| January 27, 2025 |  |
Hijab Silences: On No Hijab Day, Take off your Hijab and Put it on a Man Ex-Muslims International No Hijab Day Statement | February 1, 2025 No Hijab Day was created on 1 February as a direct response to World Hijab Day, which promotes the hijab as a symbol of women’s choice and empowerment. Rather, No Hijab Day seeks to illuminate the coercive and oppressive realities of the hijab as a pillar of sex apartheid and a war on women. For many, the hijab is not a choice but a religious requirement imposed by honour culture, toxic modesty norms, and legal or familial pressures. It is a visible marker of a broader Islamic system that restricts women’s rights and autonomy.... Filed as: Asia, Middle East & North Africa, Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |
| January 24, 2025 |  |
Joint submission to the WEC on Gendered Islamophobia Joint submission to the Women and Equalities Committee on Gendered Islamophobia Ahead of the Women and Equalities Committee’s (WEC) one off session around Gendered Islamophobia on Wednesday, 15th January 2025, Southall Black Sisters (SBS) along with One Law For All and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) submitted joint written evidence. In it, we focused on the ways in which the framing of anti-Muslim racism as Islamophobia closes down legitimate critiques of religion which impacts on women and LGBT rights as well as free thought and expression. We also emphasised the overlapping ways in which racism affects both Muslim women... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |
| January 13, 2025 |  |
Maryam Namazie: the godless godmother of European ex-Muslims Thanks to Janna Aanstoot, Magnus Timmerby and @SvHumanisterna for great coverage of #CDOslo & #ExMuslim movement. There is also an interview with me in the Islam issue, which you can read in full here. 1. You are the “Godmother” of ex-Muslims. If you could give three advices to a young Muslim who wants to leave their religion, what would that be? 1. Be safe always. 2. Be loud where you can. History is made by Apostates and Heretics.3. Never forget, we are the innumerable. 2. What are your ten top worst issues with Islam? Islam and religions are misogynist, patriarchal,... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |
| January 7, 2025 |  |
Thank you Charlie Hebdo The right to blasphemy, a cornerstone of free expression and democratic societies, is a universal human right and demand. It is not limited to or dependant on one’s ‘identity’ or lottery of birth. In fact, it matters most to those living under totalitarian and theocratic states. In many countries under the hold of theocrats, like Iran and Afghanistan, being a woman in and of itself is an act of blasphemy, our bodies, hair, eyes, voices. Sitting in the front of the bus reserved for men in a system of sex apartheid: blasphemy. Refusing to wear the compulsory veil or laughing... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases, Spotlight |
| December 21, 2024 |  |
Official Statement on the Magdeburg Attack: Condemning Hatred and Defending Human Rights At least five people, including a child, were killed, and 200 others were injured when Taleb Al Abdulmohsen deliberately drove into the Magdeburg Christmas Market on December 20. Abdulmohsen, a Saudi-born doctor and self-proclaimed ex-Muslim atheist activist, starkly illustrates that right-wing extremism knows no racial, cultural, or religious boundaries. Despite being an immigrant, he was an outspoken supporter of the far-right AfD, harbouring vehemently anti-Muslim and anti-migrant views. His attack was reportedly motivated by anger at Germany’s acceptance of Muslim refugees. Abdulmohsen was known to our coalition as a stalker and cyberbully, which underscores his commitment to division and dehumanization.... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |
| December 3, 2024 |  |
Leaving Islam: A Psychological Perspective on the Journey from Control to Freedom By Dr Savin Bapir-Tardy Leaving Islam, or any high-control group, is a deeply personal and often life-altering decision. It involves stepping away not only from a belief system but also from relationships and communities that have been central to one’s life. A key consequence of this choice is being shunned by the group. Family members, friends, and community ties—often the foundations of support—are frequently severed, leaving the individual isolated and emotionally adrift. This forced disconnection creates a significant challenge, requiring individuals to confront the uncertainty of rebuilding their lives and identities, often without a safety net. For some, the pain of this... Filed as: Press Releases, Resources, Spotlight |
| December 1, 2024 |  |
Ex-Muslim Awareness Month: End Apostophobia Apostophobia, or the fear, hatred, discomfort with, hostility towards, or discrimination against apostates, is rampant in Muslim families and Islamic states because apostasy is a forbidden and punishable sin in Islam, by death according to Shariah. With no or restricted access to support, safety and freedom, Ex-Muslims are continuing to suffer hateful, violent and fatal consequences like being disowned, abused, imprisoned or even killed, just for leaving Islam. This Ex-Muslim Awareness Month in December 2024, we invite you to share your stories of apostophobia, amplify Ex-Muslim voices, and join in calling an end... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, North America & Pacific, Press Releases |
| November 25, 2024 |  |
100 Women in FEMEN Action against Violence against Women *”Lifting the Veil on Violence Against Women Worldwide”* On November 24, 100 FEMEN activists from different countries, including CEMB’s Spokesperson Maryam Namazie and Resident Artist Victoria Gugenheim, make an uncompromising statement of resistance from Paris to all women everywhere suppressed by theocracies, wars and dictatorships. Marking International Day against Violence against Women, a hundred women march to embody a living symbol of global feminist defiance against patriarchal violence, the oppression of women, and the global surge in authoritarianism. In this act of political rebellion, #FEMEN transforms the Louvre’s forecourt —a monument to elitist cultural power—into a space of revolutionary resistance.... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |
| November 19, 2024 |  |
Feminism and religion are incompatible Read full piece in The Freethinker: Feminism and religion are incompatible, 19 November 2024 This is an edited version of Maryam Namazie’s contribution to a Cambridge Union debate: ‘This House Believes Feminism is Incompatible with Religion’, held on 14 November 2024. Others speaking in Proposition: Phyllis Zagano, Annie Laurie Gaylor, and Pollyanna Greene Wright. Those speaking in Opposition: The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Peter Hitchens, and Lindsay Hansen Park. The debate can be viewed here. Religion and feminism are incompatible. What I mean by religion is organised religion and not personal belief. People are very often born into... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |
| November 10, 2024 |  |
Global Day of Action to Defend Ahoo Daryaei a Huge Success On 2 November, Ahoo, a female student from Tehran’s Science and Research University removed her clothes on campus in protest to being harassed by security forces over mandatory hijab rules. She was violently beaten, arrested and reportedly transferred to a psychiatric ward, labelled mentally ill. This is not a new tactic nor is shaming women’s bodies to silence dissent. On 8 November, FEMEN and One Law for All called for a Global Day of Action to defend Ahoo Daryaei and call for her immediate release. Women were asked to recreate images of Ahoo Daryaei’s brave protest and upload the images... Filed as: Featured, Homepage, Press Releases |