Latest news with #theocracy
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth attended service at church of ‘Christian nationalist' pastor who doesn't think women should vote and wants US to be theocracy
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly attended a service at Christ Church Washington D.C., a church affiliated with self-identified Christian nationalist Doug Wilson, an influential right-wing leader who seeks to turn the U.S. and other nations into Christian-led theocracies. Hegseth and his family were in attendance at the church's inaugural service in Washington in July, CNN reports. 'The Secretary is a proud member of a church affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson,' Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Independent. 'The Secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings.' The Defense Secretary has attended services at other venues around Washington, including the Washington National Cathedral and the Pentagon. 'We're not planting the church so that we can get to meet senators and important people,' Wilson told CNN. 'What we're doing is planting a church so that the important people in D.C. will be reminded that God is the important one. What matters is His favor.' Wilson, whose international network of churches, religious publishing, and education ventures began in Idaho in the 1970s, wrote in May that Christ Church's presence in Washington seeks to benefit from the 'many strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.' The reported attendance is not the first time Hegseth has been linked to Wilson and his movement, which has occupied positions including that the U.S. should repeal the 19th Amendment, which grants women the right to vote, that the Supreme Court should strike down gay marriage, that slavery produced 'genuine affection between the races,' and that women should submit to their husbands. Before joining the Trump administration, Hegseth reportedly moved to Tennessee in part to send his children to a school affiliated with a network Wilson co-founded. Hegseth is also a member of a church affiliated with Wilson's Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, and has praised Wilson's writings and Christ Church's college in Idaho, New Saint Andrews. The Secretary and Wilson met in May, as the pastor visited his Tennessee church. That same month, the Justice Department intervened in a legal battle between Christ Church and Troy, Idaho, which it accuses of religious discrimination for blocking church plans to operate in a town building over zoning issues. Wilson, whose views were once considered fringe within the evangelical wing of the Republican party, rose to a new level of national prominence in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, in which church members protested event restrictions with an outdoor service and some were arrested, attracting attention from Donald Trump. 'DEMS WANT TO SHUT YOUR CHURCHES DOWN, PERMANENTLY. HOPE YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING,' Trump wrote on X at the time. 'VOTE NOW!' Since then, Wilson has appeared on the Tucker Carlson podcast, as well as spoken at events in Washington attended by future Trump officials like Russell Vought, head of the White House's influential Office of Management and Budget. Hegseth has embraced public displays of faith in office, including leading a religious service at the Pentagon. During his confirmation process, his religious identity became a topic of controversy. Critics accused Hegseth of having a tattoo featuring a white nationalist dog whistle. Hegseth has the words 'Deus Vult' tattooed on his bicep, which has been associated with white supremacist groups. "Deus Vult" is a Latin phrase meaning "God Wills It," and was a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages. The National Guard veteran was reportedly stopped from joining a 2021 assignment securing the Biden inauguration over concerns about his tattoos. Hegseth has denied these associations, saying the tattoos are non-hateful testaments to his religious beliefs. Solve the daily Crossword
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The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Hegseth attended service at church of ‘Christian nationalist' pastor who doesn't think women should vote and wants US to be theocracy
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly attended a service at Christ Church Washington D.C., a church affiliated with self-identified Christian nationalist Doug Wilson, an influential right-wing leader who seeks to turn the U.S. and other nations into Christian-led theocracies. Hegseth and his family were in attendance at the church's inaugural service in Washington in July, CNN reports. 'The Secretary is a proud member of a church affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson,' Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Independent. 'The Secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings.' The Defense Secretary has attended services at other venues around Washington, including the Washington National Cathedral and the Pentagon. 'We're not planting the church so that we can get to meet senators and important people,' Wilson told CNN. 'What we're doing is planting a church so that the important people in D.C. will be reminded that God is the important one. What matters is His favor.' Wilson, whose international network of churches, religious publishing, and education ventures began in Idaho in the 1970s, wrote in May that Christ Church's presence in Washington seeks to benefit from the 'many strategic opportunities with numerous evangelicals who will be present both in and around the Trump administration.' The reported attendance is not the first time Hegseth has been linked to Wilson and his movement, which has occupied positions including that the U.S. should repeal the 19th Amendment, which grants women the right to vote, that the Supreme Court should strike down gay marriage, that slavery produced 'genuine affection between the races,' and that women should submit to their husbands. Before joining the Trump administration, Hegseth reportedly moved to Tennessee in part to send his children to a school affiliated with a network Wilson co-founded. Hegseth is also a member of a church affiliated with Wilson's Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, and has praised Wilson's writings and Christ Church's college in Idaho, New Saint Andrews. The Secretary and Wilson met in May, as the pastor visited his Tennessee church. That same month, the Justice Department intervened in a legal battle between Christ Church and Troy, Idaho, which it accuses of religious discrimination for blocking church plans to operate in a town building over zoning issues. Wilson, whose views were once considered fringe within the evangelical wing of the Republican party, rose to a new level of national prominence in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, in which church members protested event restrictions with an outdoor service and some were arrested, attracting attention from Donald Trump. 'DEMS WANT TO SHUT YOUR CHURCHES DOWN, PERMANENTLY. HOPE YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING,' Trump wrote on X at the time. 'VOTE NOW!' Since then, Wilson has appeared on the Tucker Carlson podcast, as well as spoken at events in Washington attended by future Trump officials like Russell Vought, head of the White House's influential Office of Management and Budget. Hegseth has embraced public displays of faith in office, including leading a religious service at the Pentagon. During his confirmation process, his religious identity became a topic of controversy. Critics accused Hegseth of having a tattoo featuring a white nationalist dog whistle. Hegseth has the words 'Deus Vult' tattooed on his bicep, which has been associated with white supremacist groups. "Deus Vult" is a Latin phrase meaning "God Wills It," and was a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages. The National Guard veteran was reportedly stopped from joining a 2021 assignment securing the Biden inauguration over concerns about his tattoos. Hegseth has denied these associations, saying the tattoos are non-hateful testaments to his religious beliefs.
