Atheist RepublicA chilling, new counter-extremism report from an independent commission reveals that “anti-blasphemy activism” is slowly “gaining momentum” in the United Kingdom, warning that it is becoming "increasingly radicalized" and is being promoted by charities.

The Commission for Countering Extremism, a British government agency formed in 2018 after the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, published the report this March. 

The report, titled “Understanding and Responding to Blasphemy Extremism in the UK,” said that responses to any acts perceived as blasphemous are "more organized than ever" in the UK, and some of the most prominent personalities involved were connected to “violent anti-blasphemy extremists" in Pakistan.

The report identified "blasphemy flashpoints" linked to a "new generation" of anti-blasphemy activists working to "make blasphemy a key issue of concern for British Muslims.” Three incidents involving blasphemy, including an incident in March 2023 where a student faced death threats after a Quran was slightly damaged, were highlighted by the report.

It also identified and discussed sectarian rhetoric and violence against Ahmadi Muslims, a branch of Islam considered blasphemous by most mainstream branches of Islam, and added that this violence has become a major part of anti-blasphemy activism in the UK.

Continue reading @ Atheist Republic. 

Anti-Blasphemy Radicals Gaining Alarming Power In The UK

Atheist RepublicA chilling, new counter-extremism report from an independent commission reveals that “anti-blasphemy activism” is slowly “gaining momentum” in the United Kingdom, warning that it is becoming "increasingly radicalized" and is being promoted by charities.

The Commission for Countering Extremism, a British government agency formed in 2018 after the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, published the report this March. 

The report, titled “Understanding and Responding to Blasphemy Extremism in the UK,” said that responses to any acts perceived as blasphemous are "more organized than ever" in the UK, and some of the most prominent personalities involved were connected to “violent anti-blasphemy extremists" in Pakistan.

The report identified "blasphemy flashpoints" linked to a "new generation" of anti-blasphemy activists working to "make blasphemy a key issue of concern for British Muslims.” Three incidents involving blasphemy, including an incident in March 2023 where a student faced death threats after a Quran was slightly damaged, were highlighted by the report.

It also identified and discussed sectarian rhetoric and violence against Ahmadi Muslims, a branch of Islam considered blasphemous by most mainstream branches of Islam, and added that this violence has become a major part of anti-blasphemy activism in the UK.

Continue reading @ Atheist Republic. 

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