Join Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) and Født Fri (Born Free) Foundation for an evening of Film, Discussion and Poetry to mark 8 March, International Women’s Day

Sunday 8 March 2020, 5:30pm for 6:00pm start until 9:00pm

Central London

Tickets Available Now: £7 waged; £5 unwaged, including students and pensioners. No tickets sold at door.

 

Ticket holders will be sent London venue details closer to the event. Venue is in Clerkenwell and is walking distance from Farringdon Station.

UK FILM SCREENING: “No Longer Without You”

‘I will not do what you say. I’ll follow my own path, but I will not let myself be cast out. I will be different, but No Longer Without You.’

“No Longer Without You” is a documentary about a searing conversation about parenthood, tradition, religion, sex, and independence between a free-spirited daughter, Nazmiye Oral and her traditional Muslim mother, Havva in the intimate circle of a living room in front of their family following several public performances.

“How can I walk away when my legs are not my own? And how do I pave my path back? Because my place within the family is my right.”

The film screening will be followed by POETRY by Playwright and Poet Elewisa Mwhamadu Kuusi and A PANEL DISCUSSION ON APOSTASY, SHUNNING AND SURVIVAL with Actress Nazmiye Oral, Youtuber Fay Rahman, Journalist Khadija Khan, Student Activist Saff Khalique, Clinical Psychologist Savin Bapir-Tardy and Født Fri (Born Free) Foundation Director Shabana Rehman. Chair: CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie. The event will be MCed by Nahla Mahmoud. There will also be a drinks reception.

BIOGRAPHIES

NAZMIYE ORAL is an actress, writer, columnist and TV presenter. She began her acting career in the 1990s in the Netherlands with series like Baantjer, Combat, Oppassen! and Westenwind. She also performed in De Gesluierde Monologen, The SuburbSafari and in No Longer Without You, a play she wrote herself. The play was selected for the Holland Festival and Crossing the Line Festival in New York and has also been made into a documentary. Nazmiye has performed in television productions like A’dam E.V.A., Undercover, Moordvrouw and Oh Mijn Hemel, starred in the series Icarus: Zorgondernemer and In Vrijheid by Floor van der Meulen for which she was awarded Best Actress at the Netherlands Film Festival and at the Lucania Film Festival. In 2011 her debut novel ‘Zehra’ was released, for which she was nominated for the E. du Perron prize. She co-founded the Zina Foundation in 2003, a theatre initiative that travels through different neighbourhoods in the Netherlands using local stories.

ELEWISA MWHAMADU KUUSI is a British-born writer, playwright, actor and spoken word artist. Being of Jamaican parentage and born into Islam has given him a niche yet broad and ever-broadening perspective on life and a yearning to expose the flaws, discrepancies and lies of mainstream paradigms. While his works do not adhere to any particular genre, he does like to tell stories and messages that would normally be ignored or left unknown. Leaving Islam in 2013 and identifying as atheist since 2019 has made his truth-seeking disposition all the stronger. He is published in the anthology ‘100 Years Unheard’ (2018), has written and performed in his own stage play ‘Love Hurts’ (2016-17), has lectured on the subject ‘What is a Man? What is a Black Man?’ for the Association of Black Humanists (2018) and West London Humanists (2019), and has performed in various stage plays throughout London since 2012.

FAY RAHMAN is a British-Bangladeshi ex-Muslim atheist Youtuber. Fay grew up in the UK, in a non-practicing Muslim family. Through Islamic schooling she joined the Tableeghi Jamaat and then later adopted the even more conservative Salafi practice of Islam with the encouragement of her father and later her extended family. Fay left Islam in secret in February 2017 and openly in October 2018 – avoiding an arranged marriage, surviving an attempt on her life and causing her family to disown her. Fay collaborates with Faith2Faithless, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and Faithless Hijabi for activism in free-speech, women’s rights and religious freedom. She has an active YouTube channel where she shares her experience as a young woman who has left Islam, the challenges she faces and the inconsistencies in Islam in order to reach others who are doubting or closeted and assure them that they are not alone.

KHADIJA KHAN is a Pakistani journalist and a commentator currently based in UK. She writes about human rights, mainly women’s rights, as well as minorities, extremism and Islamism. She is an advocate for women’s rights, strongly believes that religion infringes women’s rights and Islam is no exception. She denounces the idea of Islamic feminism, since finding refuge for women’s rights under organised religion is not more than a myth. Being a humanist, she believes in tolerance and equality for all human beings. She criticizes the usage of blasphemy laws as a tool to crackdown on dissent and supports freedom of and from religion. She stresses the need of having freedom of speech to counter extremist ideologies in her write ups. She believes that freedom to challenge bad idea is the most effective way to counter extremist narratives.

MARYAM NAMAZIE is an Iranian-born writer and activist. She is the Spokesperson of One Law for All and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and hosts a weekly TV programme broadcast in called Bread and Roses. She is on the International Advisory Board of the Raif Badawi Foundation for Freedom and Euromind. Maryam and CEMB were featured in a 2016 film “Islam’s Non-Believers” by Deeyah Khan. She was also a character in DV8 Physical Theatre’s “Can We Talk About This?”. She was joint winner of the 2019 Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize; awarded the 2017 Henry H. Zumach Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism award; 2016 International Secularism (Laicite) Prize from the Comité Laïcité République; Atheist of the Year by Kazimierz Lyszczynski (2014); Journalist of the Year at the Dods Women in Public Life Awards (2013); awarded the National Secular Society’s Secularist of the Year Award (2005), amongst others. The Islamic regime of Iran’s media outlets has called Namazie “immoral and corrupt.”

NAHLA MAHMOUD is an environment and human rights activist originally from Sudan. She works with a number of campaigns in the UK, including One Law for All and Secular Middle East and North Africa. She leads the Sudanese Humanists Group and is former Spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain.

SAFF KHALIQUE is a British Pakistani ex-Muslim student and activist, currently studying a masters in International Journalism. Saff left Islam in May 2018 but it was not until September 2019 that she went public with her disbelief. She launched The Sinning Skeptics podcast with the aim to provide a safe space for young Ex-Muslims and Muslims to discuss, question and critique the religion they grew up in. Through her blog, The Amber Journals, she covers issues surrounding freedom of religion, politics and women’s rights, such as collecting women’s experiences with the hijab for No Hijab day. She recently joined the Index on Censorship’s Youth Advisory Board, in which she aims to shed light on repressive apostasy and blasphemy laws across the globe and how this can impact the state’s control of its media and peoples.

SAVIN BAPIR-TARDY is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of West London. Bapir-Tardy conducted her doctoral research at City University into how traumatic events are experienced. She has worked with adolescents, adults and older adults in a variety of mental health settings. She worked for 8 years as a Counselling Psychologist at the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) providing psychological therapy to women who have experienced “honour” based violence, forced marriage, domestic violence and female genital mutilation. Bapir-Tardy also provided training to professionals in mainstream mental health services on “honour” based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

SHABANA REHMAN is Director of Født Fri (Born Free) Foundation and a performance artist and human and animal rights advocate. She is Norwegian with Pakistani descent. Shabana entered the stage in Oslo, Norway in 2000. In the following years, she quickly built a reputation for groundbreaking and iconoclastic comedy. Her controversial and popular comedy style along with public political stunts like Mullah-Lifting, and bodypainted with Norwegian flag as a performance artist, have given her a unique position in her native Norway. Among substantial international press cover, she has been featured both by The New York Times and by Times Magazine. In addition to her prolific comedy career, Shabana is a highly respected columnist, satirist, and public speaker in Scandinavia and the Scandinavian community in USA. She regularly writes for major newspaper and magazines in the region. A frequent participant and contributor in talk shows and public debates, she is among the most respected celebrities in Norway. Shabana has received several awards for her writing and fearless comedy. She had played her shows in several countries, among them Canada, USA, Denmark, Iceland, Faroe Islands and Germany. She recently founded the Secular Feminist Front.

