Brainwashing theories: origins, application in the military field, and to religious groups, up to their discredit. Are mind control theories making a comeback?
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Did Zorro Fight for Religious Liberty?
Modern scholars and novelists have included freedom of religion among the causes the masked avenger supposedly fought for.
The Persecution of the Ahmadis in Pakistan. 5. Why Ahmadis Cannot Vote
A perverse mechanism prevents members of the persecuted religion from voting, excluding them from the democratic process.
The Persecution of the Ahmadis in Pakistan. 4. “Democratic” Persecution
The worst court decision justifying the persecution of Ahmadis was rendered in 1993. Nor did the situation improve later.
The Persecution of the Ahmadis in Pakistan. 3. The Bhutto and Zia Years
Both the Islamic socialist Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the Muslim radical General Zia-ul-Haq enacted anti-Ahmadis law that are still in force.
The Persecution of the Ahmadis in Pakistan. 2. The Lahore Riots of 1953
The secular nature of Pakistan came immediately under attack by political Islam. 2,000 Ahmadis were slaughtered in the riots, until martial law was imposed.
The Persecution of the Ahmadis in Pakistan. 1. Who Are the Ahmadis?
Bitter Winter starts a series on the bloody repression of Ahmadis, a large religious minority in Pakistan, investigating why it is happening.
A New Book on “La Famille”
Journalist Nicolas Jacquard has produced a book that is much more ambitious than his colleague Suzanne Privat’s, but still relies too much on “apostate” ex-members.
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: Some Want the “Plagio” Back
Some things return every year, such as the swallows, the primroses, and proposals by anti-cultists to re-introduce anti-brainwashing statutes in Italy.
Brainwashing, Italian-Style: “It Does Not Exist,” Said the Constitutional Court
In 1981, the Constitutional Court ruled in the case of a Catholic priest accused of manipulating his followers, and concluded “plagio” was an imaginary crime.