Hemant Mehta is the founder and editor of FriendlyAtheist.com, a YouTube creator, and podcast co-host. He is a former National Board Certified math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He has appeared on CNN and FOX News and served on the board of directors for Foundation Beyond Belief and the Secular Student Alliance. He has written multiple books, including I Sold My Soul on eBay and The Young Atheist's Survival Guide. He also edited the book Queer Disbelief.
30-year-old Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi was punished in 2013 for starting a progressive website that called for, among other things, religious tolerance and women’s rights. That was insulting to Islam, his critics said, and tomorrow, he will face the first 50 of his 1,000 lashes punishment (he also faces 10 years in jail and owes a 1,000,000 Saudi riyal fine — about $266,000). The Center for Inquiry, which has worked to secure Badawi’s freedom, to no avail, released this statement earlier today: Read more