Newsline 5 May 2017

This week's Newsline again illustrates the divisions created when religion and politics are mixed. In setting out his case for the public funding of more Catholic schools, the head of the Catholic Education Service, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, has expressed his keenness for children to be segregated along religion lines. Meanwhile, new rules in the Irish parliament means members will be required to stand during prayer. The move has led at least one Irish politician, Ruth Coppinger TD, to declare "We have to separate State and Church". We quite agree.

Where religion divides, secularism can unite. Whilst everyone should be free to worship and observe their faith within the law, the value of keeping religion separate from the power of the state should be obvious to everyone. We have our sights set on the separation of religion and state. We campaign tirelessly to ensure equal respect for everyone's human rights so that no one is either advantaged or disadvantaged because of their beliefs.

If you're not a member of the NSS, please join today and help us to promote a secular, fairer, Britain. If you are a member, please make a donation to help us do to more to challenge religious privilege.

News, Blogs & Opinion

	Departing MP blasts Government on caste discrimination News \| Fri, 5th May 2017 Former MP Graham Allen has accused the Government of launching a "misleading" consultation to delay action against caste discrimination "for ever". In an open letter to Justine Greening, the Minister for Equalities, Allen wrote that public consultations "have a deservedly poor reputation" but that he could not recall one "that is so misleading and biased". He said the Government's "clear intention is to delay – probably forever – legislative protection against caste discrimination". Allen wrote that action would be "so easy" to achieve if ministers used their powers to enact secondary legislation explicitly outlawing discrimination on the basis of caste. The UN has repeatedly called for legislation outlawing caste. Allen rejected the Government's argument against legislation, and said that simply waiting and hoping for appropriate case law to develop was totally insufficient. He said he feared that the Government will use the "dysfunctional consultation" to justify continuing not to legislate, as it has avoided doing since coming into office. He warned that if this happens, the courts will take this as a signal that they should not develop case law to outlaw caste discrimination. If Parliament did not act and the courts did, "they would risk being accused of usurping Parliament", meaning the prospect of the necessary protections emerging organically from appropriate case law were slight. "While the Government would have us think it would welcome the development of case law, it deciding not to legislate will ensure there is no case law development either and those suffering caste discrimination will continue not to enjoy legal protection," Allen concluded. He called for the consultation to be withdrawn, and, if it is not withdrawn, for a guarantee that the consultation would not be used as a justification for not legislating. Allen said that the consultation failed "all ten" of the Government's own guidance on consultation. He said it was "incomprehensible to anyone other than a specialist" and that "no attempt" had been made to those who actually suffer caste discrimination. This failed the key test that consultations must "Take account of the groups being consulted" and "consult stakeholders". The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is supportive of legislation to specifically outlaw caste-based discrimination, was not consulted prior to the consultation being launched. Keith Porteous Wood, the executive director of the National Secular Society, said: "Parliament directed the Government to legislate on caste discrimination and the UN has demanded it. The Government has launched a consultation shamelessly dissuading respondents from opting for legislation. This will deny protection to victims, which appears to be the Government's agenda, in order to appease those – we suspect of so-called higher castes - implacably opposed to legislation." Read more about our campaign to outlaw caste discrimination in the UK.
	Taxpayer-funded Catholic schools should only be for Catholics, says Archbishop of Liverpool News \| Thu, 4th May 2017 Archbishop Malcolm McMahon has said that Catholic schools "are different" and "for the Catholic community", despite their being funded by all taxpayers. In an interview with Peter Wilby in the Guardian, McMahon set out the differences between Church of England schools and Catholic schools. He said the Church of England "runs schools for the wider community" but that "ours are different. They are for the Catholic community". The Catholic Church welcomed the proposed abolition of the 50% cap which limited faith school's power to reserve places for children by their religious background, and when challenged on why all taxpayers should have to fund discriminatory schools McMahon said that "parents' rights to educate their children as they wish is fundamental." He deflected criticism that faith schools fuelled segregation by pointing out that "It's not just the faith school sector which is faced with mono-cultural schools. Many community schools comprise predominantly one ethnicity and faith." Stephen Evans, the campaigns director of the National Secular Society, said: "It's no surprise that Archbishop McMahon wants the taxpayer to fund Catholic schools, but it is alarming to see the Government kowtowing to clerics by agreeing to their demands