On July 7, 2005, at 8:49 AM, three bombs detonated in three separate trains in the London Underground. How did Samantha Lewthwaite, the British wife of one of the suspects known as the White Widow, go on to become one of the world’s most wanted individuals for her roles in multiple terrorist attacks across several continents?

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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From 19th-century mentalists to multi-millionaires, we trace how a fringe theology promising health and wealth became a global juggernaut among evangelical Christians.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Aamer takes us inside the Saudi social media phenomenon of 'free masked men' — anonymous videos complaining about declining living standards and calling for the head of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

But like everything in the Kingdom, it may not be all that seems...

Check out the videos here: https://www.middleeasteye.net/trending/masked-saudi-youths-spark-online-movement-calling-end-crown-princes-rule

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Recorded prior to the United States bombing Iran, in this episode Elle and Aamer discuss the history behind why American Christians have become so obsessed with defending the state of Israel — no matter the cost.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Aamer and Elle are joined by journalist Gareth Gore, author of Opus, an expose on Opus Dei — a secretive, ultra-conservative Catholic sect — and its long history of cosying up to dictators, human trafficking, and siphoning billions of dollars from one of the world’s largest banks.

Buy Gareth’s book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Opus/Gareth-Gore/9781668016145

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Reactionary nihilism, ideological world building, and kitty litters in classrooms: in this episode, journalist and author Katherine Stewart takes us inside the power center of American conservatives.

Katherine's substack: https://substack.com/@katherinestewartbooks

Katherine's latest book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/money-lies-and-god-9781635578546/

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode Description: 

In this episode of Hell to Pay, Sipho Hlongwane and Elle Hardy are joined by journalist and author Pontsho Pilane to unravel the rise — and flight — of Shepherd Bushiri, the self-proclaimed prophet turned fugitive. From prosperity preaching and financial fraud to allegations of sexual abuse, we explore how faith, wealth, and impunity collide in the megachurch era. Plus: how Bushiri fits into a broader African religious landscape shaped by power, inequality, and spiritual manipulation.

Sources: 

• Bushiris: How the couple fled South Africa for Malawi" – BBC News

• "Bushiri faces additional charges after he fled SA – Minister Kubayi" – SABC News"Bushiri's return to Malawi threatens relations with South Africa" – Al Jazeera

• "Shepherd Bushiri: Prophet or pretender?" – BBC NewsThe prosperity gospel excuses poverty and its true causes in Africa" – Mail & Guardian

• "When crime is cloaked as religion" – Mail & Guardian (Thought Leader)

• "Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso released from custody pending appeal against prohibited person decision" – Daily Maverick

Where to buy Pontsho’ book: https://www.nb.co.za/en/view-book?id=9780624093084 

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Suppose you are a fan of Cairo’s Al-Ahly football club. Your team, the most successful club in the world in terms of trophies won, but currently sits second in the league table, one point behind surprise contenders Haras El Hodood (“Border Guards”) Football Club. Next up is an away trip to Port Said to face Masry Football Club.

Unlike other away matches, however, 72 Ahly fans will not make the return journey home. The utter carnage that happened at that match on Feb 1, 2012 was so horrifying it led to the suspension of the Egyptian Premier League for two years and raised many questions about the interim transitional government following Egypt’s Arab Spring in 2011, and the level of collusion between the state and the so called Masry ultras who ran riot during and after the match.

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Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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In May 1986, two of President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Council advisors, Oliver North and Robert “Bud” McFarlane touched down in Tehran on a secret diplomatic mission. 

The event blew open what became known as the Iran-Contra affair, one of the greatest scandals in modern American history. 

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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After Roe v Wade legalized abortion in the United States in 1973, evangelicals have made it one of the most important conservative issues.

At first, however, evangelicals supported the decision for a woman's right to chose — until a machiavellian conservative Catholic activist engineered the shift by making it about another issue entirely.

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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Teenagers, rock music, pentagrams... and a country on the brink of collapse. In this episode, we dig into one of the strangest moral panics in South African history — when fears of Satanism swept through churches, schools, and headlines during the final days of apartheid.

But this wasn’t just about devil worship. It was about white fear, gender violence, and a society terrified of change. From American conspiracy theories to remote town exorcisms, we unpack how a global panic took on a very South African shape — and why its legacy still haunts us today.

Sources:

Collins, L. (2024, January 11). The strange origins of the Satanic Panic: How one Canadian book started a worldwide witch hunt. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/arts/satan-wants-you-filmmakers-q-a-sean-horlor-steve-j-adams-1.6822213

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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United States Army Biological Warfare Laboratories chemist Frank Olson was found dead in suspicious circumstances after being covertly dosed with LSD. 

Just how deep does knowledge of his death go? Will his family able to find justice? And why the hell did the CIA send him to see a magician? 

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Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

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