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi says Iran threatens her life after its war with Israel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's security services have threatened the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi after her native country's war with Israel, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and activists said Friday. Mohammadi said that the threats have come through both her lawyer and other indirect channels as she's kept up public statements about the Islamic Republic's theocracy, women's rights and others issues, the committee said.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi says Iran threatens her life after its war with Israel
Iran 's security services have threatened the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi after her native country's war with Israel, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and activists said Friday. Mohammadi said that the threats have come through both her lawyer and other indirect channels as she's kept up public statements about the Islamic Republic's theocracy, women's rights and others issues, the committee said. 'The clear message, in her own words, is that 'I have been directly and indirectly threatened with 'physical elimination' by agents of the regime,'' the committee said in its announcement. The Free Narges Coalition Steering Committee, which advocates for the 53-year-old laureate, said that the threats came from Iran's Intelligence Ministry. Iran's government hasn't responded to Mohammadi's recent remarks, and Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The warnings about Mohammadi came as Iran has made arrests and conducted executions in the wake of the 12-day war with Israel, raising concerns of a further possible crackdown targeting human rights activists and others. Mohammadi has been giving a series of interviews with media abroad during the war, further raising her profile, while Israel at one point began striking targets synonymous with Iran's ruling theocracy. She herself fled Tehran for a time during the Israeli airstrikes and said: "War does not have the capacity for the fundamental transformation that the Iranian people seek.' 'In Iran, there is a misogynistic and religious government helmed by (Supreme Leader Ayatollah) Ali Khamenei who has taken us to hell while promising paradise,' Mohammadi told the Wall Street Journal recently. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is taking us to hell while promising freedom and democracy.' Mohammadi has been out on a medical furlough from prison, where she is serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government. She has kept up her activism, despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and spending years behind bars. That includes backing the nationwide, women-led protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which have seen women openly defy the government by not wearing the hijab.
Associated Press
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi says Iran threatens her life after its war with Israel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's security services have threatened the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi after her native country's war with Israel, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and activists said Friday. Mohammadi said that the threats have come through both her lawyer and other indirect channels as she's kept up public statements about the Islamic Republic's theocracy, women's rights and others issues, the committee said. 'The clear message, in her own words, is that 'I have been directly and indirectly threatened with 'physical elimination' by agents of the regime,'' the committee said in its announcement. The Free Narges Coalition Steering Committee, which advocates for the 53-year-old laureate, said that the threats came from Iran's Intelligence Ministry. Iran's government hasn't responded to Mohammadi's recent remarks, and Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The warnings about Mohammadi came as Iran has made arrests and conducted executions in the wake of the 12-day war with Israel, raising concerns of a further possible crackdown targeting human rights activists and others. Mohammadi has been giving a series of interviews with media abroad during the war, further raising her profile, while Israel at one point began striking targets synonymous with Iran's ruling theocracy. She herself fled Tehran for a time during the Israeli airstrikes and said: 'War does not have the capacity for the fundamental transformation that the Iranian people seek.' 'In Iran, there is a misogynistic and religious government helmed by (Supreme Leader Ayatollah) Ali Khamenei who has taken us to hell while promising paradise,' Mohammadi told the Wall Street Journal recently. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'is taking us to hell while promising freedom and democracy.' Mohammadi has been out on a medical furlough from prison, where she is serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government. She has kept up her activism, despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and spending years behind bars. That includes backing the nationwide, women-led protests sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which have seen women openly defy the government by not wearing the hijab.