for more discriminatory faith schools. "Theresa May's proposals to facilitate the opening of a new wave of religious schools by allowing such schools to select all of their pupil intake on the basis of faith will be a disaster for social cohesion. "The Catholic Church's vision for education, which involves segregation in schooling and the teaching of dogma, needs to be replaced with a secular approach, in which children of all backgrounds are educated together, religion and belief is taught objectively, and worship is regarded a private matter and not something to be imposed on pupils whilst at school." The Archbishop, who is the chair of the Catholic Education Service, was also questioned over Catholic schools' record on sex and relationships education. Wilby pointed out to him that the schools' current curriculum stresses "chastity" and makes no mention of contraception. McMahon said that teachers in Catholic schools "present arguments for natural methods" but that there would be an "open debate" if a student asked about contraception. When asked why the Catholic sex education curriculum made no mention of same-sex relationships McMahon said that Catholic schools "would never condemn" gay people but then asked "why would same-sex parents want to send their children to a Catholic school?" During the interview he was also asked about discrimination against teachers. He said teachers who remarried would "have to follow their consciences" but that there "is no prying". In December a popular temporary headteacher was forced out because he had divorced and remarried. Equality Act exceptions allow faith schools to discriminate in both pupil admissions and the employment of teachers. In Catholic schools, in common with other voluntary aided schools, preference may be given in connection with the appointment, remuneration or promotion of teachers, to those whose religious beliefs or religious practice is in accordance with the tenets of the school's religion or religious denomination or who give or are willing to give religious education in accordance with the tenets of the faith. Conduct that is "incompatible with the precepts of the Church, or which fails to uphold its tenets, may be taken into consideration in determining whether the teacher's employment should be terminated." Mr Evans added, "By any 21st Century standard of equality, the degree of discrimination legally permitted on the grounds of religion and belief against teachers and other school staff is unreasonable and unacceptable." Last year the Equality and Human Rights Commission criticised the extent to which faith schools can discriminate against teachers. It said there should be a genuine occupational requirement before a school could discriminate against staff on religious grounds.
	Survey finds deeply regressive views of women among large majorities of Muslim men News \| Wed, 3rd May 2017 A large-scale survey of views in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine has reported extensive anti-women views and widespread tolerance of domestic violence. The three countries and Palestine were selected to be broadly representative and "to reflect the diversity of the region". The report's authors said they wanted to "provide a more nuanced view of men in the Middle East and North Africa" following gang rapes committed by young Middle Eastern and North African men in Tahrir Square and Cologne. Unsurprisingly their data found that clear majorities of men in these overwhelmingly Muslim-majority countries held anti-women views, and had deeply regressive opinions about the role of women in society. The report, produced by International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) found that "The majority of Egyptian men consider it their duty to protect the honour of women and girls in their family, and nearly three-fifths agree with honour killing in some circumstances. More than 90 per cent of men saw male honour as directly contingent on their female relatives' dress and behaviour". Just 45% of Egyptian men believed there should be laws "criminalizing domestic violence, including marital rape." And only 70% of Egyptian women agreed with this statement. 43% of Egyptian Muslim men said they would approve of their son having multiple wives, though just 9.5% said they would approve of their daughter marrying a man who already had other wives. Only 6.6% of unmarried men said they "have no problem with marrying someone of a different religion", and a tiny 2.3% of unmarried Egyptian women said the same. Just 39% of Egyptian men approved of women serving as leaders of political parties, though 93% said they should be able to vote. 60% of Moroccan men said "if a woman is raped, she should marry her rapist." 62% of Moroccan men said "a woman should tolerate violence to keep the family together", and 38% agreed "there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten". Shockingly, 20% of Moroccan women agreed with this. The report collected anecdotes and accounts from men and women across the four countries surveyed, including many accounts of domestic violence. One young woman living in Cairo said her husband apologised for beating her and she went back to him, and now "The beating decreased, and now he beats me slightly if we disagree. But before, he used to beat me 'till my face and body became blue. But now things are better." The report's authors said, "While a majority of men surveyed in the four countries support a wide array of inequitable, traditional attitudes; a sizable minority of men in the four countries acknowledge and support women's equality in many aspects of public and private life." The full report can be read here.
