Free Speech

An Indonesian atheist who posted the message "God doesn't exist" on Facebook and started an atheist page now faces up to 11 years imprisonment for breaching the most populous Muslim nation's blasphemy laws.

Alex Aan, a 31-year-old civil servant, was beaten up by a mob of people in his hometown in Pulau Punjung after he posted the comment, which included an image of the prophet Muhammad, and was then arrested and charged for blasphemy. Although Indonesia has freedom of religion laws, those only apply to people of six faiths: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

The atheist is officially being charged with "insulting a major religion," which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, but he might also get an additional six years for using the Internet to spread such "blasphemous" messages. It is believed that Aan is the first Indonesian to be tried under the state's philosophy, which requires belief in one God. The government does not allow for not believing in God, as noted in the U.S. Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report. more >>

A doctor in the U.K. has lost an unfair dismissal case against the hospital that fired him two years ago for emailing a prayer to colleagues during Christmas.

Dr. David Drew faced an employment tribunal at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands and was dismissed for "gross misconduct and insubordination" in Dec. 2010. The 64-year old father of four had emailed a prayer by 16th century Jesuit founder St. Ignatius Loyola as part of a Christmas greeting to colleagues, but was terminated from his position after one staff member found the emails "bizarre" and "inappropriate," the Telegraph reported.

The clinical doctor, who said he attends a Baptist church, prefaced his email with the statement: "I find this a personal inspiration in my frail imperfect efforts to serve my patients, their families and our department." more >>

Supporters worldwide breathed a moderate sigh of relief when word came early Wednesday that blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng had been transported to a hospital for treatment under the protection of U.S. diplomats. However, it was also revealed that Chen reportedly left the U.S. Embassy under duress from the Chinese government.

It initially seemed that an arrangement had been reached with Chinese authorities that would guarantee the safety of the human rights activist, who made international headlines last week after he escaped house arrest. After his escape, Chen had secured shelter in the U.S. Embassy in the Chinese capital, causing tension in U.S.-China diplomatic relations.

Despite vows of goodwill from Chinese authorities regarding the activist's case, skeptics had their suspicions confirmed later Wednesday, when Chen reportedly revealed that Chinese authorities had threatened to harm his family if he did not leave the American Embassy. more >>

A young Russian opposition activist was arrested on his way to a prayer vigil organized in hopes of "delivering" Russia from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is soon to begin his third term as president. The vigil, staged Sunday in front of Moscow's landmark Christ the Savior Cathedral, is seen by some as the latest manifestation of a rise in hostility between the Russian Orthodox Church and pro-democracy activists fed up with the current authoritarian behavior of the regime.

Several riot police officers reportedly forced Roman Dobrokhotov into a police car before he could reach Russia's largest church, the same one in which the Russian all-female punk rock band "Pussy Riot" performed an anti-church song on Feb. 21. The group was later arrested, and three members are facing up to seven years in jail. The band's performance was a protest against the church's involvement with state affairs, as the institution has been a known backer of Putin, viewed as an autocratic ruler by many Russians.

Several dozen opposition activists gathered near Christ the Savior Cathedral Sunday for an unsanctioned rally in support of the members of "Pussy Riot," local media reported. The group was apparently confronted by church activists, who sprinkled them with holy water. Parts of the recorded incident can be viewed here in Russian. more >>

The sergeant who called President Barack Obama an "enemy" on Facebook and was discharged on Wednesday for his comments has admitted that he would take back his words, or at least how he framed them.

Sgt. Gary Stein, a 26-year-old Marine, wrote in a highly critical blog post on the social networking site on March 1 that he would not follow Obama's orders.

"Obama is the economic enemy. He is the religious enemy ... He is the 'fundamentally change' America enemy … He IS the Domestic Enemy," Stain expressed. Those comments were soon taken down by the page's administrators, but not before an unidentified person made a screen shot of the post and forwarded it to Stein's Marine superiors. more >>

Pro-life and pro-choice advocates expressed their opposing views through t-shirts last Monday at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, sparking a campus-wide debate on the sacredness of human life as well as protests from students offended by shirts seemingly promoting abortion.

The controversy began when shirts reading "I had an abortion" were sold on campus for $15 each at the Fisher Student Center during a "Stories of Choice" panel, in which women discussed their experiences with abortion. The panel, sponsored by the university's Women's Studies Department and the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual) Resource Office, featured pro-choice advocate and feminist Jennifer Baumgardner.

Many students took offense to the t-shirts, and participated in a silent protest to show their disgust. more >>