IRAN. A 12-year-old girl and her 4-year-old brother were denied visitation with their mother in jail, because the girl’s dress was not in accordance with Islamic code. Instead, they were thrown out in the cold weather outside.

The girl wore a standard school uniform. Their mother has been incarcerated for 18 months without charge.

You guessed it: the mother is a human rights lawyer. And as we all know, Allah abhors those. Also, the Creator of the Universe is easily turned on by 12-year-old girls. So in order to protect Allah, the kids must not be allowed to see their mother.

Full blog post at BanooyeSabz.

Also, this is official state policy. Recently, Iran’s president declared that “so-called advocates of freedom and human rights are on the verge of annihilation“.

From the most excellent Honest Atheist.

Note: This insane shaman and superstitious celebrity unrelated to the news article below.

Exhibit A:

KATHMANDU — A mob burned alive a 40-year-old woman on Friday after accusing her of casting black magic spells in a remote village in southern Nepal, police said.

Dengani Mahato died after she was severely beaten, doused in kerosene and set alight for allegedly practising witchcraft, Gopal Bhandari, a superintendent of police in Chitwan district, told AFP.

“Nine people started to beat her after a local shaman pointed the finger at her over the death of a boy a year ago,” the officer said.

Full article.

Exhibit B:

On November 20 Pastor Samuel Fletcher Sagoe accused Ama Ahima of being a witch. Sagoe gathered together a group of six people (including other members of his family) to “deliver” Ahima, that is to conduct an exorcism. Alternatively, this has been described as an effort to forcibly make Ahima “confess” through torture. The exorcism (and/or attempt to extract a confession) proceeded for several hours, until Ahima was doused in kerosene and set on fire.

Picture unrelated.

Full article.

From The Honest Atheist.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – which today called for contraception coverage to be removed from the Affordable Care Act – is comprised of 271 active and 185 retired bishops. Among them are the following:

Bishop John McCormack: the former head of the Conference’s abuse committee, McCormack stepped down as bishop in 2011 after the Boston Globe revealed that he was shielding priests that left their own parishes after allegations of child abuse.

Bishop Robert Banks: a conference member who admitted he “dropped the ball” in transferring a fellow Bishop who stood accused of molesting children and publicly advocating sex between men and boys.

Bishop Francis DiLorenzo: a conference member who blamed a mother for allowing her sons to be molested and then sued the church for the reimbursement of legal fees.

Bishop Robert Brom who paid a $198 million settlement to 144 victims alleging sexual abuse by the Diocese since 1935.

Archbishop Alexander Brunett, now retired but still a member of the Conference, allowed Rev. John Cornelius to remain at his post in Washington even though Cornelius had been accused of several instances of sexual molestation of young boys.

Bishop John Gaydos, who leads a diocese in Jefferson City, is currently embroiled in a lawsuit for allegedly covering up for Anthony O’Connell, who admitted to repeated abuses of his seminary students.

Full article over at Daily Agenda.

In 2002, a scandal of sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests was uncovered in New York and Bridgeport. Then, Cardinal Egan (pictured above) issued an apology on behalf of the church.

Now, 10 years later, he retracts his apology, and instead says: “I don’t think we did anything wrong.”

Cindy L. Robinson, a lawyer whose firm represented more than 90 Bridgeport abuse victims, including ones who said they were abused as minors by priests during Cardinal Egan’s tenure, said she read the cardinal’s comments “with utter disbelief.”

Full article in The New York Times.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday endorsed a new doctrine explaining why it would be ‘legally and morally justified’ to commit genocide and wipe Israel off the map.

“Israel is a cancerous tumor in the Middle East,” the article in the ultraconservative Farsi-language Alef news site. “Israel is a satanic media outlet with bombers. Every Muslim is required to arm themselves against Israel.”

“The first step should be the absolute destruction of Israel. To this end, Iran could make use of long-range missiles. The distance between us is only 2,600 KM. It can be done in minutes.”

“Political subdivisions of states and political boundaries between units are not relevant and what is important is to divide the nations and territories based on beliefs and religions groups, blood and blood. Muslim blood must be separate from Infidel blood,” it says, citing Khameini’s writings.

The publication of the doctrine comes after Khamenei announced on Friday that Iran would support any nation or group that attacks the ‘cancerous tumor’ of Israel.

Since its publications several Iranian officials have called for a strike on Israel “within the year.”

These people have God on their side. Do you feel safer now?

Full article at Aritz Sheva. Analysis at Memri.

The President of Iran is on a mission from Allah. He said this in a speech:

“The Islamic Revolution will prepare grounds for a much bigger event in the world. [...] Liberalism and the so-called advocates of freedom and human rights [...] are on the verge of annihilation and collapse.”

Full article at Islamic Republic News Agency