	Irish politicians face ejection from the chamber and loss of pay if they don't stand for prayers News \| Wed, 3rd May 2017 The Irish parliament has approve a requirement mandating TDs remain standing during the prayers that open each Dáil sitting. Today FM reported that TDs can be subject to disciplinary action, including being thrown out of the chamber and losing a day's pay, if they refuse to stand. During a debate on whether the Irish Parliament should discontinue the practice of holding prayers at the start of each sitting, several TDs said they would refuse to stand for prayers. Bríd Smith TD said, "I'm not standing, no matter what I'm told to do, because my religion is my business and is not up for public scrutiny." Another said it was "baffling" that they would have to stand. Following the debate on the prayer's purpose and much criticism of its suitability to a republic, the current practice was amended to include a half minute for "reflection" in addition to the current prayer, but secularist campaigners in Ireland say the situation is now worse than it was before. Ireland and the UK are the only European parliaments to start their formal business with a prayer. Atheist Ireland offered its thanks to the TDs who "spoke in favour of separation of Church and State", ahead of the vote on Thursday. The secularist organisation said that while they were "still a minority in the Dáil, they reflect the changing mood of the Irish people." Atheist Ireland vigorously rejected the requirement that TDs be made to stand for prayers and have also spoken out strongly against forcing the Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of the Irish parliament's lower house to read the prayers, calling that requirement an "unconstitutional religious test". During the debate Ruth Coppinger TD also challenged the requirement on the speaker to read the prayer: "Can we ever have a Ceann Comhairle who is not a Christian?" "At a time when the rest of society out there is demanding an absolutely separation of Church and State the Dáil decides to embed an archaic practice," Coppinger added. Catherine Murphy TD questioned whether prayers at the start of the parliament's business "reflects the non-denominational nature of our Constitution". She said she "cannot support the retention of the prayer". Atheist Ireland said the new time for reflection was not an improvement on the current situation, but "makes the situation worse". They challenged the retention of the prayer's current wording, which says that "every word and work of ours may always begin" with God. In the UK Parliament sittings in both Houses begin with Christian prayers led by a Church of England bishop. MPs and Peers stand for prayers facing the wall behind them – a practice thought to have developed due to the difficulty Members would historically have faced of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword. Prayers are voluntary but serve as an antiquated seat reservation system on busy days. In the Scottish Parliament, Tuesday afternoon sessions begin with 'Time for Reflection', with faith representatives invited in to addresses members for up to four minutes, in a similar format to Radio 4's 'Thought for the Day'. The Northern Ireland Assembly begins formal business with a period of two minutes of silent prayer or contemplation. The Welsh Assembly has adopted no such rituals. In the 2016 secular manifesto released by the National Secular Society, the NSS said that "Parliament should reflect the country as it is today and remove acts of worship" from its formal business.
	Dozens of speakers to attend major conference on secularism and freedom of expression News \| Tue, 2nd May 2017 Dozens of speakers are confirmed to address the upcoming 'Free Expression & Conscience' conference, including many honorary associates of the National Secular Society. The international conference is being organised by activist Maryam Namazie, who was named Secularist of the Year in 2005. The NSS is one of the organisations sponsoring the conference and NSS council member and free speech activist Chris Moos will speak at the event. The conference will "discuss censorship and blasphemy laws, freedom of and from religion, apostasy, the limits of religion's role in society, LGBT and women's rights, atheism, secular values and more." Organisers said the event will "highlight the voices of people on the frontlines of resistance - many of them persecuted and exiled – as well as address challenges faced by activists and freethinkers, elaborate on the links between democratic politics and free expression and conscience, promote secular and rights-based alternatives, and establish priorities for collective action." Yasmin Rehman, who was named Secularist of the Year 2017 by the Society in March, will speak. She will be joined by several of the National Secular Society's honorary associates including Richard Dawkins and AC Grayling. Many other speakers from all over the world are attending. Many prominent ex-Muslims are attending to speak at the event, including Sarah Haider, co-founder of the Ex-Muslims of North America, Fariborz Pooya, who is a founding member of the Council of ex-Muslims of Britain, Rana Ahmad of the Council of ex-Muslims of Germany, Cemal Knudsen Yucel, the co-founder of Ex-Muslims of Norway, and many other ex-Muslim activists from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and beyond. The conference will take place over two days, on the 22^nd and 23^rd July. Tickets must be purchased online. Panel topics on the first day will include discussions on: - 'Islam's non-believers' - 'Blasphemy, Islamophobia, freedom of thought and expression' - 'Religion in the law and state' - 'Secularism as a human right' The second day will have panels on: - 'Women's resistance, the veil and religious morality' - 'Identity politics, communalism and multiculturalism' - 'Out, loud and proud' - 'Art as resistance' Following the conference, on 24^th July, there will be a strategy meeting for ex-Muslims which will be open to the public.
