Join a discussion with Taha Siddiqui, Ali Malik and Maryam Namazie to mark the upcoming 18th anniversary of Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and World Refugee Day.

Taha will launch his graphic novel called ‘Dissident Club,’ newly published in English which traces his emancipation as an ex Muslim.

The event is organised by CEMB and One Law for All.

7:00-9:00pm, Central London

Tickets: £5

Get tickets here.

BIOGRAPHIES

Taha Siddiqui is a Pakistani journalist who won the Albert Londres Award 2014. He had to flee Pakistan after surviving an assassination attempt by the Pakistani army. He is the founder of the Dissident Club, a socio-cultural bar in the heart of Paris. He is the author of a graphic novel called ‘Dissident Club’ which traces his emancipation as an ex Muslim. In exile in France, he continues to write for several international publications such as the Washington Post, the Guardian and Foreign Policy magazine. He is also a visiting faculty member at Sciences Po, teaching Journalism.

Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born campaigner and writer. She is Spokesperson of Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All. She is the instigator behind the Celebrating Dissent conferences, the largest gatherings of ex-Muslims in history since 2014. During decades of activism, Maryam has organised numerous actions, including #Hair4Freedom and #BodyRiot in support of women in Iran, executive produced Women Leaving Islam and published The Woman’s Quran. The Islamic regime of Iran’s media outlets have called Namazie ‘immoral, a harlot and corrupt.’ Her TedX talk on ‘Creativity in Challenging Islamic Fundamentalism’ was censored and labelled ‘distressing and objectionable.’ Namazie has faced many attempts at censorship, including by Warwick University Student Union and Goldsmiths Islamic Society. Maryam and the CEMB have been featured in a 2016 film by Deeyah Khan called ‘Islam’s Non-Believers.’ She was also a character in DV8 Physical Theatre ‘Can We Talk About This?’ Maryam is winner of numerous awards, including IBKA Sapio award (2022), the 2017 Henry H. Zumach Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism award; 2016 International Laicite Prize from the Comité Laïcité République; the National Secular Society’s Secularist of the Year Award (2005); and the Julia B. Friedman Humanitarian Award (1987), amongst others. She has written many articles on women’s rights issues, free expression, Islamism, and secularism and co-authored Sharia Law in Britain: A Threat to One Law for All and Equal Rights (One Law for All, June 2010), Enemies Not Allies: The Far-Right (One Law for All, August 2011), and The Political and Legal Status of Apostates in Islam (CEMB, August 2017).