For more information, contact m.namazie@ex-muslim.org.uk or visit ex-muslim.org.uk.

EVENTS ORGANISED BY CEMB

UPCOMING EVENTS

23 June 2017, 2:00-4:00pm, Meet at 2pm at Green Park Station entrance
On 23 June 2017 at 14:00, we will meet at Green Park station and go on to “eat-in” at the Saudi, Iranian, Egyptian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Moroccan and other embassies in London in solidarity with those defying fasting rules during Ramadan. This is hugely important given that there are many people across the globe who are arrested, beaten and fined for eating during the month; many others are pressured into fasting, including in Europe. Join us at the ‘eat-in’ if you can. Alternately, you can upload photos of yourself eating during fasting times or holding signs with messages of solidarity using hashtag: #IWillNotFast #لن_اصوم #روزه خوارى #Ramadan until the end of Ramadan. Happy fast-defiance! To participate, just show up. Email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com for more details.

Tuesday 27 June 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm, central London by Kings Cross
Evening with Rahila Gupta, Journalist and Activist on Rojava, Northern Syria and secular space in the middle of a war

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new venue for our monthly meet-ups; if you would like to attend, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register and receive further information. If you already know the new location, just show up.

Suggested donation: £3 waged; £1 unwaged.

22-23 July 2017: International Conference on Freedom of Expression and Conscience in 21 Century. Central London. Get your tickets today.

Tuesday 26 September 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm, central London by Kings Cross
Evening with lawyer Ana González on apostasy and asylum
Ana will go through asylum procedures and also provide one-on-one advice during the evening.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new venue for our monthly meet-ups; if you would like to attend, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register and receive further information.

Suggested donation: £3 waged; £1 unwaged.

Tuesday 24 October 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm, central London by Kings Cross
Evening with Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Campaigner, on the links between the gay rights and ex-Muslim rights

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new venue for our monthly meet-ups; if you would like to attend, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register and receive further information. If you already know the new location, just show up.

Suggested donation: £3 waged; £1 unwaged.

PAST EVENTS

Tuesday 23 May 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm, central London by Kings Cross
Evening with Imad Iddine Habib and Jimmy Bangash on Pride and the CEMB contingent which will march in the gay pride parade in London on 8 July 2017.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new venue for our monthly meet-ups; if you would like to attend, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register and receive further information. If you already know the new location, just show up.

Suggested donation: £3 waged; £1 unwaged.
Tuesday 4 April 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm, central London by Kings Cross
Evening with Wissam Charafeddine, Co-Founder, Muslimish Support Network on Why the Classical Proof of God Does Not Work Anymore (based on his background on Islamic theology)

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new venue for our monthly meet-ups; if you would like to attend, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register and receive further information. If you already know the new location, just show up.

Suggested donation: £3 waged; £1 unwaged.

On 8 March 2017, Islam’s Non Believers will be screened by Goldsmiths University with Goldsmiths Atheist Society so there will be no meet-up this month.

Tuesday 7 February 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm, central London by Kings Cross
Evening with lawyer Ana González on apostasy and asylum
Ana will go through asylum procedures and also provide one-on-one advice during the evening.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a new venue for our monthly meet-ups; if you would like to attend, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register and receive further information.

Suggested donation: £3 waged; £1 unwaged.

18 October 2016, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Hang-out with Secular Activist Chris Moos on gender segregation at universities
The event will be held at our regular meet-up space near Kings Cross station. You need to register if you have not been to our events before by emailing exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com with your name and phone number. Entry can be paid at the door: £1 unwaged; £3 waged.

18 July 2016
Evening Drinks with lawyer Ana González on apostasy and asylum Ana will go through the procedures and also provide one-on-one advice during the evening. E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register if this is the first time you will be attending our monthly meetups – otherwise just show up.

July 2016
Flashmob of apostates: “We need your Love”.  To join, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

27 June 2016, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening with Yasmin Rehman, Centre for Secular Space on Polygamy
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register if this is the first time you will be attending our monthly meetups – otherwise just show up.

24 June 2016
Fast-defying during Ramadan in front of Saudi, Iranian and Bangladeshi Embassies at 5pm. To join, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

12 June 2016
“Mean Tweets party” – reading and filming mean tweets received by apostates. To join, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

30 April 2016, Day Conference on Sharia Law, Legal Pluralism and Access to Justice, Central London, near Kings Cross Station
Speakers include:
Diana Nammi, Director of Iranian Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation
Elham Manea, Author of Women And Sharia Law: The Impact Of Legal Pluralism In The UK
Gita Sahgal, Director of Centre for Secular Space
Pragna Patel, Director of Southall Black Sisters
Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson of One Law for All and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
Nareen Rehman, Co-Founder and Chair of British Muslims for Secular Democracy
Yasmin Rehman, Women’s Rights Campaigner

12 April 2016, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening with Halima Begum, ex-Muslim feminist researcher and blogger.
After a decade-long journey from Sunni and Shia Islam over Islamism to Secular Liberalism, Halima wrote a study on “British ex-Muslims: Negotiating the Essential and the Revolutionary”, which won the Best Dissertation Award at Birkbeck University in 2014. Halima plans to expand her research to incorporate a gendered experience of Ex-Muslim apostasy. Being a seasoned Ex-Muslim, Halima is keen to promote freedom of expression and uphold rights of personal autonomy. She hopes to share her journey and help others find the best way they can be true to themselves. £3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register if this is the first time you will be attending our monthly meetups.

10 March 2016, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening with Atheist Vlogger and Activist AronRa
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register if this is the first time you will be attending our monthly meetups.

15 February 2016, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening with CEMB Spokesperson and #ExMuslimBecause organiser Rayhana Sultan
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register if this is the first time you will be attending our monthly meetups.

18 January 2016, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Apostasy and Asylum Meet-up with Lawyer Ana Gonzales.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register if this is the first time you will be attending our monthly meetups.

13 December 2015, central London, End-Year Celebration
Tickets are selling fast for One the Law for All and CEMB end-year celebration with Philosopher AC Grayling, Secular Activist Aliyah Saleem, British Iraqi singer Alya Marquardt, Warwick Atheist Society President Benjamin David, Bread and Roses TV Host Fariborz Pooya, Founder of Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco Imad Iddine Habib, Comedian Kate Smurthwaite, Libyan Women’s Rights Campaigner Magdulien Abaida, CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie, CEMB Spokesperson Nahla Mahmoud, Ex-Muslims of Scotland founder Ramin Forghani, Bangladeshi campaigner Rayhana Sultan, Scientist Richard Dawkins and more.

16 November 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening drinks with Ibrahim Abdallah, Muslimish New York Organiser.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

26 October 2015, central London by Kings Cross, 21:00-23:00 hours
Kafir Comedy Night with Maha Kamal
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

26 October 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening drinks with Tom Holland, Historian and Author of In the Shadow of the Sword.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

28 September 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening drinks with Arif Rahman, Bangladeshi Blogger.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

27 July 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
with Karima Bennoune, Author of Your Fatwa does not Apply Here marking one month anniversary of the ISIS attack in Sousse.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

6 July 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
EVENT CANCELLED BECAUSE OF VENUE’S DOUBLE BOOKING
with Founder of Women Living Under Muslims Laws and Secularism is a Women’s Issue Founder Marieme Helie Lucas who will speak about why we need strong international secular networks.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

Join us to celebrate the 8th anniversary of the CEMB
Saturday 20 June 2015, 1500-1800 Hours
Walking distance to London Kings Cross/St Pancras stations
Join us for appetisers, drinks, music, speeches and laughs to celebrate the CEMB’s 8th anniversary.
Speakers and acts include: Iraqi British Singer Alya Marquardt, Secular activist Aliyah Saleem, Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco Founder Imad Iddine Habib, Comedian Kate Smurthwaite, Author Kenan Malik, Southall Black Sisters Director Pragna Patel, CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie and more.
Tickets: £18 (waged); £10 (unwaged)
To register, please email your name and mobile number to exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com. You can purchase your ticket(s) via Paypal or by sending a cheque made payable to ‘CEMB’ to: BM Box 1919, London WC1N 3XX.
Space is limited so buy your tickets today.
No tickets will be sold at the door.

