Accused of “insulting Islam,” Betty faces solitary confinement, cancer, and a justice system bent on cruelty. Plus: Pakistan’s persecution report, a Qur’an-burning candidate, and the Islamic disdain for dogs.

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Here’s Your Weekly Dispatch

From Morocco’s disturbing treatment of feminist activist Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar—who remains in solitary confinement while battling cancer—to Pakistan’s latest human rights report titled Streets of Fear, the themes are tragically familiar: repression, religious supremacy, and the policing of dissent. Meanwhile, in the U.S., a congressional candidate lights the Qur’an on fire and threatens Muslims with genocidal rhetoric—weaponizing both religion and free speech for political gain.

And on a lighter note, Tuesday was International Dog Day—a time to reflect on how vastly perspectives on these loyal companions differ across belief systems.

Unbelief Brief

The Moroccan legal system appears to be dragging its feet in the blasphemy trial of Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar [[link removed]]. Accused of insulting Islam for wearing a shirt that read “Allah is lesbian,” her lawyers are arguing that she should be granted pretrial release in order to receive urgent medical care to prevent the “partial amputation” of her arm from cancer.

The court did not grant Betty’s request for release in this most recent hearing and instead set a date for a new hearing next week. In the meantime, Betty will continue to be detained in solitary confinement. This decision is officially for her own safety, but her lawyers have objected to it as cruel and unnecessary.

To insist on these inhumane conditions of detention, going so far as to prevent her from receiving medical treatment, makes it clear this is not simply about the law. Betty must be released so that she can receive urgent medical attention and enjoy the freedom which is her right.

A Change.org petition demanding Betty’s release can be found here [[link removed]].

Also: the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has released its 2024-25 report [[link removed]] on religious freedom, aptly titled Streets of Fear. The report details the persistence of barbaric practices in Pakistan, including the forced conversions and marriages of non-Muslim girls to Muslim men. Extrajudicial killings based on blasphemy accusations, along with systematic violence and discrimination against religious minorities, continues to run rampant. The enormity of the work to be done to address religious extremism and brutality in the country cannot be overstated.

Back in the US: a candidate for the House of Representatives in Texas, Valentina Gomez, has released [[link removed]] a new campaign ad in which she burns the Qur’an with a flamethrower. In the video, she says:

“Your daughters will be raped and your sons beheaded unless we stop Islam once and for all. We’re done turning the other cheek. Remember, David didn’t pray for Goliath: he killed them [sic]. America is a Christian nation, so those terrorist Muslims can fuck off to any of the 57 Muslim nations. There is only one true God, and that is the God of Israel.”

The violent subtext is obvious. Likening Muslims to “Goliath” in a state where they make up one percent of the population is particularly ridiculous. And, while desecrating any piece of scripture is a legally-protected right, the (literally) inflammatory way in which Gomez has done it here is crass. Hamit Coskun [[link removed]] in the UK faced real legal repercussions for burning the Qur’an as an act of protest; Gomez does so to generate social media engagement in a country where she faces no danger of legal punishment. Hopefully voters will reject her nonsensical derangement next year.

EXMNA Insights

Tuesday marked International Dog Day, a celebration of the profound bond between humans and dogs. In Islamic tradition, however, dogs are often regarded with suspicion and impurity. Muhammad is reported to have said that angels do not enter a home where a dog resides ( Sahih al-Bukhari 3225 [[link removed]]). Several reports also describe Muhammad ordering the killing of dogs, especially black ones which he described as “devils” ( Sahih Muslim 1572 [[link removed]]). In addition, Muhammad is recorded as saying that the passing of a dog, a donkey, or a woman in front of a person praying can nullify prayers ( Sahih Muslim 514 [[link removed]]). These accounts show a consistent theme in early Islamic sources: dogs were considered impure and disruptive to both ritual purity and spiritual presence.

By contrast, in the United States and other Western societies, dogs are cherished as companions and vital partners in public service. Law enforcement and rescue teams rely on cadaver dogs and drug-sniffing dogs to save lives and protect communities. Service dogs predict seizures, guide the blind, and assist individuals with mobility challenges. Emotional support dogs provide comfort to those struggling with chronic illness, trauma, or depression. In this context, dogs symbolize loyalty, healing, and protection which is in sharp contrast to their portrayal in Islam, where they are viewed as unclean and spiritually obstructive.

Persecution Tracker Updates

Remy Rowhani, a 71-year-old Baha’i leader in Qatar, has been sentenced to five years in prison for “cast[ing] doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion.” Read more about his case on our Persecution Tracker here [[link removed]].

Also: a Pakistani cleric, Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, has been arrested and detained, and a blasphemy case has been registered against him. Read about that case here [[link removed]].

Until next week,

The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America

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