Welcome to Our New Subscribers!

This week, our Unbelief Brief brings you two stories that speak volumes about why our work matters. After only a day-long trial, Moroccan activist and psychologist Ibtissame BettyLachgar was sentenced to 30 months in prison for posting a photo of a shirt that read “Allah is lesbian.” 

Meanwhile, our whyNOTIslam.net billboard campaign is breaking through the silence, reaching over 3,000 people - including many from Muslim-majority countries - who are ready to question, to listen, and to be heard. 

Welcome to all our new subscribers. We’re glad you’re here.

Unbelief Brief

On the very same day her blasphemy trial began in earnest, Moroccan activist and clinical psychologist Ibtissame Betty Lachgar was sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment. She was accused of insulting Islam for wearing a T-shirt that read “Allah is lesbian” and posting a photo of it on X. In addition to the prison sentence, she was fined the equivalent of about $5,500 USD.

This is a grievous injustice directed against someone who has spent her life speaking truth to power. The Moroccan court system’s previous refusal to grant her pretrial release for urgent medical treatment, along with the extraordinary speed with which this verdict was reached, make clear that this case is about punishing dissent more than anything else. Betty has done nothing more than violate an absurd law — one whose very existence contravenes international human rights standards. Since her arrest, her friends and family report that she has received thousands of death and rape threats. Moroccan authorities must immediately reverse this judgment and release her.

Betty’s lawyers have stated their intention to appeal the verdict. A lifelong champion of women’s rights and humanism, she had been arrested in the past but never convicted. Hopefully, a higher court will do the sensible thing and release her, though that is far from certain. In the meantime, as a cancer survivor, she still requires medical treatment for long-term complications stemming from the cancer, and she must be allowed to receive it.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the appalling epidemic of blasphemy prosecutions is receiving greater mainstream attention in the form of a recent New York Times article. The author of the piece, Zia ur-Rahman, notes that hundreds remain imprisoned over accusations of having insulted Islam. The often-spurious nature of the accusations, including the use of entrapment tactics, is explored through the lens of one particular case involving a man who forwarded an image of somebody else’s “blasphemous” content; he has been in prison for two years now. The more attention these horrible injustices receive—particularly given the absolute explosion of blasphemy cases in recent years, also mentioned in the article—the better.

Campaign Update: whyNOTIslam Billboard Launch

Welcome to our new subscribers who found us through the whyNOTIslam campaign! We’re glad you’re here, and we’re honored to be part of your journey—whether you’re questioning, exploring, or just looking for a community that gets it.

Since launching the whyNOTIslam.net campaign on International Apostasy Day, the response has been powerful and growing.

We’ve had over 3,000 unique visitors explore the site, with our pages on Women in Islam and Scientific Insights seeing the most traffic. That tells us people aren’t just curious—they’re digging deep.

What’s especially striking:

Though our billboards are currently only in New Jersey, USA, the impact has stretched far beyond. Our website has been visited from across the globe — including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. These visits show that our message of questioning and dissent is resonating with people worldwide, even in places where open discussion of such ideas is most restricted.

In just a few short days, the site has started meaningful conversations and reached people who often feel invisible.

Here’s just a snippet of what people are saying:

“[This campaign]would’ve helped me when I was doubting for sure… a huge part of why ex-Muslims are some of the most oppressed groups is that Muslims even refuse to acknowledge we exist… these kinds of moves help.”

“Although most Muslims who interact with this will do so out of anger or a desire to convert us for jannah points, it will force them to actually engage with the fact that there are indeed legitimate reasons to leave Islam.”

This is more than a campaign. It is a statement of presence and a reminder that ex-Muslims exist and aren’t going anywhere.

Where should we take the billboards next?

We’re actively planning the next wave of this campaign and would love to hear your suggestions.

Email us at [email protected] and let us know where you think the message should go.

If you want to help us expand the campaign and reach even more people questioning their faith, please consider making a donation. Every dollar helps us keep this work going.

Thank you for helping us make it happen.

Until next week,

The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America

P.S. We’d love to hear from you! Share your feedback at [email protected].

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