18 May 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Apostasy and Asylum Meet-up with Lawyer Ana Gonzales.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

 27 April 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
Evening drinks with Imad Iddine Habib, Founder of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco.
£3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

16 March 2015, central London by Kings Cross station, 19:00-21:00 hours
International Women’s Day evening drinks with Pragna Patel from Southall Black Sisters. £3 entry (waged); £1 entry (unwaged). E-mail exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

7 FEBRUARY 2015 SHARIA LAW, APOSTASY AND SECULARISM DAY-CONFERENCE NEAR KINGS CROSS WILL PAY TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE HEBDO AND THE MANY PERSECUTED FOR CRITICISING ISLAM AND RELIGION.
Near London Kings Cross
9am registration; 10am-5:30pm
The exciting day-conference will include discussions on Charlie Hebdo and freedom of expression, apostasy and blasphemy laws, Islamism and the religious-Right, Sharia in the Law, Educational System and Public Policy, as well as Secularism and Citizenship Rights. Speakers will discuss the successful campaigns against the Law Society and Universities UK and how the fight for equal rights and an end to discrimination against ex-Muslims and for free expression are integral to the urgent fight against Islamism and the religious-Right and for a secular society.
Speakers at the 7 February conference will include Activist Ahmed Idris, Campaigner for Secular Education Aliyah Saleem, Spokesperson of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Amal Farah, Activist Atoosa Khatiri, Secular Activist Chris Moos, Director of the Centre for Secular Space Gita Sahgal, Founder of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco Imad Iddine Habib, Spokesperson of One Law for All Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Nahla Mahmoud, Human Rights Campaigner Peter Tatchell, Southall Black Sisters Director Pragna Patel, Founder of Ex-Muslims of Scotland Ramin Forghani, Nari Diganta’s Rumana Hashem, National Secular Society President Terry Sanderson and Women’s Rights Campaigner Yasmin Rehman. See the schedule, speaker biographies and information on how to register here.

On the Religious-Right, Secularism and Civil Rights
11-12 October 2014
The Tower Hotel, St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LD, UK
CONFERENCE WEBSITE

Join notable free-thinkers, atheists and secularists from around the world for a weekend of discussions and debates on the religious-Right, its attacks on civil rights and freedoms, and the role of secularism for 21st century humanity. The exciting two-day conference will discuss the Arab Spring, Sharia and religious laws, the limits of religion’s role in society, free expression, honour killings, apostasy and blasphemy laws, faith schools, women’s rights, secular values and much more.

The conference will be held at the Tower Hotel with spectacular views of the River Thames and the Tower of London. On the evening of 11 October, participants will enjoy cocktails followed by a delicious three-course meal and entertainment in the company of our speakers.

Distinguished speakers and acts:
• AC Grayling is a Philosopher, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Arts, Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and author and commentator.
• Amal Farah is Spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All. She is Somali-born and was raised in a conservative and literalist Muslim household.
• Amel Grami is Professor at the Tunisian University of Manouba; she was on the frontlines of Manouba’s successful struggle to defy a Salafist siege last year and is a leading expert on Religion and Women’s Studies.
• Amina Sboui is a Tunisian activist threatened and imprisoned after posting topless photos of herself on Facebook carrying the slogan: “My Body is not the Source of Anyone’s Honour”.
• Bahram Soroush is Public Relations Officer of the Free Them Now! Campaign to Free Jailed Workers in Iran and a co-host of Bread and Roses TV Programme.
• Ben Baz Aziz is a Presenter at Arab Atheist broadcasting and a blogger focusing on LGBT and atheist rights in the Middle East who was imprisoned in Kuwait for blasphemy.
• Caroline Fourest is a French writer, editor of the magazine ProChoix, and author of Frère Tariq, a critical look at the works of Tariq Ramadan and books on topics such as the conservative right, the pro-life movement and the fundamentalist trends in the Abrahamic religions.
• Chetan Bhatt is the director of the Centre for the Study of Human rights at LSE. His current projects include work on the emergence of virtue in modern political ideologies, new forms of the regional state in South Asia and the sociology of religious paramilitia groups.
• Chris Moos is a secular student activist who has led a successful campaign for the right to wear ‘Jesus and Mo’ t-shirts after being harassed and threatened with removal at his university. He was a nominee for the NSS’ Secularist of the Year 2014 award.
• Elham Manea is a Yemeni associate professor specialized in the Middle East, a writer, and a human rights activist. Her concept of humanistic Islam was first published in a series of articles in Arabic.
• Faisal Saeed Al-Mutar is an Iraqi born writer and a social activist living in the United States. He is the founder of the Global Secular Humanist Movement and Secular Post.
• Fariborz Pooya is the founder of the Iranian Secular Society, was one of the founding members of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and is a co-host of Bread and Roses TV.
• Fatou Sow is a Senegalese Sociologist, and a member of a number of African and international associations as well as the International Director of Women Living Under Muslim Laws.
• Gita Sahgal is an Indian-born writer, journalist, film-maker and rights activist, Director of Centre for Secular Space who was suspended by Amnesty International as head of its Gender Unit in 2010 for criticising the organisation’s relations with an Islamist group.
• Hamid Taqvaee is the Secretary of the Worker-Communist Party of Iran’s Central Committee and a leading Marxist opposition figure to the Islamic regime of Iran.
• Houzan Mahmoud is a Kurdish women’s rights campaigner and the Spokesperson of the Organisations of Women’s Freedom in Iraq. She has written and campaigned extensively on women’s rights issues.
• Horia Mosadiq has been Director of the Afghanistan Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium and an advisor to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, as well as a journalist in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Imad Iddine Habib is a Moroccan atheist threatened for his atheism, founder of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco, the first public atheist organisation in a country with Islam as the state religion.
• Inna Shevchenko is leader of FEMEN topless activists who was kidnapped and threatened by the Belarus KGB in 2011 for her activism. She was granted political asylum in France.
• Julie Bindel is an English writer, feminist and co-founder of the group Justice for Women. She was listed in the Independent’s “Pink List” as one of the top 101 most influential gay and lesbian people in the UK.
• Kacem El Ghazzali is a Moroccan secularist writer, blogger, activist and atheist. He was the head of the Moroccan Center for Human Rights’ Youth Chapter and is a member of the Executive Board of the Moroccan Bloggers Association.
• Karima Bennoune is a law professor at the University of California Davis School of Law, and author of “Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism”.
• Kate Smurthwaite is a stand-up comedian and political activist. She has appeared on more than 500 TV and radio shows including This Morning, The Big Questions, Woman’s Hour and The Moral Maze.
• Kenan Malik is a writer, lecturer and broadcaster, a presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Analysis and a panellist on The Moral Maze. His book From Fatwa to Jihad was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize.
• Kiran Opal is a Pakistani-born human rights activist, writer, and editor living in Canada. She is co-founder of Ex-Muslims of North America and Editor of ExMuslimBlogs.
• LCP is a multimedia and multiethnic dance company which emphasises human rights issues mainly human trafficking.
• Lila Ghobady is an Iranian writer-journalist and documentary filmmaker. Her first independent release, Forbidden Sun Dance, was banned by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Maha Kamal is an ex-Muslim who was disowned by her parents for leaving Islam, President of the Colorado Prison Law Project, and Commissioner at the Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Commission on Inclusiveness.
• Magdulien Abaida is a Libyan Activist and president of Hakki (My Right) Organization for Women Rights. She was kidnapped by Islamists in Benghazi in August 2012 and fled after her release three days later.
• Marieme Helie Lucas is an Algerian sociologist, founder and former International Coordinator of the Women Living Under Muslim Laws. She is also the founder of Secularism Is A Women’s Issue.
• Maryam Namazie is Spokesperson for Fitnah, One Law for All and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain; editor of Fitnah’s Unveiled; and producer and co-host of Bread and Roses.
• Nadia El Fani is a Tunisian filmmaker who risks arrest and up to five years in prison if she returns to Tunisia after Islamists filed a complaint against her film “Neither Allah nor Master”.
• Nahla Mahmoud is an environmentalist and human right activist originally from Sudan. She leads the Sudanese Humanists Group and is Spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain.
• Nina Sankari is President of the European Feminist Initiative in Poland, and Vice-President of the Polish Rationalist Association.
• Pervez Hoodbhoy is a Pakistani nuclear physicist and recipient of a number of awards. He is also a prominent environmentalist and social activist.
• Peter Tatchell has been campaigning for rights and global justice since 1967. New Statesman readers voted him sixth on their list of “Heroes of our time”. He was Campaigner of the Year in The Observer Ethical Awards.
• Pragna Patel is a founding member of the Southall Black Sisters and Women Against Fundamentalism. She was listed in The Guardian’s Top 100 women: activists and campaigners.
• Randa Kassis is President and founder of the Movement for a Pluralistic Society. She was a member of the Syrian National Council until she was excluded for her warnings against Muslim fundamentalists in 2012.
• Rumy Hassan is Senior Lecturer at University of Sussex and author of “Dangerous Liaisons: The Clash between Islamism and Zionism” and “Multiculturalism: Some Inconvenient Truths”.
• Sanal Edamaruku is an author and founder-president of Rationalist International and the Indian Rationalist Association. In 2012, he was charged with hurting religious sentiments for his role in examining a claimed miracle at a local Catholic Church.
• Shelley Segal is a Melbourne based singer-songwriter involved in secular activism. ‘An Atheist Album’ is a passionate response to dogmatic belief, inequality, religious oppression and the idea that only the devout can be grateful and good.
• Siba Shakib is an Iranian/German film-maker, writer and political activist. She was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Her international best-seller Afghanistan, Where God Only Comes to Weep has been translated into 27 languages and won a P.E.N. prize.
• Sue Cox is the co-founder of Survivors Voice Europe, an international organisation that has at its heart the support and empowerment of catholic clergy abuse survivors of which she is one.
• Taj Hargey is South African Muslim scholar. He was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa and founder of the Muslim Education Centre of Oxford and the Imam of the Summertown Islamic congregation.
• Tarek Fatah is a Pakistani born Canadian writer, broadcaster and a secular activist. He is the author of “Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State” and founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress.
• Taslima Nasrin is a Bangladeshi-born award-winning writer, physician, and activist, known for her powerful writings on women oppression and unflinching criticism of religion, despite forced exile and multiple fatwas calling for her death.
• Terry Sanderson is a writer and journalist and current President of the National Secular Society, which campaigns for the separation of church and state.
• Waleed Husseini is a Palestinian blogger arrested in 2010 by the Palestinian Authority for blaspheming against Islam on Facebook and in his blog. He founded the Council of Ex-Muslims of France in 2013.