	Death sentence for Saudi ‘apostate’ amid surge of violence against atheists across Islamic world News \| Fri, 28th Apr 2017 A Saudi trial based "heavily on Koranic law" has resulted in a death sentence for a 'mentally ill' man who denounced the Islamic 'prophet' Mohammed. Ahmad Al-Shamri was arrested in 2014, the Washington Post reported, and activists from Human Rights Watch have been trying to find information about the specifics of his case since then. The Post noted that Saudi Arabia "routinely tries to hide capital trials and death sentences from the outside world". Some Twitter users celebrated the death sentence as Al-Shamri's name trended on the site. One said it was "fine" to be an atheist, unless you "talk in public" or "criticize God or religion, then you shall be punished." Another said that unless he recanted after being asked three times "kill him". "I wish there will be live streaming when you cut his head off," one tweet read. The tweets were translated by @Faris_dream, an ex-Muslim atheist from Saudi Arabia. Bob Churchill of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, to which the NSS is affiliated, said: "Once again, this judgement shows how vanishingly little tolerance the Saudi authorities have for difference of opinion, or for freedom of thought." The verdict revealed the falsity of their pretence at respecting human rights, he said, "And it shows that the lives of the non-religious are held in contempt and valued as worthless." "We have seen in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and the Maldives the murder of humanists and liberals by extremist gangs." The barbarity was no different when it came from extremist nation states, Mr Churchill added. "By upholding this sentence, Saudi Arabia proves itself an extremist state. "As an urgent step toward upholding their human rights commitments, we call on the Saudi government to pardon and release Al Shamri, to ensure his protection upon release, and to fundamentally revise these outrageous, inhuman laws." There have been constant killings throughout the Islamic world targeting atheists and apostates, including the mob killing of Mashal Khan, a university student in Pakistan after he was accused of blasphemy. The Guardian reported that the university investigation initially focused on whether Khan had blasphemed or not instead of the mob violence that killed the 23-year-old. Unusually for Pakistan there were demonstrations supporting Khan after the killing. But shortly after he was murdered, three women shot a 50-year-old, Fazal Abbas, after he was accused of blasphemy. Around the same time, the Independent reported, a mob attempted to murder a mentally ill man inside a mosque after he claimed God had appointed him as the religious leader of all Muslims.
	NZ secularists file human rights case over religious education in schools News \| Thu, 4th May 2017 The New Zealand Secular Education Network (SEN) has mounted a challenge over "religious bias" in the way the country's schools teach about religion. The Secular Education Network campaigns against religious instruction, and for its replacement with an impartial religious studies subject. The organisation describes its mission as being to "promote the true separation of church and state" and to "ensure that all children are treated equally." David Hines of the SEN told the New Zealand Herald of children who had been bullied after being opted out of religious instruction. Hines, a lay preacher, said: "It's a spit in the face for every other religion, it is saying that Christianity is superior. "It is telling the Jews that the Bible is a Christian book when the Jews have substantially the same book but put a different interpretation on it. "It is a put down for atheists because it says you have got to believe in God to live a good life." Radio NZ reported that Hines has gathered "26 witnesses for his case, including 13 parents who said their children were mistreated." One parent said: "We knew there were going to be these bible classes so we thought we would just opt out. "Over time we found that our kids were being put back in (to the class) and we found they were being told they were going to Hell. "They were also being badgered for not believing in God." Professor Paul Morris of Victoria University, who is serving as one of the witnesses for the case, said that the current courses "present Christianity from an evangelical perspective" and said "they do not address students who come from different faith worlds." The New Zealand Churches Education Commission, which delivers 'Christian Religious Education' in state schools, says teachers "must not use their position to engage in evangelism". The National Secular Society recently launched a new '21^st Century RE For All' campaign to reform how religious education syllabuses are written in the UK, and ensure the subject is taught in an impartial way, including both religious and non-religious worldviews. NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans said, "RE has long been, and remains, a contentious area of the curriculum, largely because teaching and learning in this area is so heavily influenced by religious groups. Withdrawing children from biased religious education lessons is a right that must be protected until the subject is reformed and impartial."

