The first authoritative study into female genital mutilation in Iran has found the practice is being carried out in at least four major provinces while officials are silent on the matter.

According to research by social anthropologist Kameel Ahmady released on Thursday, FGM is more prevalent in the southern province of Hormozgan and its nearby islands (Qeshm and Hormuz) than in any other parts of the country.

It is also being practised to a lesser degree in Kurdistan, Kermanshah and West Azerbaijan provinces, which are situated in western Iran close to the Iraq border.

AhmadyÔÇÖs research shows that FGM is mainly an issue concerning the ShafiÔÇÖi sect of Sunni Muslim Iranians, a minority in the Shia-dominated country. Only a small fraction of the Shia population living in proximity of Sunni communities practise FGM.

Read more at The Guardian

HeÔÇÖs black. And heÔÇÖs Muslim. Think thatÔÇÖs not hard enough? HeÔÇÖs gay. Think thatÔÇÖs still not hard enough? HeÔÇÖs an Imam. And he loves life.

Read more at The Daily Beast

The weekly report on the SPI Coalition
by Julie Esris

Peter Boghossian will be in New Zealand and Australia in June and July for the “How do You Know?” tour.┬áCheck out the website of SPI Coalition member┬áRationalist Society of Australia for more information.

SPI Coalition member Ex-Muslims of North America needs your help in assisting an ex-Muslim girl from Saudi Arabia, who has escaped to another Middle Eastern country. Her life is under threat, and she is running out of money and is having difficulty finding a job. Find out how you can help!

And speaking of fundraisers, SPI Coalition member Camp Quest West needs your financial help so that any kid who wants to may go to Camp Quest West. Help a child have the best camping experience of his or her life!

Was Jesus a real person? Was he at least partially based on a real person? Or is he a fictional character? Listen to a fascinating podcast on this subject, hosted by SPI Coalition member Atheist Alliance of America.

SPI Coalition Member Ontario Humanist Society has joined Canadian organization, Scientists for the Right to Know. Learn more about this exciting development and what Scientists for the Right to Know does!

Are you a member of any organization affiliated with SPI Coalition member Humanist Canada? If so, you may receive a complimentary membership to Humanist Canada for one year! Find out how.

SPI Coalition Member Filipino Freethinkers┬áhas another exciting podcast for you. Listen to their thoughts about Caitlyn Jenner’s transition and the recent same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland.

Do you enjoy the events held by SPI Coalition member Conway Hall? If so, why not get a membership to their Ethical Society? Learn about the great benefits that membership entails!

The Boy Scouts are notorious for their explicit affiliation with religion. They often recruit in public schools, thus violating the separation of church and state. Learn what SPI Coalition member, Freethought Society, is doing about it.

Demographics, not evangelization, is the best explanation for religious adherence, argues blogger Jon Lindgren, of SPI Coalition member Red River Freethinkers. What does that mean exactly? Find out!

The Weekly SPI Fellows Update
by Julie Esris

Secular Policy Institute is proud to introduce three new Fellows, Ian Morris, John McWhorter, and Greg Benford:

Ian Morris┬áhas been working at Stanford University since 1995, where he has served as Associate Dean of Humanities and Sciences, Chair of the Classics Department, and Director of the Social Science History Institute. He helped found the Stanford Archeology Center┬áand has served as its director for two terms. As if that weren’t enough, he has published extensively on ancient Mediterranean history and archeology, and on world history.

John McWhorter is a professor at Columbia University, where he teaches linguistics and American studies. He has published several books on linguistics and race relations, including The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language and Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America.

Greg Benford is a science fiction author, an astrophysicist, and a member of the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He boasts over 200 scientific publications, and his extensive research has been supported by NSF, NASA, AFOSR, DOE, and other agencies.

Professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and SPI Fellow James R. Doty has finished a new book, Into the Magic Shop, that will be released in the beginning of next year. It looks pretty exciting, so make sure you pre-order your copy today!

Yemen is a “cunning state”? What does that mean, exactly? Why exactly has it failed its citizens so badly? Find out in this insightful article by writer, human rights activist, and SPI Fellow┬áElham Manea.