An International Secular Manifesto and the establishment of a united front of secularists to meet future challenges will be the final outcome of the Conference. Conference contributions will also be published in a book.

For full details of the conference, including on registration and obtaining tickets, visit the event’s dedicated website or email maryamnamazie@gmail.com.

Please also join the event’s Facebook page and follow the conference on Twitter or Tweet #SecularConf.

The conference is endorsed by Atheist Alliance International; Children First Now; Center for Inquiry; Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain; Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran; Fitnah – Movement for Women’s Liberation; International Committee against Stoning; International Committee against Execution; International Federation of Iranian Refugees; Iran Solidarity; National Secular Society; One Law for All; Secularism is a Women’s Issue; The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science UK; and Women Living Under Muslim Laws amongst others.

3 August 2014, 14:00 hours
CEMB Picnic
London’s Hyde Park
By Speakers’ Corner
For more details, contact: sandbad_behzad@yahoo.com

28th of June 2014
14:00 – 17:00
CitizenM Hotel
60 Renfrew St, Glasgow, G2 3BW
Apostasy, Atheism, Secularism and Ex-Muslims
THE FIRST PUBLIC SEMINAR Of Ex-Muslims Scotland

Date: Monday 28 April 2014
Time: 18:30-20:00

Ana Gonzalez, a lawyer of a well-respected law firm which has represented a number of apostate asylum claimants and CEMB members will speak about the right to asylum and apostasy.
Entry: £3; £1 unwaged.

Second Kafir Comedy Night Hosted by Maha
Date: Monday 10 March 2014
Time: 19:00-21:00
Venue: The George, 213 Strand, London WC2R 1AP (nearest Tube: Temple)

Open mic comedy for interested kuffar starts at 8pm. Look, we know it’s not easy defending yourself constantly against a religious mob. So take a break from the forums and let out the frustration with a laugh. If you’ve got some steam to let off, this is your night to do it. RSVP at exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com. But don’t laugh too much, Hell awaits us all later.*
Entry: £3; £1 unwaged.

* “Let them laugh a little: much will they weep: a recompense for the (evil) that they do” (Surah At-Taubah 9:82).

Fundraiser for Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain: Marlene Dietrich – an affectionate tribute
Date: Thursday 27 February 2014
Time: 19:30-21:45
Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

Join Terry Sanderson as he explores the extraordinary life and career of one of the 20th century’s great entertainers. Using generous extracts from her films, he’ll examine her fantastic Hollywood career, and then accessing rare archive material, will look at her heroic war time efforts against the Nazis. The show culminates with a complete showing on the big screen of her famous one-woman show with which she toured the world. Accompanied by Burt Bacharach and his orchestra, this is Dietrich at her peak. The event is a fundraiser for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and coincides with LGBT history month. Tickets can be purchased here.

Manchester Meet and Greet
To join the 1 February Ex-Muslim North Meet and Greet in Manchester at 1pm, visit here.

29 November 2013

Evening drinks with Lawyer Ana Gonzalez on Apostasy and Asylum
5:00-6:00pm
There will be a CEMB London meetup for apostate refugees and asylum seekers at The George on the Strand, 213 Strand, London WC2R 1AP. To register your attendance, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

29 November 2013
7:00-9:00pm
Kafir Comedy Club
Hosted by DJ Zee Jay & Maha
Open mic comedy for interested kuffar starts at 8 pm.

Look, we know it’s not easy defending yourself constantly against a religious mob. So take a break from the Facebook forums and let out the frustration with a laugh. If you’ve got some steam to let off, this is your night to do it. RSVP below to get on the list. But don’t laugh too much, Hell awaits us all later.*

Entry: £3; £1 unwaged

Sponsored by the Council of Ex-Muslims Britain.

exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com | The George, 213 Strand, London (nearest Tube: Temple) | Friday November 29, 2013, 7 PM

* “Let them laugh a little: much will they weep: a recompense for the (evil) that they do.” (Surah At-Taubah 9:82)

29 October 2013
6:00pm
Ex-Muslim North In Da Pub
For more details, see the full listing.

2 November 2013
12:00 noon
Ex-Muslim North Buffet in Manchester
For more details, see the full listing.

19 September 2013
There will be a CEMB London meetup for apostate refugees and asylum seekers from 5-6pm at The George on the Strand, 213 Strand, London WC2R 1AP. For more information, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com

19 September 2013
Evening Drinks with philosopher Arif Ahmed. 6:30-8:00pm at The George on the Strand, 213 Strand, London WC2R 1AP. Entry is £3; £1 for unwaged, which can be paid at the door. All are welcome. For more information, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

7 September 2013
The Northern Ex-Muslim Meetup Group is organising a Ex-Muslim Super Event in Birmingham. For more details, see the full listing.

24 August 2013
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is organising a lunch in Manchester. For more details, see the full listing.