Read Elsewhere

'Religious freedom' advocates disappointed with Trump’s executive order

'Religious freedom' campaigners have expressed disappointment with Trump's executive order on 'Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty', as the American Civil Liberties Union dismiss it as "an elaborate photo-op with no discernible policy outcome."

Quotes of the Week

"Public funds are being used to separate children by faith. What could be more damaging to integration? Faith schools are also segregating children by class. A quarter of faith primary schools have fewer disadvantage pupils than those of no faith. Faith schools are the antithesis of a secular society."
Afua Hirschm, speaking on BBC Newsnight.

"Political power doesn't give you the right to impose your beliefs on the electorate."
Fionola Meredith, Belfast Telegraph.

Essays of the Week

Religion and politics do not mix … which is a lesson that our politicians should learn.
Fionola Meredith, Belfast Telegraph.

Douglas Murray on immigration, Islam and identity.
Katie Law, Evening Standard.

Upcoming Events

Talk to Gloucestershire Humanists: 'Why we founded Faith to Faithless'

Thu, 11th May 2017

International Conference on Freedom of Conscience and Expression in the 21st Century

Sat, 22nd Jul 2017

	Departing MP blasts Government on caste discrimination News \| Fri, 5th May 2017 Former MP Graham Allen has accused the Government of launching a "misleading" consultation to delay action against caste discrimination "for ever". In an open letter to Justine Greening, the Minister for Equalities, Allen wrote that public consultations "have a deservedly poor reputation" but that he could not recall one "that is so misleading and biased". He said the Government's "clear intention is to delay – probably forever – legislative protection against caste discrimination". Allen wrote that action would be "so easy" to achieve if ministers used their powers to enact secondary legislation explicitly outlawing discrimination on the basis of caste. The UN has repeatedly called for legislation outlawing caste. Allen rejected the Government's argument against legislation, and said that simply waiting and hoping for appropriate case law to develop was totally insufficient. He said he feared that the Government will use the "dysfunctional consultation" to justify continuing not to legislate, as it has avoided doing since coming into office. He warned that if this happens, the courts will take this as a signal that they should not develop case law to outlaw caste discrimination. If Parliament did not act and the courts did, "they would risk being accused of usurping Parliament", meaning the prospect of the necessary protections emerging organically from appropriate case law were slight. "While the Government would have us think it would welcome the development of case law, it deciding not to legislate will ensure there is no case law development either and those suffering caste discrimination will continue not to enjoy legal protection," Allen concluded. He called for the consultation to be withdrawn, and, if it is not withdrawn, for a guarantee that the consultation would not be used as a justification for not legislating. Allen said that the consultation failed "all ten" of the Government's own guidance on consultation. He said it was "incomprehensible to anyone other than a specialist" and that "no attempt" had been made to those who actually suffer caste discrimination. This failed the key test that consultations must "Take account of the groups being consulted" and "consult stakeholders". The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is supportive of legislation to specifically outlaw caste-based discrimination, was not consulted prior to the consultation being launched. Keith Porteous Wood, the executive director of the National Secular Society, said: "Parliament directed the Government to legislate on caste discrimination and the UN has demanded it. The Government has launched a consultation shamelessly dissuading respondents from opting for legislation. This will deny protection to victims, which appears to be the Government's agenda, in order to appease those – we suspect of so-called higher castes - implacably opposed to legislation." Read more about our campaign to outlaw caste discrimination in the UK.
	Taxpayer-funded Catholic schools should only be for Catholics, says Archbishop of Liverpool News \| Thu, 4th May 2017 Archbishop Malcolm McMahon has said that Catholic schools "are different" and "for the Catholic community", despite their being funded by all taxpayers. In an interview with Peter Wilby in the Guardian, McMahon set out the differences between Church of England schools and Catholic schools. He said the Church of England "runs schools for the wider community" but that "ours are different. They are for the Catholic community". The Catholic Church welcomed the proposed abolition of the 50% cap which limited faith school's power to reserve places for children by their religious background, and when challenged on why all taxpayers should have to fund discriminatory schools McMahon said that "parents' rights to educate their children as they wish is fundamental." He deflected criticism that faith schools fuelled segregation by pointing out that "It's not just the faith school sector which is faced with mono-cultural schools. Many community schools comprise predominantly one ethnicity and faith." Stephen Evans, the campaigns director of the National Secular Society, said: "It's no surprise that Archbishop McMahon wants the taxpayer to fund Catholic schools, but it is alarming to see the Government kowtowing to clerics by agreeing to their