Tags: blasphemy
Danish blasphemy law questioned by church minister
Posted: Wed, 13 Nov 2013
A Danish church minister has argued for the abolition of the country's blasphemy law saying it undermines democracy by limiting free speech, abuses human rights and no longer serves any purpose. Read More »
Ireland considers replacing blasphemy law with “religious hatred” legislation
Posted: Mon, 04 Nov 2013
The Convention set up by the Irish Government to bring the country's constitution up-to-date has recommended that the offence of blasphemy should be removed from the constitution in its current form. Read More »
Saudi Arabia: 600 lashes and 7 years for activist guilty of 'insulting Islam'
Posted: Wed, 31 Jul 2013
A Jeddah court on July 29, 2013, convicted a liberal activist of violating Saudi Arabia's anti-cybercrime law and sentenced him to 600 lashes and seven years in prison. Read More »
Human Rights First report says blasphemy law threatens Tunisia’s fledgling democracy
Posted: Thu, 09 May 2013
The American organisation Human Rights First has issued a new report that details steps the United States and Tunisian governments should take to protect freedom of expression to support Tunisia's peaceful transition to democracy. Read More »
Ninety-nine people convicted of blasphemy in Malta last year
Posted: Tue, 23 Apr 2013
99 individuals were convicted in Malta last year for "public blasphemy". This was down from 119 the year before. It is a criminal offense to utter publicly any obscene or indecent words, make obscene acts or gestures or in any other way offend public morality, propriety or decency. Read More »
IHEU calls for action on Bangladesh
Posted: Wed, 10 Apr 2013
Following the recent Islamist demands to introduce the death penalty for insulting religion in Bangladesh, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has made a call to action for all its member organisations. Read More »
Pakistani secularists condemn attacks on Christian community
Posted: Mon, 11 Mar 2013
Secularists in Pakistan have strongly condemned attacks on Christians in the country after mobs ransacked a Christian neighbourhood and torched dozens of homes over a blasphemy row in the city of Lahore. Read More »
OIC coming back with another attempt to stamp out free speech
Posted: Thu, 21 Feb 2013
Getting the go-ahead from the Cairo Islamic Summit, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been actively trying to get the "denigration of religions" recognized as a criminal offence, according to a top official. Read More »
EU Commissioner says blasphemy laws are undesirable in the EU, but it’s up to individual states to decide whether they implement them
Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2013
The EU Commissioner responsible for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, Vivianne Reding, has said that blasphemy laws and other such restrictions are not acceptable and pose a threat to free speech. Read More »
Kuwait introduces death penalty for ‘cursing God and prophets’
Posted: Wed, 12 Dec 2012
Kuwaiti MPs this week approved a law with a death penalty for Muslims who curse God, the Koran, all prophets and the wives of Islam's Prophet Mohammed. Non-Muslims who commit the same offence face a jail term of not less than 10 years, according to the bill. Read More »
New report shows widespread discrimination against people without religious belief
Posted: Wed, 12 Dec 2012
The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has produced the first report focusing on how countries around the world discriminate against non-religious people. Read More »
New study of blasphemy law around the world
Posted: Wed, 05 Dec 2012
According to a Pew Forum study released last week, 8 out of 45 European countries have blasphemy laws on their books while 35 of them have laws against the defamation of religion in general or hate speech against members of a faith. Read More »
Netherlands to scrap blasphemy law
Posted: Fri, 30 Nov 2012
The Dutch parliament has accepted a motion that will abolish the law that makes it an offence to insult God. Supporters of the motion say that they are confident that they have enough support for it to pass easily. Read More »
New calls from Islamists for international blasphemy law at UN
Posted: Thu, 01 Nov 2012
Soon after the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) announced that it had abandoned its plans to persuade the UN to impose a global blasphemy law, the Arab League has stepped in to take up the cry. Read More »
Islamic bloc abandons plans for global blasphemy law at UN
Posted: Tue, 16 Oct 2012
The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation has revealed that it has abandoned plans to introduce a global blasphemy law through the United Nations. Read More »
Secularist students kicked out of Freshers’ Fayre for offending Muslims with pineapple labelled Mohammed
Posted: Thu, 04 Oct 2012
Students from the University of Reading Atheist, Humanist, and Secularist Society (RAHS) were forced to leave the Freshers' Fayre this week after they labelled a pineapple "Mohammed" and put it on their stall. Read More »
Blasphemy charge over Facebook page that mocked monk – sign the petition
Posted: Fri, 28 Sep 2012
A man in Greece has been charged with blasphemy after he made fun of a revered monk on his Facebook page. It is thought the arrest was brought due to agitation from the right-wing Golden Dawn political party.
Police allege the unnamed 27-year-old set up a Facebook... Read More »
UK signs agreement on “religious freedom” with OIC
Posted: Thu, 27 Sep 2012
Concerns have been raised by the National Secular Society that the UK's stance on free speech could be compromised by an agreement signed at the United Nations between this country and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC). Read More »
Council of Ex-Muslims: Islam documentary must be shown
Posted: Sat, 15 Sep 2012
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) is calling for Tom Holland's Channel 4 documentary Islam: The Untold Story to have a repeat showing, after the broadcaster cancelled it following threats and menaces from Islamists. Read More »
More religious censorship from advertising watchdog
Posted: Fri, 17 Aug 2012
The Advertising Standards Authority is once again acting as blasphemy-finder-in-chief as it bans yet another advertisement that it has decided is "likely to cause serious offence" – this time to Sikhs. Read More »