10 August 2013
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is organising a lunch in Dewsbury. For more details, see the full listing.

22 July 2013
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is organising a camping trip. For more details, see the full listing.

Saturday 6 July 2013, 14.00-17.00 hours
Paris, France
Launch of the Council of Ex-Muslims of France.

Join us for the launch of the Council of Ex-Muslims of France. Speakers include Femme Solidaires’ Soad Baba Aïssa, Palestinian blogger Waleed Al-Husseini, WICUR’s Lalia Ducos, Algerian Filmmaker Nadia El-Fani, Secularist Caroline Fourest, Africa 93’s Mimouna Hajjam, Secularism is a Women’s Issue Coordinator Marieme Helie Lucas, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain’s Maryam Namazie and Women Living Under Muslim Laws’ Fatou Sow.

PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THE MEETING AT cafem1310@live.fr. IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED, YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN ENTRY INTO THE MEETING.

Here are more details about the aims of the organisation.

6 July 2013, 1pm
The Northern Ex-Muslim Meetup Group is organising a Pre-Ramadhan Lunch in Bradford. For more details, see the full listing.

29 June 2013, 12pm
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is doing a Lunch in Manchester. To join the event, visit here.

15 June 2013
Join us to celebrate the 6th anniversary of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain 15 June 2013 at 12pm for a 12:30pm start at an Italian restaurant in central London. The keynote speaker will be writer Kenan Malik. Other speakers and acts include Magician Neil Edwards, Centre for Secular Space’s Executive Director Gita Sahgal, comedian Kate Smurthwaite and CEMB spokesperson Maryam Namazie. Nahla Mahmoud will be the MC for the event. Special guests present include scientist Richard Dawkins.

Book your tickets today. Tickets for the event, which includes a three-course meal and glass of wine at a wonderful Italian restaurant, are £35.00 per person or £30.00 for students/unwaged.

To purchase tickets, send a cheque made payable to CEMB to BM Box 1919, London WC1N 3XX or pay via Paypal or Worldpay. Please make sure to include an email address and/or telephone number so that further details can be provided. Additional donations are welcome to help ensure the attendance of CEMB volunteers at the event.

7 June 2013
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up group dinner in Leeds at 8pm. To join the event, visit here.

9 May 2013
Evening drinks with Gita Sahgal, Executive Director of Centre for Secular Space. 6:30-8:00pm at The George on the Strand, 213 Strand, London WC2R 1AP. Entry is £3; £1 for unwaged, which can be paid at the door. All are welcome. For more information, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com. Author Rumy Hasan who was meant to give a talk is ill and cannot attend.

20 April 2013
Bradford, 2pm
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is meeting in Bradford at 2pm. For more details, see the full listing

6 April 2013, 7pm
Northern Desi M-Eatup in Bradford
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is doing a Northern Desi M-Eatup in Bradford. To join the event, visit here.

30 March 2013, 12pm
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is doing a Manch March Lunch in Manchester. To join the event, visit here.

24 March 2013, 2:30pm
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-Up Group is celebrating Spring equinox/Nowroz with a party in Manchester. To join the event, visit here.

22 March 2013
Evening Drinks with Sudanese Atheist Nahla Mahmoud. 6:30-8:00pm. To RSVP and receive further details, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com. £3 entry; £1 for unwaged.

15 March 2013
Muslimish is launching a new group in Chicago, USA. If you or someone you know is an ex-Muslim who is willing to start a meet-up in your city or wants to participate in the NYC, Detroit, Washington DC, Chicago or the online meetings please contact us at muslimishnyc@gmail.com. Muslimish is affiliated with the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain.

2 March 2013
The Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-up Group is going out bowling in Leeds at 2pm. To join the event, visit here.

28 February 2013
Ex-Muslim Women’s Meet-up group will meet for lunch in central London from 11:30am-1:30pm. To RSVP and receive further details, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

25 February 2013
Ex-Muslim apostate and refugee meet-up group from 11:30-1:00pm. To RSVP and receive further details, email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

23 February 2013
12pm, the Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-up Group is organising an Infidelicious lunch in Leeds. To join the event, visit here.

15 February 2013
Muslimish is launching a new group in Washington DC, USA. If you or someone you know is an ex-Muslim who is willing to start a meet-up in your city or wants to participate in the NYC, Detroit, Washington DC, Chicago or the online meetings please contact us at muslimishnyc@gmail.com. Muslimish is affiliated with the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain.

14 February 2013, 6pm
The Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-up Group is organising a meet-up in Manchester.

9 February 2013
Northern Ex-Muslim Meet-up Group is organising a day trip to Liverpool. To join the event, visit here.

28 January 2013
London, UK
There will be an ex-Muslim women’s coffee morning in January from 11:30-1:00pm and an apostate asylum seekers meet-up from 1:30-3:00pm. To RSVP, emailexmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

29 December 2012
Ex-Muslim Manchester Meet-Up Group Lunch
A CEMB-affiliated Manchester meet-up group has just been established by Sandbad. To join the group, visit here.

11 December 2012
End-Year Drinks with CEMB
Time: 18:30-20:00 Hours
Location: Central London
Entry: £10 per person; £7 for unwaged (including one drink and canapés).
Special Guest Speaker: Philosopher A C Grayling on ‘Secularism as a Human Right’.
Space is limited. Reservations will be granted on a first come, first served basis. Reservations and payment deadline: 6 December 2012 via post and 10 December via email. For more information, click here.

17 November 2012
Private Luncheon for CEMB Web-Forum users
Forum members are invited to a private luncheon to celebrate the CEMB’s forum 4th anniversary. If you are interested in attending, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com.

Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain’s fifth anniversary
23 June 2012, London
1-4pm
To celebrate the work, significance and achievements of this unique organisation on its fifth birthday, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain are holding a fundraising luncheon on Saturday 23 June 2012 in London from 13.00-16:00 hours. Ticket(s) are £45.00 per person or £35.00 for students/unwaged. For more information, click here.

11 February 2012
Day in Defence of Free Expression
London Rally from 2-4pm, Old Palace Yard opposite the House of Lords. For more information, visit One Law for All.

International Conference on Women’s Rights, Sharia Law and Secularism
12 March 2011
10.00-19.00 hours
University of London Union, The Venue, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY

Conference on Apostasy, Sharia Law and Human Rights
11 December 2010
10:00-19:00 hours
Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
Sponsored by Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, Iran Solidarity, National Secular Society, One Law for All and South Place Ethical Society.

Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time: 1900 hours
Venue: Central London gastropub
Fundraising Dinner to raise money for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All
Keynote Speaker: AC Grayling
Comedian Nick Doody, Singer/Songwriter David Fisher and Magician Neil Edward will do acts
To buy tickets to the event, which includes a three-course meal at one of the finest gastropubs in London , contact onelawforall@gmail.com or exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com. Tickets are £45 per person. If you can’t come to the event, please donate the equivalent so that volunteers of the campaign can attend the dinner.

Sharia Law, Sexual Apartheid and Women’s Rights, march 7, 2009, London
3:30-4:30pm, North Terrace, Trafalgar Square, London
Symbolic rally and march towards Red Lion Square from 4:30-5:30pm
6:00-8:00pm, Public Meeting on Sharia Law, Sexual Apartheid and Women’s Rights
Conway Hall, 25 Red Line Square, London, WC1R 4RL
Speakers at the public meeting include: Sargul Ahmad (International Campaign against Civil Law in Kurdistan Iraq Head), Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Journalist and British Muslims for Secular Democracy Chair), Naser Khader (Democratic Muslims Founder), Gina Khan (One Law for All Spokesperson), Kenan Malik (Writer and Broadcaster), Yasaman Molazadeh (One Law for All Legal Coordinator):Maryam Namazie (Equal Rights Now Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran and One Law for All Spokesperson), Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters and Women Against Fundamentalism founding member), Fariborz Pooya (Iranian Secular Society and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Chair), and Carla Revere (Lawyers’ Secular Society Chair).