demands for more discriminatory faith schools. "Theresa May's proposals to facilitate the opening of a new wave of religious schools by allowing such schools to select all of their pupil intake on the basis of faith will be a disaster for social cohesion. "The Catholic Church's vision for education, which involves segregation in schooling and the teaching of dogma, needs to be replaced with a secular approach, in which children of all backgrounds are educated together, religion and belief is taught objectively, and worship is regarded a private matter and not something to be imposed on pupils whilst at school." The Archbishop, who is the chair of the Catholic Education Service, was also questioned over Catholic schools' record on sex and relationships education. Wilby pointed out to him that the schools' current curriculum stresses "chastity" and makes no mention of contraception. McMahon said that teachers in Catholic schools "present arguments for natural methods" but that there would be an "open debate" if a student asked about contraception. When asked why the Catholic sex education curriculum made no mention of same-sex relationships McMahon said that Catholic schools "would never condemn" gay people but then asked "why would same-sex parents want to send their children to a Catholic school?" During the interview he was also asked about discrimination against teachers. He said teachers who remarried would "have to follow their consciences" but that there "is no prying". In December a popular temporary headteacher was forced out because he had divorced and remarried. Equality Act exceptions allow faith schools to discriminate in both pupil admissions and the employment of teachers. In Catholic schools, in common with other voluntary aided schools, preference may be given in connection with the appointment, remuneration or promotion of teachers, to those whose religious beliefs or religious practice is in accordance with the tenets of the school's religion or religious denomination or who give or are willing to give religious education in accordance with the tenets of the faith. Conduct that is "incompatible with the precepts of the Church, or which fails to uphold its tenets, may be taken into consideration in determining whether the teacher's employment should be terminated." Mr Evans added, "By any 21st Century standard of equality, the degree of discrimination legally permitted on the grounds of religion and belief against teachers and other school staff is unreasonable and unacceptable." Last year the Equality and Human Rights Commission criticised the extent to which faith schools can discriminate against teachers. It said there should be a genuine occupational requirement before a school could discriminate against staff on religious grounds.
	Survey finds deeply regressive views of women among large majorities of Muslim men News \| Wed, 3rd May 2017 A large-scale survey of views in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine has reported extensive anti-women views and widespread tolerance of domestic violence. The three countries and Palestine were selected to be broadly representative and "to reflect the diversity of the region". The report's authors said they wanted to "provide a more nuanced view of men in the Middle East and North Africa" following gang rapes committed by young Middle Eastern and North African men in Tahrir Square and Cologne. Unsurprisingly their data found that clear majorities of men in these overwhelmingly Muslim-majority countries held anti-women views, and had deeply regressive opinions about the role of women in society. The report, produced by International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) found that "The majority of Egyptian men consider it their duty to protect the honour of women and girls in their family, and nearly three-fifths agree with honour killing in some circumstances. More than 90 per cent of men saw male honour as directly contingent on their female relatives' dress and behaviour". Just 45% of Egyptian men believed there should be laws "criminalizing domestic violence, including marital rape." And only 70% of Egyptian women agreed with this statement. 43% of Egyptian Muslim men said they would approve of their son having multiple wives, though just 9.5% said they would approve of their daughter marrying a man who already had other wives. Only 6.6% of unmarried men said they "have no problem with marrying someone of a different religion", and a tiny 2.3% of unmarried Egyptian women said the same. Just 39% of Egyptian men approved of women serving as leaders of political parties, though 93% said they should be able to vote. 60% of Moroccan men said "if a woman is raped, she should marry her rapist." 62% of Moroccan men said "a woman should tolerate violence to keep the family together", and 38% agreed "there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten". Shockingly, 20% of Moroccan women agreed with this. The report collected anecdotes and accounts from men and women across the four countries surveyed, including many accounts of domestic violence. One young woman living in Cairo said her husband apologised for beating her and she went back to him, and now "The beating decreased, and now he beats me slightly if we disagree. But before, he used to beat me 'till my face and body became blue. But now things are better." The report's authors said, "While a majority of men surveyed in the four countries support a wide array of inequitable, traditional attitudes; a sizable minority of men in the four countries acknowledge and support women's equality in many aspects of public and private life." The full report can be read here.
