Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   You get drivel about aliens, abduction etc from all sorts of people, not just Christians – there are atheists, agnostics…

2. 

   […] last time I had had occasion to write about Rowan County clerk Kim Davis, above, was three years ago…

3. 

   Whatever is presented on the BBC, and I must admit I do not watch the TV, the fact is that…

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   “The curriculum had already drawn tensions among the county’s religious parents, with some worrying about appropriateness and arguing the material…

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   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

IMAM Wisam Sharieff, above, head of an online resource aimed at teaching Muslims to better engage with with their Big Book of Bullshit, the Quran, has been arrested following a criminal complaint filed by the FBI accusing him of conspiracy to produce child pornography.

Sharieff, who is also an online Quranic instructor for the educational non-profit AlMaghrib Institute, is alleged to have encouraged a female student to send him videos of herself and her minor daughter “performing sexual acts on themselves” so he “could guide them and let them know how far they were progressing on their quest to become closer to Allah.”

FBI special agent Eric Salvador reported details of the allegations in a sworn affidavit documented in Birmingham, Alabama.

The affidavit says that electronic devices and sexual toys were seized from the woman’s residence, and that officers discovered a private chat on Telegram, an encrypted instant messaging app, that indicated Sharieff sent explicit videos of himself. It also revealed that the mother sent explicit videos of her child viewing adult pornography.

Sharieff `allegedly told her that

Achieving an orgasm would help her spiritually and allow her to communicate with Allah better.

Sharieff was reported to the Alabama Department of Human Resources by a person who identified herself as his wife last month.

Sharieff has not publicly issued any statements since the complaint was filed, and attempts to reach him have not been answered. 

In a Friday (Nov. 1) post on the social media platform X, the AlMaghrib Institute said it had been notified of “a serious violation of AlMaghrib Institute policy by Wisam Sharieff.” The post went on to say the institute had determined the action was in violation of its code of conduct and had terminated Sharieff’s employment contract.

Sharieff, who lives in Texas, is also founder of Advocating Quranic Lifestyle, which offers to teach students about “personal development through Quranic lifestyle — recitation, prayer, and supplication — to empower the mind, body, and soul.”

In a second statement, the Institute said it was “horrified” by the allegations, which it called “jarring and sickening.” The statement clarified that the alleged communications between Sharieff and the woman were conducted via private chat, not on AlMaghrib’s educational platform, and that the child was not a student at the institute.

The statement also noted that it has “zero tolerance” for romantic relationships between instructors and students and that as soon as it received notice of possible conduct code violations, the institute undertook its own investigation. Though the institute “did not have access to law enforcement’s investigation,” it concluded that Sharieff violated institute rules and terminated him. 

The statement added:

Our nation’s justice system will now deal with Wisam Sharieff, and we ask Allah to bring solace to the victims and to bring healing to our community, Allah’s religion is not reliant on any one individual, and the Quran Revolution program will continue with our students as scheduled.

MuslimMatters, an online news outlet that had previously interviewed Sharieff and published transcripts of his lectures, published a statement Tuesday saying the outlet “severed all association” with him. MuslimMatters called the allegations a “severe violation” of ethical principles in the Quran and offered a list of resources on reporting and preventing abuse.

The Asiyah Women’s Center, an emergency center for domestic violence victims that serves Muslims, hosted a therapist-led Zoom event Monday night for community members to grieve together in light of the allegations.

Sarah Sultan, an AlMaghrib instructor, reminded readers on Instagram that the “heinous actions and failings” of one individual don’t have the power to supersede their faith in Allah.

Ingrid Mattson, a leading Muslim scholar and a former president of the Islamic Society of North America, posted a thread on X noting that while spiritual abuse is shocking, it should no longer be surprising:

We have heard too many tragic reports about the abuse of children by those entrusted with raising them and those teaching them their faith. It is irresponsible to stay in a state of willful ignorance of these realities.

Her words serve to highlight the the abuse youngsters suffered at the hands of John Smyth QC, above, and the mounting calls for the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign for his alleged failure to take action against the sadistic bastard.

An online petition started by senior C of E clergy calling for his resignation has been signed by almost 13,000 people since its launch three days ago.

It says:

The Makin Report into the abuse committed by John Smyth has highlighted serious failures in the culture, structures, and leadership of the Church of England. We are deeply ashamed of these failures, and the way that survivors have been betrayed.

Alongside other concerns, the report highlights the particular responsibility of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, for these failures. He ‘held a personal and moral responsibility to pursue this further, whatever the policies at play at the time required’ which he failed to fulfil. 

Given his role in allowing abuse to continue, we believe that his continuing as the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer tenable. We must see change, for the sake of survivors, for the protection of the vulnerable, and for the good of the Church — and we share this determination across our traditions. With sadness we do not think there is any alternative to his immediate resignation if the process of change and healing is to start now.

Just in. Welby has resigned!

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