This doesnt shock me one bit. In order to have an efficiently running dictatorship, you HAVE to remove/replace religion.
This is the case with Communism as well as Islam. Its also the case with Naziism. Many people arent aware that by the end of the Nazi regime, the Nazis had replaced nearly every christian holliday with a pagan one (Including christmas), and they had banned the cross from being displayed, which had to be replaced with a pagan rhunic symbol.