One law for all: campaign against sharia law in britain launch, house of Lords, 4-5pm, December 10, 2008, london

Political Islam, Sharia Law and Civil Society, October 10, 2008 at Conway Hall, London
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain presents its first international conference: Political Islam, Sharia Law, And Civil Society on Friday 10 October 2008 – International day against the Death Penalty – from 10am-6pm (Registration begins at 9am) at Conway Hall London 25 Red Lion Square WC1R 4RL (Closest station: Holborn). Speakers at the event are: Mina Ahadi, Mahin Alipour, Roy Brown, Andrew Copson, Richard Dawkins,Giles Enders, AC Grayling, Johann Hari, Ehsan Jami, Rony Miah, Maryam Namazie, Fariborz Pooya, Terry Sanderson, Joan Smith, Bahram Soroush, Hanne Stinson, Hamid Taqvaee, Ibn Warraq, Keith Porteous Wood, and Zia Zaffar. Thee vent includes a comedy act by Nick Doody, Fitna Remade by Reza Moradi and Breaking the Taboo by Patty Debonitas. To see the conference proceedings, visit CEMB site: https://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/indexPressreleases.html.

CEMB’s One year anniversary celebration, Central London , July 5, 2008, from 2pm onwards
We are asking members and supporters to join CEMB executive committee members for drinks to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the establishment of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and to meet other like-minded people in central London on 5th July 2008 from 2pm onwards. For more details, please RSVP by emailing us.

Sexual apartheid, Islam and political Islam and Women’s Rights, International Women’s Day seminar, March 10, 2008, Conway Hall, London
The Council of Ex-Muslims and Equal Rights Now, an organisation against women’s discrimination in Iran are holding a seminar in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on March 10, 2008 from 6-10pm at Conway Hall. The seminar will focus on Sexual apartheid, Sharia law, Islam and political Islam and Women’s Rights. Confirmed speakers at the seminar are: Louise Couling, Chair of the Regional Women’s Committee and member of the National Executive Council of Unison; Joan Smith, Novelist, columnist and human rights activist; Maryam Namazie and Mina Ahadi, the Councils of Ex-Muslims of Britain and Germany and National Secular Society Secularist of the Year award winners in 2005 and 2007 respectively, and Houzan Mahmoud, spokesperson of the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq. The event will be chaired by Hanne Stinson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association. The seminar has been endorsed by the National Secular Society, the British Humanist Association, the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association and Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq.

CANCELLED BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS

Please note that this meeting will be cancelled because of the risk of spreading coronavirus. We feel it particularly important to take action to stop the spread, particularly given the government’s inaction in the face of this epidemic.

All events will be cancelled until further notice.

 

17 March, 7-8:30pm, Central London, few minutes walk from Kings Cross station

Join us for our monthly meet-up to explore Identity Politics, Racism and Liberation with Gita Sahgal and Maryam Namazie.

Gita Sahgal is a writer, journalist, film-maker and rights activist. She is currently Founder and Director of Centre for Secular Space. She was formerly Head of the Gender Unit at Amnesty International; she was suspended in 2010 after she was quoted criticising Amnesty for its high-profile associations with the Islamist Moazzam Begg, the director of a group called Cageprisoners.

Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born writer and activist. She is the Spokesperson of One Law for All and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. She hosts a weekly television programme broadcast in Iran on Saturday evenings in Persian and English called Bread and Roses.

If it is your first time attending the monthly meet-up, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com to register.

Talks will be followed by Q&A, drinks and snacks.

CANCELLED BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS

Please note that this support group will be cancelled because of the risk of spreading coronavirus. We feel it particularly important to take action to stop the spread, particularly given the government’s inaction in the face of this epidemic.

All events will be cancelled until further notice.

 

Join us for our monthly support group, to talk about issues that still affect us after leaving Islam. Support group will be led by Marwa Wain.

If you would like to come along and have not been to a support group, please email hello@ex-muslim.org.uk for details of the venue. Otherwise show up at usual venue for support groups.

Join Urgent Online Solidarity Protest to Save Soheil Arabi’s Life

Via Livestream on Youtube and Facebook

14 April 2020

3:00-6:00pm London time/6:30-9:30pm Tehran time

Iranian atheist, activist and blogger Soheil Arabi has resumed his hunger strike on April 4 in protest to the Iranian regime’s denial of medical care and leave during the Coronavirus epidemic, inhuman prison conditions and unjust sentencing. In addition to physical problems caused by various hunger strikes, Arabi has been tortured, resulting in blunt trauma to his testicles and a broken nose, amongst other injuries. He is in need of urgent medical attention.

Arabi was arrested in December 2013 and sentenced to death for blasphemy, namely insulting the prophet, Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and other Iranian officials in a Facebook post.

Upon appeal, his death sentence was reduced to seven and a half years in prison and two years of religious studies as well as a two-year ban from traveling abroad.

He was later sentenced to an additional 3 years in prison, exile and a fine on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “insulting the sacred and the supreme leader” because of his brave open letters highlighting injustice, inhumane prison conditions, torture and the situation of political prisoners in Iran.

Join our online protest action on Tuesday 14 April 2020, 3:00-6:00pm London time/6:30-9:30pm Tehran time by sending photos, videos, messages… of solidarity to be broadcast during the three-hour livestream. Do a drawing, take a photo, sing a song, recite a poem… Anything to save his life and secure his freedom. The livestream will be hosted by Veedu Vidz, Shahin Mohamadi and Maryam Namazie.

Soheil Arabi has done nothing wrong. He has a right to his opinion, belief and expression and must be released immediately as must all political prisoners and those imprisoned because of their conscience and opinion.

Join the livestream on Youtube or on Facebook.

Sign the Petition to save Soheil’s life.

#FreeSoheil

#Iran

#EndBlasphemyLaws

 

JOIN VEEDU VIDZ ON 21 APRIL VIA YOUTUBE AT 7-8:00PM LONDON TIME.

Talks will be followed by Q&A.

ONLINE – 21 April, 7-8:00pm

Join us for our monthly meet-up with Comedian and Youtuber Veedu Vidz: To laugh is to live! Importance of comedy in speaking against Islam. Meet-ups are run by Ali Malik.

Veedu Vidz is a YouTube comedian who creates satirical videos on a range of topics mainly focusing on Islam. Veedu is an ex-Muslim who enjoys engaging with his religious and cultural heritage by exploring different ideas and religious preachers in the form of parodies and discussions. Veedu is a free speech advocate and stands for individual rights.

On 25th April 2020 at 6:00pm (BST) Fay Rahman and Saff Khalique are livestreaming a Pre-Iftaar Mukbang: a fast-defying feast in conjunction with Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB). The feast is in solidarity with those who are punished for eating and drinking during Ramadan with floggings, beatings and imprisonment. We would like to also stress the importance of such an action in times such as these, where many are trapped in their homes and forced to fast against their will. Join our live “eat-in.” 

#Ramadan

#Fast_Defying_My_Right

Why Ex-Muslims Should Speak Up About #BlackLivesMatter: Ali Rizvi With Maryam Namazie, 15 June 2020

The murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed have sparked passionate conversations within many marginalized communities about how insidious systems of oppression can be, especially in this day and age. I’m going to be speaking to Maryam Namazie — the British-Iranian secularist and human rights activist often credited for making the ex-Muslim movement the global phenomenon it is today — about systemic racism, parallels between Islamic and White supremacy, showing solidarity with BLM protesters, and her own personal experience being beaten by the NYPD and thrown in jail during a protest in the early 1990s.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, our London meet-ups will now be online until further notice. The meet-ups will be livestreamed via Youtube or Facebook.

Here is Youtube Link.

You will also be able to see it on Facebook live here.

19 May, 7:00-8:00pm, ONLINE

Join us for our monthly meet-up on Apostasy and Asylum with Ana Gonzalez. Meet-ups are run by Ali Malik.

