| June 25, 2019 |  |
Refusal Letters Wanted Dear friend As you know, in Many Muslim-majority countries around the world it is illegal for people to leave Islam; blasphemy carries a capital punishment, not to mention “mob justice” and lynching. Ex-Muslims from such countries seek asylum to gain protection and freedom to live without Islam with no danger to their lives. According to Asylum rules and regulations, anyone who has a well-founded fear of persecution should be granted protection. Given the persecution and threats of violence or worse that ex-Muslims face in Muslim-majority countries, it is Home Office’s moral and legal responsibility to provide protection to ex-Muslims by... Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 20, 2019 |  |
Defending LGBT Rights, Celebrating Dissent and More Defending LGBT Rights, Celebrating Dissent and More Hello dear friend We wanted to remind you of some of our upcoming events and actions and also give you an update of our work. LGBT RIGHTS 4 July 2019, Evening on LGBT Rights, Apostasy and Blasphemy The London event is part of Pride Festival. There are only a few more spaces left so please buy your tickets now. Tickets are only £3 unwaged; £5 waged and include a drink, poetry by Somali Kenyan poet Halima Salat, a screening of the short film Firdaus by cult British Director Shakila Taranum Maan and... Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 19, 2019 |  |
The APPG’s definition of ‘Islamophobia’ is a triumph for fundamentalists The below article was published on sister-hood. “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness” – All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims definition of Islamophobia The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia has mainly been framed as a free speech issue. The definition adopted by some parties and councils will certainly limit criticism of Islam and Islamism even further than it already is currently. To say it will not is dishonest at best. This has already been the case for a long time now. For those... Filed as: Media Coverage, Press Releases |
| June 17, 2019 |  |
Protest at Brunei Embassy against Stoning Law for Homosexuality 17 JUNE – PROTEST AT BRUNEI EMBASSY AGAINST STONING LAW FOR HOMOSEXUALITY In the run-up to Gay Pride, CEMB organised a protest outside the Brunei Embassy on 17 June to condemn Brunei’s new stoning sentences for gay sex and adultery. The action included placing stones on the embassy steps. In April, CEMB also joined protests at the Dorchester Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Here are some photos of the action: Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 10, 2019 | |
Evening on LGBT rights, Apostasy and Blasphemy The event is part of Pride in London Festival. 4 July 2019, 6:00pm for a 6:45pm start until 10:00pm, London Join Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All for an evening of film, poetry and a panel discussion on LGBT rights, Apostasy and Blasphemy. GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY. NO TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR. Film: ‘Ferdous’ by Shakila Taranum Maan Poetry: By Kenyan Somali Poet Halima Salat Panel discussion: With Drew Dalton (Hidayah Chair), Jimmy Bangash (CEMB Spokesperson), Khakan Qureshi (Birmingham South Asians LGBT Founder), Nadia El Fani (Tunisian Filmmaker), Sadia Hamed (CEMB Spokesperson), Shakila Taranum Maan (British... Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 6, 2019 |  |
Ramadan 2019: Child Fasting is Child Abuse In the past years, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain has held fast-defying protests at embassies in solidarity with those who are persecuted for eating and drinking during Ramadan. This year, CEMB’s fast-defying action included a protest at the Department for Education on 17th May to highlight the Department’s inaction with regards to child fasting in schools. Child fasting should be banned as it is harmful to children. We discussed the issue with young people from Muslim backgrounds on their way to Friday prayers. Our position is that if a child is sent to school without breakfast and not allowed to... Filed as: Press Releases |
| June 6, 2019 |
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain stands with Hidayah, Andrew Moffat, Anderton Park School and all LGBT of Muslim heritage CEMB supports the recent legal injunction prohibiting homophobic protests outside of Anderton Park School in Birmingham for the use of LGBT inclusive educational material. The presence of Muslim parents and others holding homophobic banners calling for the erasure of the LGBT community in educational material and the resignation of the head teacher are unacceptable. The climate of fear and intimidation around a primary school is nothing short of abhorrent and reminiscent of the abuse faced by African American children during attempts to desegregate schools in Little Rock in 1957 or children running a gauntlet of abuse in Belfast in the... Filed as: Press Releases |
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| May 20, 2019 |  |
End ban on Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka’s Facebook Page Ex-Muslims are some of the most persecuted minorities in Sri Lanka. Social media and Facebook are the only avenues available to us to express ourselves in a safer environment. Ex-Muslims cannot speak out publicly in Sri Lanka for fear of our lives. Facebook facilitates our efforts to make links with each other and celebrate apostasy without shame or fear. We, therefore, condemn Facebook’s banning of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka (CEMSL) Facebook page, which was established in December 2016 since 10 May 2019 without explanation. The URL of the page was www.Facebook.com/CEMSL.ORG . The page with more than... Filed as: Press Releases |
| May 16, 2019 |  |
Open Letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid: APPG Islamophobia Definition Threatens Civil Liberties Addressed to the Home Secretary Sajid Javid The APPG on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia has now been adopted by the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats Federal board, Plaid Cymru and the Mayor of London, as well as several local councils. All of this is occurring before the Home Affairs Select Committee has been able to assess the evidence for and against the adoption of the definition nationally. Meanwhile the Conservatives are having their own debate about rooting out Islamophobia from the party. According to the APPG definition, “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that... Filed as: Media Coverage, Press Releases |
| May 13, 2019 |  |
Ramadan, Woman’s Hour and No Platforming Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour contacted the Council of Ex Muslims of Britain (CEMB) regarding a feature they were doing about child fasting. They were going to be discussing Ramadan falling during exam times and the guidelines produced by Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) entitled Ramadan: Exams and Tests, 2019, Information for Schools and Colleges. Debate participants on the programme today were going to be CEMB Spokesperson along with Writer of the Ramadan guidelines from the ASCL Anna Cole, and a former president from the Muslim Teacher’s Association (MTA) Rukhsana Yaqoob. An hour before the programme, our spokesperson was... Filed as: Media Coverage, Press Releases |