| September 7, 2015 |  |
The Netherlands: Asylum Founder of Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan (AAAP) affiliated to the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, has been forced to flee to the Netherlands after a Lahore court initiated criminal proceedings under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy law and issued an arrest warrant. Her ex-husband has custody of her 8 year old daughter because she had left Islam. Her colleague who is the current spokesperson for AAAP, is also in hiding in Pakistan. Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain urges the Dutch government to grant her protection. Her life and freedom are at risk if she were to be returned to Pakistan. Moreover,... Filed as: Press Releases |
| August 19, 2015 |  |
In defence of Bangladeshi Bloggers Here’s a joint letter in defence of Bangladeshi Bloggers signed by Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and affiliates. You can see updated signatories here. To Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid, We, concerned members of the blogging and activist community of Bangladesh and internationally, along with representatives of human rights organisations and other civil society organisations and supporters, wish to protest in the strongest possible terms the institutional attack on Bangladeshi citizens who profess humanist, atheist or secularist views. In the last two years, five bloggers (variously identifying as humanist, rationalist, atheist, and variously writing about science, humanist... Filed as: Press Releases |
| July 13, 2015 |  |
Yousef Muhammad Ali faces trial on 13 July for criticising Islam Yousef Muhammad Ali, born in 1987, faces trial on 13 July in Iraqi Kurdistan for criticising Islam. Please take urgent action right away and write to the Kurdish regional authorities to drop charges and to arrest those who have threatened him instead. BACKGROUND Yousef Muhammad Ali who spent many years studying Islam and Sharia law made a presentation in school on the Big Bang Theory. Islamists in his class instigated a fatwa against him. Also he faced threats when he criticised Islam on Facebook. Upon receiving a number of death threats, he contacted the police and filed a grievance against... Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 30, 2015 | |
Support Bangladeshi Free-thinkers and Atheist Bloggers! We are freelance writers from Bangladesh. Most of us have started our writings through blogging in 2006 and 2007 when a Bengali blog, called, ‘somewhereinblog’, was first founded. Somewhereinblog has appeared as a wonderful opportunity to express and share our experiences, daily diaries, our happiness and sorrows in our own language/terms. Initially we have used the space to read blogs, while some of us were sharing personal diaries, literary works i.e. poetry, short stories, travel blogs etc. At some point we have noticed random posts on Islamic thoughts and inserts from Quran & Hadith, translated by apparently preaching articles from... Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 15, 2015 |  |
Nearly 200 signatories call to dismantle parallel legal systems Nearly 200 signatories call to dismantle parallel legal systems 15 June 2015 Women’s rights and secular organisations urge the new government to take concerted measures to stop the development of parallel legal systems and to facilitate full and proper access to justice for all citizens and to one secular law for all. For decades, successive governments have appeased undemocratic religious power brokers in minority communities who have sought to gain power through multicultural and now multi-faith social policies. These policies have led to the homogenisation of minority communities including the ‘Muslim community’ and have recognised and legitimated ‘non-violent’ Islamists as... Filed as: Press Releases |
| May 31, 2015 |  |
Interested in participating in a film of women ex-Muslims? The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain is making a short film on ex-Muslim women who have had the courage to leave Islam and religion. We would very much like to hear from anyone who would be willing to take part in this important film. If you are interested in taking part, please contact us as soon as possible to find out more at exmuslimcouncil@gmail.com. All initial discussions will be confidential and without any obligation to go ahead. During filming, anonymity, if requested, is a possibility. We would like to start and complete filming within the next few weeks. We look... Filed as: Press Releases |
| May 26, 2015 |
Letter from Amal Farah Dear Maryam and CEMB members, It is with great regret and a heavy heart that I write to tender my resignation with immediate effect from my position as co-spokesperson of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. The decision is due entirely to my current circumstances, in that I am about to return to work from maternity leave and that, coupled with the demands of family life, means I cannot continue to devote the time and energy to that such an important role demands. It is a decision which I have found extremely hard to arrive at, as the experience of... Filed as: Press Releases |
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| May 10, 2015 |  |
Have human rights laws have achieved more than religion for humankind, BBC Big Questions, 10 May 2015 Maryam Namazie joins BBC Big Questions on whether human rights laws have achieved more than religion for humankind, 10 May 2015 Filed as: Media Coverage, Press Releases |
| May 5, 2015 |  |
Council of Ex-Muslims: We need to do more with your support Dear friend As you know, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain was established in 2007 to break the taboo that comes with leaving Islam and religion. We have done this by challenging apostasy and blasphemy laws and facilitating a public renunciation of Islam and a rise in atheism. We have also been there for many ex-Muslims facing persecution by Islamists or family members – around 300 a year – including one-on-one support. Our web-forum has given thousands a network to rely on, including threads in Arabic and Urdu. The ex-Muslim movement has grown tremendously since our establishment with affiliated councils... Filed as: Press Releases |
| April 29, 2015 |  |
Support 24 year old Esha in Pakistani prison charged with blasphemy “Esha” a 24 year old woman has been cut off from the world in her prime and is languishing in a Pakistani prison for the last three years on false charges of blasphemy brought against her by her best friend after they had an argument. She stands accused of having torn pages from the Qur’an and having slept on them. Although there have been several hearings, her trial is still pending for a complex variety of reasons – one of them being that there have been five different judges, each fearing for his life. She has no family to take an interest in her except... Filed as: Press Releases |