Ana Gonzalez is a solicitor and partner at Wilson Solicitors. She practises in immigration and asylum work, and has interests in human rights and European Law. Ana is an internationally recognised expert in gender and sexuality-based asylum claims as well as having extensive expertise in representing individuals from vulnerable, marginalised client groups such as victims of human trafficking, apostates and transgender individuals. Ana is frequently instructed by Local Authorities all over the Greater London area to act for children and adults in their care.

Ana is praised in Chambers and Partners for her “constant attention to cases, leading client care and real knowledge of the law.” She “continues to stand out for significant work on human trafficking cases, often raising new country guidance points” (2012). “She is a stand-out practitioner in the field of refugee law, with particular expertise in trafficking cases” (2014). She “is very experienced, passionate and has very good judgement” (2016). Ana has been described “the epitome of a fighter who cares very deeply about her clients,” in the 2019 edition.

She practises in all aspects of immigration and asylum work, and has a specialist interest in European law. Ana has extensive experience of litigating in the higher courts, having had numerous cases over the years in the Administrative Court/Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal. She has also conducted cases in the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

Talks will be followed by Q&A.

Muslimish Virtual Live Conference Broadcast talking about the Road Map to Abolishing Blasphemy Laws across the globe, and especially in the Muslim World. Speakers include:

Ibrahim Abdallah, National Organizer, Muslimish

Nicolas Little, Legal Director, Center For Inquiry

Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain

Ken Grunow, Amnesty International USA, Legislative Coordinator for Michigan and Local Group Co-ordinator

Geraldine Grunow, Amnesty International USA, Local Group Coordinator

You can see it live on Youtube

Why Ex-Muslims Should Speak Up About #BlackLivesMatter: Ali Rizvi With Maryam Namazie, 15 June 2020

The murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed have sparked passionate conversations within many marginalized communities about how insidious systems of oppression can be, especially in this day and age. I’m going to be speaking to Maryam Namazie — the British-Iranian secularist and human rights activist often credited for making the ex-Muslim movement the global phenomenon it is today — about systemic racism, parallels between Islamic and White supremacy, showing solidarity with BLM protesters, and her own personal experience being beaten by the NYPD and thrown in jail during a protest in the early 1990s.

Join us for our monthly support group, to talk about issues that still affect us after leaving Islam.

If you would like to come along, please email exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com for details of virtual support group meeting.

Five person 90 minute support group sessions are led by Savin Bapir Tardy. Larger 15 group sessions are led by Marwa Wain.

 

A larger support group led by ex-Muslim Marwa Wain. Marwa is an ACCPH accredited Counsellor and Psychology certified Life Coach. She specialises in Anxiety, Depression and Relationship issues. For the past three years has worked alongside the lead psychotherapist in managing individual and group therapy for the Grenfell fire survivors. She is a member within the Domestic Violence Forum for the East London area and part of the counselling committee for East London schools. Marwa also has a wealth of experience working with ex-Muslims and the struggles they face.

A small, five-person support group led by Savin Bapir Tardy. Savin is a Counselling Psychologist and conducted her doctoral research at City University into the experience of traumatic events. Savin has worked with adolescents, adults and older adults in a variety of mental health settings, including ex-Muslims and victims of domestic violence, ‘honour’ based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

On Why Ex-Muslims should support BLM and the Fight against Systematic Racism
Edited and Expanded Conversation between Ali Rizvi and Maryam Namazie on Professional Novice Podcast

Ali Rizvi: Welcome to Professional Novice with Ali Rizvi.

I like bringing people on who I really respect in terms of their ideas and their thoughts. And today’s obviously no exception. We will be speaking with one of my heroes, Maryam Namazie. Maryam is a British-Iranian secularist and human rights activist. She’s often credited for making the ex Muslim movement the global phenomenon that it is today. She launched the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain in 2007. I think the first time I saw you, Maryam, was at a conference in 2008. I don’t know if you remember, but it was a conference here in Toronto and I was in the audience and asked you question. I was completely in awe. There were very few people openly talking critically about Islam. And you were one of them. So you’ve been a hero of mine ever since.

Today, we’re talking about the Black Lives Matter movement. The murder of George Floyd, as everybody knows, triggered a range of protests in the US and worldwide. It’s sparked a lot of passionate conversations, not only amongst the black community but also within other marginalised communities about systems of oppression, how insidious they are, and how we might detect them, especially in this day and age. So Maryam, I think, is the perfect person to talk to about this. There has been a lot of conversations about this in ex-Muslim circles as well. Some are saying systemic racism is real; others are saying it’s not.

We’re going to get into the stats and the data on this a little bit. But one of the things those refuting systematic racism do the most is quote studies about police shootings, which are the most lethal form of police intervention, but also the rarest. Here, I want to drive home the point that George Floyd wasn’t shot by police. Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin or Rodney King weren’t shot by police. None of these were police shootings. And the slogan, “I can’t breathe,” which we see with Black Lives Matter was not only about shootings. We have to zoom out from the focus on shootings and talk about systemic racism and all the different ways that it manifests itself. It will obviously include the killings and the shootings as well, but this is about much more than that.

Maryam, thank you for coming on. You have also had a personal experience being subjected to police brutality at the hands of the NYPD for protesting peacefully. But I wanted to start with some of your initial thoughts about the protests and the way this conversation is unfolding in the ex-Muslim community.

Maryam Namazie: Thank you, Ali, for organising this hugely important discussion. Let me preface by saying that some ex-Muslims have been concerned about disagreements within our “community” and the polarization over BLM but the reality is that we’re not a homogeneous community any more than any other so-called community – whether it be Muslim, LGBT, black, white… Also, differences are not a “betrayal” of some imagined collective “identity” but as a result of our individual politics and choices. I have seen these differences often, when for example, I have defended open borders and refugee rights or condemned Brexit. Similarly, discussion on BLM, systematic racism and police brutality are uncomfortable because of fundamental differences in politics but that is why we need to have them. It has to be added that discomfort is not the same as “bullying,” Also, vehement disagreements are not the same as being silenced.

As someone firmly on the Left, for me, BLM is an important movement that has brought the issue of systematic racism in policing into the mainstream narrative. It’s inspiring to see and I feel very much like we are witnessing a new phase of an unfinished civil rights movement. As an activist, I believe that it is in the streets that the status quo can be challenged and this is what BLM is doing. The fact that we have seen protests in other countries shows how much institutional racism is part of the experience of black and minority women and men in countries outside the US too. That doesn’t mean I don’t have criticisms of aspects of BLM as I do of the ex-Muslim movement, for example, but I understand its importance and relevance (beyond a limited organisational scope), particularly during a Trump presidency that relies on white supremacy and identity politics.

Before we delve into the issue I depth, I would also like to add that one cannot address the issue of systematic racism in policing without seeing its pervasiveness in other aspects of the lives of black and minority women and men in the US, for example in education, mortgages, jobs, in the prison industrial complex, the health care system…

Ali Rizvi: I work in the healthcare system, where there is overwhelming, demonstrated evidence of racial bias. In fact, we are trained to be aware of these racial biases, particularly with conditions like sickle cell disease where the racial stigma is so strong that black people often avoid seeking treatment for it. Our students and residents have received training on this, and we are taking all kinds of measures to address it as well.

Maryam Namazie: Of course, police violence is meted out against primarily the poor and working class, including white people, so class is hugely relevant to the discussion. And yes, statistics are important, especially for a movement that prides itself on rationalism but if you focus only on some statistics, whilst disregarding others, and you refuse to recognise the historical and ongoing systems at play, the biases that inform the statistics, the flaws in statistics… then you miss the point. Feigning impartiality by hiding behind statistics is dishonest because no one is impartial here; everyone uses statistics and facts to prove their politics. We are activists after all. But a focus on some statistics and class aspects cannot erase the existence of systematic racism.

