New legislation in Arkansas declared that building a statue outside the state capitol’s grounds, would not “favour any religion or domination”. The statue itself is of the Ten Commandants (!).  Due to this, The Satanic Temple, a satanic group based in Little Rock, have petitioned the Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission to have their symbol in statue form outside the council building. 

The icon is Baphomet, which is half man and half goat. The co-founder of the Satanic Temple, Malcolm Jarry, has said that their statute “shall fulfill the same intended purposes” as the existing statue and that the statue of the Ten Commandants is persecuting “free thinkers” and is a memorial for the “heretics” who helped “inform American jurisprudence”. The statue would read:

Be it known to all that this statue commemorates the history of law in the United States of America. From the deplorable Satanic Witch Hunts, the cherished doctrines of due process, presumption of innocence and the protection of minorities from the tyranny of mob rule became part of the established foundation of American jurisprudence.

This is not the first time The Satanic Temple has successfully won a case like this. They almost managed to place a 9-foot Baphomet on the Oklahoma State Capitol’s grounds.

Atheists, Hindus and animal rights groups have also petitioned to have statues on these grounds — so far, unsuccessfully.