Secular Policy Institute Ranks 2016 Presidential Candidates

How many of these candidates do you think would meet SPI standards?

The weekly report on research and demographics of the secular movement
by Julie Esris

Over the past ten years, America has become much more accepting of transgender people. News programs such as 20/20 and 60 Minutes have reported on transgender adults and children. Some celebritiesÔÇösuch as Laverne Cox and Chaz BonoÔÇöhave put a familiar human face on the reality of the transgender experience. Earlier this week, the Olympic athlete formerly known as Bruce Jenner added to the list of openly transgender celebrities. Bruce now calls himselfÔÇöherselfÔÇöCaitlyn; she made her public debut as a woman on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine, and is yet another symbol of the growing acceptance of transgender people that has marked AmericaÔÇÖs continuing cultural evolution.

However, there is still a long way to go for America as a whole in accepting transgender people, and religious dogma is one of the barriers to acceptance. A 2013 Pew research study reveals that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans are less likely to have a religious affiliationÔÇöat only 51%ÔÇö than the general population, 80% of which are religiously affiliated. 17% of those surveyed are both religiously affiliated and say that religion is an important part of their lives, versus 54% of the general population. Of those who identify as religiously committed, 38% are evangelical Protestants, 24% are mainline Protestants, and 20% are Catholic. Of the evangelical Protestants, 47% report that their gender identity or sexual orientation conflicts with their religious beliefs. However, only 20% of mainline Protestants feel such a conflict.

Conversely, a May 2015 Pew study, which surveyed lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) peopleÔÇöonly making a passing reference to transgender peopleÔÇöreveals that most people in the LGB community are religiously affiliated, but that they are less likely to be Christian. This conflates slightly with the 2013 study: 59% in the 2015 study are religiously affiliated (versus 51% in the 2013 study). There are other slight variations. The 2013 study, which included transgender people, reports that 27% are affiliated with Protestantism, versus 29% for the 2015 survey, which did not include transgender people. The 2015 study also reveals that LGB people are more likely to identify with esoteric faiths, such as Wicca or paganism (estimated between 2.4% and 2.9%) than the general population. Both the 2013 and the 2015 studies indicate that 2% of those surveyed identify as Jewish. The 2013 survey reports that 14% identify as Catholic, versus 17% of the respondents in the 2015 survey. The small disparity between the two surveys could be meaningless because it is just thatÔÇösmall. Or it could indicate that some churches that accept homosexuality and bisexuality do not accept transgenderism. Not surprisingly, 48% of respondents in the trans-inclusive 2013 survey indicate that they are unaffiliated versus only 41% in the 2015 survey.

It is important to realize that neither of these surveys is complete by any means. The 2015 survey excludes transgender people, both surveys heavily focus on Christian denominations, and only the 2013 survey asks about the respondentsÔÇÖ religious service attendance and importance of religion in their lives. To get a more complete picture of the differences between the two groups surveyed, the 2015 survey would have to have reported the importance of religion in respondentsÔÇÖ lives as well as what percentage of those for whom religion is important belong to which faith. Additionally, the 2013 survey would have had to ask about affiliation with more esoteric religions such as Wicca or paganism. What is clear, however, is that LGBT people are less likely than the general population to be religious. Further, more thorough research is needed for a better understanding of transgender peopleÔÇÖs relationship with religion.

LINCOLN ÔÇö Cheers erupted and tears fell Wednesday as the Nebraska Legislature took the historic step of repealing the death penalty with a politically high-stakes override of the governorÔÇÖs veto.

Even as repeal supporters exchanged handshakes and hugs in the legislative chamber, a key defender of capital punishment vowed to keep the broader debate alive. Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha announced plans to pursue a petition drive to put reinstatement of the death penalty on the ballot.

In the most suspenseful decision to play out in NebraskaÔÇÖs one-house Legislature in years, lawmakers voted 30-19 to override Gov. Pete RickettsÔÇÖ veto of Legislative Bill 268. Without a vote to spare, the override replaced lethal injection with life in prison.

Oh, and incidentally, Senator Ernie Chambers, who introduced the bill, is an atheist!

Read more at Omaha.com