Ali Rizvi: This is a really important point that I wanted to talk about. As someone who has worked in science and medicine for several decades, we are trained to read research articles critically. We took specific courses on critical reading. The way that I look at a journal article, or any kind of scientific publication, is that I look at the figures first, then the materials and methods, results, and then go on to the introduction and discussion. Critical reading is key to the processing of any presentation of data. This is why peer review is so important. Moreover, data must be contextualized. Of course, statistics and data are the only way we have to eventually get to some sort of objective sense of what is happening, but it can’t always be evaluated in a vacuum.

For example, according to the UN, the prevalence of rape in Sweden is 24 times higher than India and 135 times higher than in Saudi Arabia. Now, most of us will look at this data and we won’t believe it. And there is a good reason we won’t believe it: we know that reporting rape carries a heavy stigma—and even risk of punishment—in India and Saudi Arabia, and many times, it is being actively covered up by the authorities. The data that we’re getting from Saudi Arabia and India is often coming from the same establishment that is covering up for these crimes. The Catholic Church is another example. Child molestation is systemic in the Catholic Church. They say, we have a few bad apples and this doesn’t represent the Church. But what happens to these “bad apples”? They are simply moved from one place to another. Their colleagues just look the other way. What makes the child molestation systemic is the complicity of their colleagues that helps the perpetrators get away with it.

Remember, the 1992 LA riots didn’t happen after the beating of Rodney King. Rodney King was beaten by police a year earlier. The riots were sparked by the acquittal of the four officers who beat him. Similarly, Black Lives Matter didn’t start because of Trayvon Martin’s shooting. It started after his murderer was acquitted. This is about justice and accountability. I’d also like to note here for those who cite police shooting data all the time that neither of these cases were cases of police shootings.

Maryam Namazie: Moreover, many things cannot be measured with available statistics for a number of reasons, including bias in data collection as well as cover-ups – e.g. much of the statistics on policing in the US, for example, is provided by the police themselves. It can also be a question of blind spots. When I started the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain in 2007, a number of journalists and others asked why there was a need when there were no statistics available to show that leaving Islam was even an issue. That’s why for me statistics or facts collected by activist campaigns are so important as they bring attention to problems that have been ignored – e.g. in the case of honour-related crimes, apostasy and also systematic racism in policing.

Ali Rizvi: Whenever we talk about these protests and the importance of them, a lot of people point out that the US is actually one of the least racist countries in the world. I understand this as somebody who is also an immigrant, who has come to North America from places like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where, racism is much more rampant, open, and even state-endorsed. The way the Saudis treat Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos and non Arabs, I can tell them I agree that yes, it is one of the least racist countries in the world, though Canada is much better. These are pluralistic nations of immigrants, and I appreciate that. But it is important to understand how the US became this way. It is precisely because of protests like the ones we’re seeing today, many of which were much more violent and bloody in the past, even if you don’t count the Civil War. In contrast, the vast majority of protesters today—and this is now the largest protest in US history—are peaceful.

Maryam Namazie: One response to the assertion that the US is not a racist country would be that things might be better because of struggles similar to BLM – like the civil rights movement in the US, which was met with incredible violence by the state and white supremacists, including for example the assassination of civil rights leaders. Even so, it is questionable to consider the US as one of the least racist countries in the world given its history of slavery, racial segregation via Jim Crow laws, and the continued racism practiced today. 13^th is an excellent film on how this racism continues in the prison industrial complex by incarcerating huge numbers of black men in particular and like slavery facilitates slave labour and the denial of citizenship rights. Much of the US’ criminal justice system was established during the Jim Crow era so it is unsurprising that racial biases continue in all areas, including in education. Despite changes in law– e.g. Brown vs Board of Education – to desegregate schools, segregation is still rife. My sister is a teacher in Yonkers where most of the students are black and minority.

Also, saying other countries are more racist is a form of whataboutery that we ex-Muslims are familiar with. When we speak about Islamism, we are reminded about US imperialism as if one cannot speak about a specific injustice and inequity. Now, we are reminded about racism in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan when we defend protests against racism in the US. I think those who try to take the focus elsewhere are more interested in making political and ideological points rather than addressing issues like Islamism or racism.

Racism is institutionalised in the US because as the abolitionist Angela Davis says, it hasn’t transitioned into a post-slavery society to include former slaves. The people who think that the US is the least racist country in the world really have no idea what racism means and its effects on people’s lives.

Ali Rizvi: I want to talk about the looting and vandalism that many right-wingers have tried to make the face of BLM, despite the fact that the majority of protesters are peaceful. We did see it initially in the first few days as we have in past historical events when particularly egregious incidents, in this case the horrific Floyd killing, spark intense public anger. People get angry. They immediately react. They want to be seen and heard for once. And then the conversation begins. It’s worth noting that the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, President Obama, Atlanta mayor Keisha Bottoms, celebrities like Killer Mike, and even the family of George Floyd, have denounced the looting as a distraction from the goal. To be sure, people do understand why it happens, they sympathize with the anger and the frustration and the helplessness, but it nevertheless did die down. And of course, there were opportunistic actors also coming in. But again, people who want to oppose the protests want to make looting the face of it, but these are the largest protests in the history of the US, and they have been astoundingly peaceful. People in my family, my nephews, nieces, they’ve all participated in them. Interestingly, since we’re talking about police brutality, it’s curious that when you look at these videos of looters, there’s no police in sight; but you see countless videos of the police tear gassing peaceful protesters.

Maryam Namazie: When you have mass movements and people on the streets, there will be those who want to take advantage of the situation. As ex-Muslims we know how the far-Right tries to hijack our movement and we have those who have bought into this narrative but you cannot tar a mass movement for equality and an end to discrimination in this way. Mass movements are messy and often not coordinated and not everything always goes according to plan but you need to look at the aims and the actions of movements to determine their legitimacy. BLM has brought attention to an epidemic of police violence and state violence against black and also minority people in the United States. And what it’s done is it has shifted culture in a very short period of time. Seeing George Floyd die in front of our eyes helped people see what anti-racists have been saying for many decades. So this shift has to be celebrated and strengthened and supported so that change can come about. It’s particularly important at this period in time too given that Trump is in the presidency – someone who clearly promotes white identity politics and privileges supremacy. In a period of Trump, Boris Johnson, and far-Right parties in Europe,

a progressive people’s movement taking a stand for equality is a victory for us all. And I think that’s one of the most important points that I want to raise – BLM is a gain for us. When we agree that Black Lives Matter, we’re not saying that other lives are not important, but that all lives can truly matter if black lives matter.

I don’t see myself merely as an ally of BLM. I don’t like the term ally. I have skin in the game. For me, this is my movement. And as I would like others who are not ex-Muslim to see our movement as their own. And this is what BLM has managed to do despite all the misinformation. They have brought lots of different people out on the streets. The protests have been inclusive and inspiring. And because of this deep-seated impact, everybody’s jumping on the bandwagon – from the NFL to Starbucks to Boris Johnson – because the narrative has shifted and it’s shifted in people’s favour.

We need to recognise important moments like these if we are going to build on them and push for equality and human rights for everyone.

Let me also add that not everyone defending or opposing Black Lives Matters are friends or enemies. Also, your enemy’s enemy is not necessarily your friend. I decide what side I take based on its politics and its positive impact on human life and welfare. I know Islamists are jumping on the BLM movement to promote their anti-Americanism. Ayatollah Khamenei speaks of African American’s being brutalised when a pillar of his regime has been based on the brutalisation of minorities, workers, women, LGBT, atheists, dissenters and so on. Also, his regime promotes racism and bigotry against migrants, including Afghan migrants in Iran. But I cannot stop defending BLM because the Iranian regime has Tweeted in its favour, nor am I going to stop defending protests in Iran because Trump Tweeted in their favour. Trump’s or the Islamic regime of Iran’s “support” is only to win political points against one another rather than out of any real concern for people’s lives.</