]the regime’s hijab mandate despite increasingly dystopian surveillance measures. This comes as the Supreme National Security Council directed parliament to “ not to enforce [[link removed]]” the new, stricter Chastity and Hijab Law, which has remained in legal limbo since 2023. The regime seems to realize—likely accurately—that pushing further on this issue would only deepen popular discontent.

Until next week,

The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America

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