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We stand against the rise of religious extremism and the suppression of minority rights across South Asia, including India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Secular values are under attack, and marginalized communities— women, children, and the poor—face growing
injustces, often fueled by propaganda and diaspora support.
We stand against the rise of religious extremism and the suppression of minority rights. Secular values are under attack, and marginalised communities, including women, children and the poor, face growing injustices, often fuelled by propaganda and diaspora support. The Secularist is an independent media platform dedicated to examining these developments through evidence-based analysis, critical journalism, and informed public debate, providing a space for writers and researchers to explore the social and political consequences of religious authority and its impact on human rights.
THE LATEST STORIES
Redefining Womanhood in Bijapur: An Ongoing Journey of Hope, Patience, and Resilience
In Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, a district long scarred by insurgency, violence, and institutional collapse, a quiet but profound transformation is unfolding....
Read More
Revolution, Theocracy and the Price to Pay for Women: The Age of Khamenei and Its Reckoning
The politics of the Islamic Republic were not abstract when I visited Iran in 2014.They were part of the fabric...
Read More
The World’s Lowest Fertility Rate Did Not Happen by Accident
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world – 0.72 births per woman in 2023, with some projections...
Read More
Why am I drawn to the Secularist?
Growing up in Lucknow, having studied in Varanasi, Mumbai and Cardiff, I saw the deprivation, locally, nationally, and globally, of...
Read More
Redefining Womanhood in Bijapur: An Ongoing
In Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, a district long scarred by insurgency, violence, and institutional collapse,...
Read More
Revolution, Theocracy and the Price to
The politics of the Islamic Republic were not abstract when I visited Iran...
Read More
The World’s Lowest Fertility Rate Did
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world – 0.72 births...
Read More
Why am I drawn to the
Growing up in Lucknow, having studied in Varanasi, Mumbai and Cardiff, I saw...
Read More
THE LATEST STORIES
Redefining Womanhood in Bijapur: An Ongoing Journey of Hope, Patience, and Resilience
In Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, a district long scarred by insurgency, violence, and institutional collapse, a quiet but profound transformation is unfolding....
Read More
Revolution, Theocracy and the Price to Pay for Women: The Age of Khamenei and Its Reckoning
The politics of the Islamic Republic were not abstract when I visited Iran in 2014.They were part of the fabric...
Read More
The World’s Lowest Fertility Rate Did Not Happen by Accident
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world – 0.72 births per woman in 2023, with some projections...
Read More
Why am I drawn to the Secularist?
Growing up in Lucknow, having studied in Varanasi, Mumbai and Cardiff, I saw the deprivation, locally, nationally, and globally, of...
Read More
SOUTH ASIA
Secularism Is Not Neutral: It’s a Discipline, a Way of Living-south asia
I was born in India, migrated alone to the UK at twenty-one, and later earned a PhD in England. I...
Read More
Shame in English? India Deserves Better Than Linguistic Distractions
A fresh round of political controversy has erupted after senior figures aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that Indians...
Read More
When Clothing Becomes a Crisis: Why India Must Outgrow Fragile Sentiments and Focus on Real Problems
The recent incident in Mumbai where a priest dressed the idol of Goddess Kali as Mother Mary because “she appeared in his...
Read More
Bangladesh students reject PM Sheikh Hasina’s olive branch after deadly protests
Students set wood on fire as they protest against quotas in government jobs at Dhaka University in the capital on...
Read More
Delhi Riots: Case Against 13 Muslim Women Reveals Singular Focus To Pin Violence On Anti-CAA Protesters
More than eight months to a year after hundreds of Muslim women gathered under a Delhi metro station to protest...
Read More
Sonakshi, Swara, Richa And The Right To Choose
When Swara Bhasker announced last year that she was marrying Fahad Ahmad, I thanked her for being a lighthouse for...
Read More
Who can form a government in Pakistan’s post-election chaos? The answer isn’t straightforward
‘Candidates loyal to Imran Khan stunned outside observers – and even Pakistan’s political elite – by winning the most seats...
Read More
Indian Voters Deliver Blow to Prime Minister Modi and BJP
India, the world’s largest democracy, recently concluded its six-week-long election and delivered a blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose...
Read More
Laws that limit women’s employment in India
Some states have done away with laws that prevent women from working at night, but the pace of reform is...
Read More
Under threat of jail, microfinance pioneer vows to keep lending to poorest Bangladeshis
Muhammad Yunus waves to supporters outside a court in Dhaka where he was granted bail on 3 March. Photograph: Rehman Asad/AFP/Getty...
Read More
India: Why Hindu nationalism and Zionism are ideological cousins
Volunteers of the Hindu nationalist paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh take part in a march in Chennai, India, on April...
Read More
Historic Sikh Court in the UK Sparks Concerns Over Women’s Rights
The Secularist condemns the announcement of the world’s first Sikh ‘Court’ in London in April 2024. Please note that Secular legal systems provide...
Read More
Secularism Is Not Neutral: It’s a Discipline, a Way of Living-south asia
I was born in India, migrated alone to the UK at twenty-one, and later earned a PhD in England. I...
Read More
Shame in English? India Deserves Better Than Linguistic Distractions
A fresh round of political controversy has erupted after senior figures aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that Indians...
Read More
When Clothing Becomes a Crisis: Why India Must Outgrow Fragile Sentiments and Focus on Real Problems
The recent incident in Mumbai where a priest dressed the idol of Goddess Kali as Mother Mary because “she appeared in his...
Read More
Bangladesh students reject PM Sheikh Hasina’s olive branch after deadly protests
Students set wood on fire as they protest against quotas in government jobs at Dhaka University in the capital on...
Read More
Delhi Riots: Case Against 13 Muslim Women Reveals Singular Focus To Pin Violence On Anti-CAA Protesters
More than eight months to a year after hundreds of Muslim women gathered under a Delhi metro station to protest...
Read More
Sonakshi, Swara, Richa And The Right To Choose
When Swara Bhasker announced last year that she was marrying Fahad Ahmad, I thanked her for being a lighthouse for...
Read More
Who can form a government in Pakistan’s post-election chaos? The answer isn’t straightforward
‘Candidates loyal to Imran Khan stunned outside observers – and even Pakistan’s political elite – by winning the most seats...
Read More
Indian Voters Deliver Blow to Prime Minister Modi and BJP
India, the world’s largest democracy, recently concluded its six-week-long election and delivered a blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose...
Read More
Laws that limit women’s employment in India
Some states have done away with laws that prevent women from working at night, but the pace of reform is...
Read More
Under threat of jail, microfinance pioneer vows to keep lending to poorest Bangladeshis
Muhammad Yunus waves to supporters outside a court in Dhaka where he was granted bail on 3 March. Photograph: Rehman Asad/AFP/Getty...
Read More
India: Why Hindu nationalism and Zionism are ideological cousins
Volunteers of the Hindu nationalist paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh take part in a march in Chennai, India, on April...
Read More
Historic Sikh Court in the UK Sparks Concerns Over Women’s Rights
The Secularist condemns the announcement of the world’s first Sikh ‘Court’ in London in April 2024. Please note that Secular legal systems provide...
Read More
EUROPE