Report highlights religious threat to global human rights

Posted: Mon, 10 Dec 2018

Blasphemy laws, supremacist ideologies, sectarianism, 'caste' systems and exclusionary laws are among the ways religion restricts human rights globally, according to a parliamentary group. Read More »

Home secretary urged not to adopt definition of ‘Islamophobia'

Posted: Sun, 09 Dec 2018

The NSS has urged the home secretary to resist calls to adopt a formal definition of 'Islamophobia' which have been put forward by a parliamentary group. Read More »

NSS asks Google to remove Indonesian app for reporting blasphemy

Posted: Thu, 06 Dec 2018

The NSS has asked Google to remove an app which enables Indonesians to report people they suspect of 'heresy' to the authorities. Read More »

NSS: religious offence-taking must not curtail free speech at BBC

Posted: Tue, 13 Nov 2018

The NSS has urged the BBC to uphold free expression and expressed concerns that new guidelines defer too much to religious sensitivities. Read More »

Pakistani court orders woman facing death for blasphemy to be freed

Posted: Wed, 31 Oct 2018

Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered the freeing of Asia Bibi, who awaited a death sentence for blasphemy for eight years. Read More »

Ireland votes to remove blasphemy from constitution

Posted: Tue, 30 Oct 2018

The NSS has welcomed Irish voters' decision to repeal the blasphemy provisions in their country's constitution. Read More »

NSS writes to Foreign Office over blasphemy case in Pakistan

Posted: Fri, 12 Oct 2018

The NSS has urged the Foreign Office to do what it can to secure the release of a woman facing execution in Pakistan for blasphemy. Read More »

Campaign to repeal Ireland’s blasphemy law launched

Posted: Wed, 26 Sep 2018

The NSS has backed a campaign to repeal Ireland's blasphemy law which is being launched on Sunday, ahead of a referendum on the subject. Read More »

Ireland set to hold blasphemy referendum on 26 October

Posted: Wed, 19 Sep 2018

The NSS has said Ireland's impending referendum on its blasphemy law should prompt "global action in defence of free speech on religion". Read More »

NSS condemns Spain’s blasphemy laws after actor detained

Posted: Thu, 13 Sep 2018

The NSS has called for Spain to abolish its blasphemy laws following the detainment of an actor accused of offending religious sentiment. Read More »

Council withdraws advert from toilet after Hindu complaints

Posted: Thu, 13 Sep 2018

The NSS has criticised a north London council for removing an advert featuring a temple from a toilet after a Hindu group complained. Read More »

NSS to host major conference on reclaiming religious freedom

Posted: Wed, 12 Sep 2018

The NSS will host a conference in May 2019 under the tagline 'reclaiming religious freedom', with prominent figures confirmed to speak. Read More »

Pakistan’s PM calls on ‘Muslim world’ to raise ‘blasphemy’ at UN

Posted: Fri, 31 Aug 2018

Pakistan's prime minister has called on "Muslim countries" to raise a coordinated objection to cartoons of Muhammad at the UN. Read More »

Hindu leader calls on Italian brewery to withdraw “inappropriate” beer

Posted: Thu, 26 Jul 2018

The NSS has warned of the need to resist "a competitive offence-taking culture" after a Hindu group asked a brewery to withdraw a beer. Read More »

Brewery: we took down Saudi flag from pubs to avoid offence

Posted: Fri, 29 Jun 2018

A brewery has told the NSS that it told thousands of pubs to remove Saudi Arabia's flag from World Cup displays to avoid causing offence. Read More »

NSS: Irish referendum should prompt “celebration of free speech”

Posted: Thu, 21 Jun 2018

The NSS has said Ireland's upcoming referendum on blasphemy should "prompt a debate about celebrating free speech as a positive value". Read More »

JCHR: “confusion and complexity” restricting campus free speech

Posted: Wed, 28 Mar 2018

A parliamentary committee has said critics of religion are among those whose free speech is most likely to be restricted at universities. Read More »

NSS welcomes repeal of Offensive Behaviour at Football Act

Posted: Tue, 20 Mar 2018

The NSS has welcomed the repeal of a Scottish law which restricted football fans' freedom of expression on religion in an attempt to tackle sectarianism. Read More »