January 28, 2022
‘Hijab Day is like FGM or Breast-Ironing Day: a celebration of misogyny and sexism.’ – Maryam Namazie ‘Human beings are worthy of respect but not all beliefs must be respected.’ – Maryam Namazie, 1998 ‘The chador and burqa are like a mobile prison and body bag… Why should women’s bodies, rights and lives be restricted because religion, a husband or the regressive imam down the street demand it?’ – Maryam Namazie, 2007 ‘Take away all the pressure, intimidation and threats and you will see how many remain veiled.’ – Maryam Namazie, 2007 ‘Are we really expected to respect a belief...
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January 23, 2022
On January 19, 2022 Aneeqa Ateeq, a 26-year old Muslim woman has been sentenced to death for blasphemy by Judge Adnan Mushtaq under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to the Pakistani newspaper, Dawn. All charges of blasphemy have been denied by Aneeqa. The accused claims that a Pakistani male had lodged a false complaint as she declined his request to befriend her.  According to a report in The Guardian, Aneeqa met her accuser online in a mobile gaming app, back in 2019. Conversation then transitioned to the messaging app WhatsApp where her accuser claims Aneeqa made blasphemous...
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January 10, 2022
Aneesh, an ex-Muslim atheist and rational thinker from Tamil Nadu, was arrested by officers from Kuniamuthur Police Station (B14), Coimbatore on 29th December 2021 for posting memes about Islam. The next day police presented him to the courts and filed blasphemy charges against him. His bail applications were rejected twice within a week. It is highly likely that his arrest was incited and influenced by Islamists who have openly threatened him on social media. Prior to his arrest, Aneesh lived with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. Now his life has been endangered by this arrest since his identity and whereabouts have...
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December 22, 2021
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) was formed to break the taboo that comes with leaving Islam, highlight the plight of ex-Muslims, and challenge Sharia, apostasy and blasphemy laws. CEMB stands against all forms of bigotry, xenophobia, racism and extremism and unequivocally defends reason, freedom of conscience and expression, equality, universal rights and secularism. 2023 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LAICITE For the first time in France, an international conference brought together defenders of Laicite from around the world on December 8 and 9, 2023 at Paris City Hall. The conference was co-organised by the Association Laïques Sans Frontières (LSF) and the...
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December 20, 2021
Women stage global fast to pressure UK to bring Nazanin Zagari-Ratcliffe home. CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie and FILIA CEO Lisa-Marie Taylor launched #Women4Nazanin Solidarity Action by starting a 24-hour fasting relay on 20 December. So far, over 750 women have registered to hunger strike for a day until Nazanin is free. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a British-Iranian woman taken hostage by the Islamic regime of Iran for over five years now. Maryam Namazie says: Hostage-taking is a human rights issue and not merely an issue of debts due Iran from the British government. Many governments have debts; only the Iranian regime...
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November 23, 2021
Soheil Arabi, an Iranian atheist initially sentenced to death in 2013 for ‘insulting the Prophet of Islam’ in Facebook posts, has been released after eight years in prison. He has been internally exiled for two years and is in need of an operation and urgent medical care due to the torture he faced in prison. In October, CEMB and others organised an International Soheil Day to stand with him and demand his release. CEMB thanks all those who campaigned on his behalf. We are still collecting solidarity postcards for Soheil and his mother Farangis Mazloum. #FreeSoheil #SoheilDay #SoheilArabi #سهیل_عربی #روز_سهیل  
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November 1, 2021
At De Balie’s Freethinkers Festival in Amsterdam end October 2021, Maryam Namazie spoke on “Women in oppression: On the deep friendship between religion and patriarchy.” During the discussion, she said “Religion has to come with health warning. It kills, it destroys, it humiliates, and particularly women it does that too.” She also explained the trending hashtag on Persian Twitter #IShitOnIslam #ریدم_تو_اسلام همانطور که همیشه گفته ام، مذهب باید همه جا با پیام هشدار سلامت به این مضمون که مذهب میکشد، نابود میکند، و تحقیر میکند، مخصوصا زنان را، همراه باشد. You can see the full discussion here with Deborah Feldman,...
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October 26, 2021
Dear Friend Hope you are well. Your urgent action and solidarity are requested. SOLIDARITY POSTCARDS TO SOHEIL ARABI AND HIS MOTHER Over 200 organisations and individuals have called for the release of an Iranian blogger imprisoned for ‘blasphemy’. The initiative aims to free atheist Soheil Arabi who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2013. Since 19 October, Arabi has been on hunger strike and his mother, Farangis Mazloum, has been summoned to serve an 18-month prison sentence for demanding justice for her son. Mazloum says she is extremely concerned about her son’s situation and has not heard from him. Please...
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October 26, 2021
TO SIGN ON TO THIS STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH MINA AHADI, please send your full name, description, country to hello@council-of-ex-muslims-of-britain-e5a565.ingress-baronn.ewp.live or write it in the comments section below.  دوستان گرامی تا روز 31 اکتبر امضاهاشامل اسم و فامیل و کشور محل سکونت جمع آوری میشود و سپس برای رسانه ها و دولت آلمان ارسال میشود. شما هم میتوانید امضا کنید. ممنون از همکاری German, Persian translations follow below Following a 15 October protest against Cologne City Council’s permit to mosques to broadcast the call to prayer or Azaan, Islamists have threatened Mina Ahadi with death. One such threat states: “We...
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October 22, 2021
On Saturday 20 November from 6-8pm, CEMB and One Law for All are screening “Women Leaving Islam” for the first time in London. After the film, there will be a panel discussion on Blasphemous Women and Equality. Speakers include Somali Ex-Muslim Voices Founder Halima Salat, CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie, youtuber and Counsellor Mimzy Vidz, Youtuber Nuriyeh Khan, Writer and Southall Black Sisters Activist Rahila Gupta and Clinical Psychologist Savin Bapir-Tardy. Tickets are £5.00. Due to Covid rules, space is limited so please get your tickets today. On Saturday 20 November from 6-9pm, CEMB is screening “Women Leaving Islam” for the...
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