	Irish politicians face ejection from the chamber and loss of pay if they don't stand for prayers News \| Wed, 3rd May 2017 The Irish parliament has approve a requirement mandating TDs remain standing during the prayers that open each Dáil sitting. Today FM reported that TDs can be subject to disciplinary action, including being thrown out of the chamber and losing a day's pay, if they refuse to stand. During a debate on whether the Irish Parliament should discontinue the practice of holding prayers at the start of each sitting, several TDs said they would refuse to stand for prayers. Bríd Smith TD said, "I'm not standing, no matter what I'm told to do, because my religion is my business and is not up for public scrutiny." Another said it was "baffling" that they would have to stand. Following the debate on the prayer's purpose and much criticism of its suitability to a republic, the current practice was amended to include a half minute for "reflection" in addition to the current prayer, but secularist campaigners in Ireland say the situation is now worse than it was before. Ireland and the UK are the only European parliaments to start their formal business with a prayer. Atheist Ireland offered its thanks to the TDs who "spoke in favour of separation of Church and State", ahead of the vote on Thursday. The secularist organisation said that while they were "still a minority in the Dáil, they reflect the changing mood of the Irish people." Atheist Ireland vigorously rejected the requirement that TDs be made to stand for prayers and have also spoken out strongly against forcing the Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of the Irish parliament's lower house to read the prayers, calling that requirement an "unconstitutional religious test". During the debate Ruth Coppinger TD also challenged the requirement on the speaker to read the prayer: "Can we ever have a Ceann Comhairle who is not a Christian?" "At a time when the rest of society out there is demanding an absolutely separation of Church and State the Dáil decides to embed an archaic practice," Coppinger added. Catherine Murphy TD questioned whether prayers at the start of the parliament's business "reflects the non-denominational nature of our Constitution". She said she "cannot support the retention of the prayer". Atheist Ireland said the new time for reflection was not an improvement on the current situation, but "makes the situation worse". They challenged the retention of the prayer's current wording, which says that "every word and work of ours may always begin" with God. In the UK Parliament sittings in both Houses begin with Christian prayers led by a Church of England bishop. MPs and Peers stand for prayers facing the wall behind them – a practice thought to have developed due to the difficulty Members would historically have faced of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword. Prayers are voluntary but serve as an antiquated seat reservation system on busy days. In the Scottish Parliament, Tuesday afternoon sessions begin with 'Time for Reflection', with faith representatives invited in to addresses members for up to four minutes, in a similar format to Radio 4's 'Thought for the Day'. The Northern Ireland Assembly begins formal business with a period of two minutes of silent prayer or contemplation. The Welsh Assembly has adopted no such rituals. In the 2016 secular manifesto released by the National Secular Society, the NSS said that "Parliament should reflect the country as it is today and remove acts of worship" from its formal business.
	Dozens of speakers to attend major conference on secularism and freedom of expression News \| Tue, 2nd May 2017 Dozens of speakers are confirmed to address the upcoming 'Free Expression & Conscience' conference, including many honorary associates of the National Secular Society. The international conference is being organised by activist Maryam Namazie, who was named Secularist of the Year in 2005. The NSS is one of the organisations sponsoring the conference and NSS council member and free speech activist Chris Moos will speak at the event. The conference will "discuss censorship and blasphemy laws, freedom of and from religion, apostasy, the limits of religion's role in society, LGBT and women's rights, atheism, secular values and more." Organisers said the event will "highlight the voices of people on the frontlines of resistance - many of them persecuted and exiled – as well as address challenges faced by activists and freethinkers, elaborate on the links between democratic politics and free expression and conscience, promote secular and rights-based alternatives, and establish priorities for collective action." Yasmin Rehman, who was named Secularist of the Year 2017 by the Society in March, will speak. She will be joined by several of the National Secular Society's honorary associates including Richard Dawkins and AC Grayling. Many other speakers from all over the world are attending. Many prominent ex-Muslims are attending to speak at the event, including Sarah Haider, co-founder of the Ex-Muslims of North America, Fariborz Pooya, who is a founding member of the Council of ex-Muslims of Britain, Rana Ahmad of the Council of ex-Muslims of Germany, Cemal Knudsen Yucel, the co-founder of Ex-Muslims of Norway, and many other ex-Muslim activists from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and beyond. The conference will take place over two days, on the 22^nd and 23^rd July. Tickets must be purchased online. Panel topics on the first day will include discussions on: - 'Islam's non-believers' - 'Blasphemy, Islamophobia, freedom of thought and expression' - 'Religion in the law and state' - 'Secularism as a human right' The second day will have panels on: - 'Women's resistance, the veil and religious morality' - 'Identity politics, communalism and multiculturalism' - 'Out, loud and proud' - 'Art as resistance' Following the conference, on 24^th July, there will be a strategy meeting for ex-Muslims which will be open to the public.
	Death sentence for Saudi ‘apostate’ amid surge of violence against atheists across Islamic world News \| Fri, 28th Apr 2017 A Saudi trial based "heavily on Koranic law" has resulted in a death sentence for a 'mentally ill' man who denounced the Islamic 'prophet' Mohammed. Ahmad Al-Shamri was arrested in 2014, the Washington Post reported, and activists from Human Rights Watch have been trying to find information about the specifics of his case since then. The Post noted that Saudi Arabia "routinely tries to hide capital trials and death sentences from the outside world". Some Twitter users celebrated the death sentence as Al-Shamri's name trended on the site. One said it was "fine" to be an atheist, unless you "talk in public" or "criticize God or religion, then you shall be punished." Another said that unless he recanted after being asked three times "kill him". "I wish there will be live streaming when you cut his head off," one tweet read. The tweets were translated by @Faris_dream, an ex-Muslim atheist from Saudi Arabia. Bob Churchill of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, to which the NSS is affiliated, said: "Once again, this judgement shows how vanishingly little tolerance the Saudi authorities have for difference of opinion, or for freedom of thought." The verdict revealed the falsity of their pretence at respecting human rights, he said, "And it shows that the lives of the non-religious are held in contempt and valued as worthless." "We have seen in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and the Maldives the murder of humanists and liberals by extremist gangs." The barbarity was no different when it came from extremist nation states, Mr Churchill added. "By upholding this sentence, Saudi Arabia proves itself an extremist state. "As an urgent step toward upholding their human rights commitments, we call on the Saudi government to pardon and release Al Shamri, to ensure his protection upon release, and to fundamentally revise these outrageous, inhuman laws." There have been constant killings throughout the Islamic world targeting atheists and apostates, including the mob killing of Mashal Khan, a university student in Pakistan after he was accused of blasphemy. The Guardian reported that the university investigation initially focused on whether Khan had blasphemed or not instead of the mob violence that killed the 23-year-old. Unusually for Pakistan there were demonstrations supporting Khan after the killing. But shortly after he was murdered, three women shot a 50-year-old, Fazal Abbas, after he was accused of blasphemy. Around the same time, the Independent reported, a mob attempted to murder a mentally ill man inside a mosque after he claimed God had appointed him as the religious leader of all Muslims.
	NZ secularists file human rights case over religious education in schools News \| Thu, 4th May 2017 The New Zealand Secular Education Network (SEN) has mounted a challenge over "religious bias" in the way the country's schools teach about religion. The Secular Education Network campaigns against religious instruction, and for its replacement with an impartial religious studies subject. The organisation describes its mission as being to "promote the true separation of church and state" and to "ensure that all children are treated equally." David Hines of the SEN told the New Zealand Herald of children who had been bullied after being opted out of religious instruction. Hines, a lay preacher, said: "It's a spit in the face for every other religion, it is saying that Christianity is superior. "It is telling the Jews that the Bible is a Christian book when the Jews have substantially the same book but put a different interpretation on it. "It is a put down for atheists because it says you have got to believe in God to live a good life." Radio NZ reported that Hines has gathered "26 witnesses for his case, including 13 parents who said their children were mistreated." One parent said: "We knew there were going to be these bible classes so we thought we would just opt out. "Over time we found that our kids were being put back in (to the class) and we found they were being told they were going to Hell. "They were also being badgered for not believing in God." Professor Paul Morris of Victoria University, who is serving as one of the witnesses for the case, said that the current courses "present Christianity from an evangelical perspective" and said "they do not address students who come from different faith worlds." The New Zealand Churches Education Commission, which delivers 'Christian Religious Education' in state schools, says teachers "must not use their position to engage in evangelism". The National Secular Society recently launched a new '21^st Century RE For All' campaign to reform how religious education syllabuses are written in the UK, and ensure the subject is taught in an impartial way, including both religious and non-religious worldviews. NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans said, "RE has long been, and remains, a contentious area of the curriculum, largely because teaching and learning in this area is so heavily influenced by religious groups. Withdrawing children from biased religious education lessons is a right that must be protected until the subject is reformed and impartial."