Newsline 15 May 2015

Government’s anti-extremism plans will have 'chilling effect' on free speech

News | Thu, 14th May 2015

The National Secular Society has expressed concern at the Government's new proposals to challenge extremism and radicalisation.

Home Secretary Theresa May has announced renewed plans to introduce "extremism disruption orders" that would target those spreading extremist ideology.

David Cameron said: "For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone."

The Guardian reported in 2014 that the EDOs, then blocked by the Liberal Democrats under the Coalition Government, would include "a ban on broadcasting and a requirement to submit to the police in advance any proposed publication on the web, social media or in print."

NSS executive director Keith Porteous Wood commented: "The Government should have every tool possible to tackle extremism and terrorism, but there is a huge arsenal of laws already in place and a much better case needs to be made for introducing draconian measures such as Extremism Disruption Orders, which are almost unchallengeable and deprive individuals of their liberties."

The NSS is concerned that the plans are currently very vague, and would have a chilling effect on free speech. The Society is calling for a stronger civil society response to counter extremism, and is critical of an approach that relies too much on new legislation.

The Christian Institute also criticised the proposed "Extremism Disruption Orders". Simon Calvert, spokesperson for the Christian Institute, said: "While everyone applauds the principle of tackling Islamic extremism, comments by David Cameron and other senior members of the Government suggest EDO's will exceed even Labour's notorious religious hatred Bill or Section 5 of the Public Order Act."

The NSS and the Christian Institute worked together, along with other civil liberties organisations to defeat the then-Labour Government's proposals to criminalise "deliberately insulting a religion."

Mr Calvert continued: "Last year the Government was forced to back down on proposals to outlaw 'being annoying in a public place'. Now it looks like they are returning to their theme with a vengeance.

"The Christian Institute warns the Government not to rush through these measures, but to engage with groups with a track record of defending free speech.

"In the current climate, there is a real risk that EDOs will be used to clamp down on legitimate expressions of dissent.

"If the Government does not ensure that there are adequate safeguards, then, because of the low burden of proof, it is perfectly plausible that comedians, satirists, campaign groups, religious groups, secularist groups, and even journalists could find themselves subject to these draconian measures."

A Telegraph editorial called on the Government to safeguard free speech, and argued that "In trying to protect democracy, the Government should be careful not to water down further our most precious value: freedom of expression."

The Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, was also critical of the Government's plans.

NSS joins calls for Government to recognise global discrimination against atheists- as third Bangladeshi blogger is hacked to death

News | Tue, 12th May 2015

The National Secular Society is calling on the Government to do more to tackle global discrimination against non-believers, secularists and humanists- after a third Bangladeshi secular blogger was murdered.

The writer and blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was hacked to death by a gang in broad daylight as he walked to work. His death is the latest in a spate of similar killings targeting non-religious writers.

After other bloggers were killed, Das had previously told the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU): "It seems to me I am one of the targets. I am not sure how long I will hide myself. But I am sure if they will find me they will do what they did with Mr. Avijit Roy. My life is seriously unsecured. I am not sure how can I protect myself & my family."

IHEU, with which the NSS is affiliated, said: "Ananta Bijoy Das had reached out to us at IHEU following the murders of Avijit and Washiqur. Accepting the very serious threat to this life, we advised Ananta in trying to make the difficult move out of danger. However, we have been informed that his application for a visa to travel to Sweden, under invitation from Swedish PEN, was rejected last week by the Swedish embassy in Dhaka, on the basis that he might seek to remain in Sweden."

BBC journalist John McManus tweeted that the Swedish Migration Agency denied Ananta's application on 22 April.

Swedish PEN have now called for a "credible explanation" of why the Swedish Embassy did not grant Ananta Bijoy Das a visa.

Meanwhile, the National Secular Society has raised the case of an Ex-Muslim asylum seeker of Pakistani origin with the Home Office after he contacted the NSS to express fear that his apostasy would place him at significant risk of persecution should he be returned to his country of origin. His application has so far been refused by the Home Office.

A spokesperson for the National Secular Society commented: "We rightly hear a lot of discussion about protecting religious freedom abroad, particularly about Christians persecuted in the Middle East- but the Government must do more to guarantee freedom from religion as well. Non-believers and secularists are being targeted and killed.

"We join the call from the International Humanist and Ethical Union urging the Government to 'recognise the legitimacy and sometimes the urgency and moral necessity of asylum claims made by humanists, atheists and secularists who are being persecuted for daring to express those views.'"

The Conservative Party manifesto said that a Conservative Government would defend "the freedom of people of all religions – and non-religious people – to practise their beliefs in peace and safety, for example by supporting persecuted Christians in the Middle East."

IHEU added that the killers were "assassinating writers in an attempt to terrify a nation against voicing humanist and secularist values and ideas, and to deter any criticism of religious beliefs or religious authorities. Their vile campaign of intimidation and terror must be met — not with hollow words and appeasement — but with strenuous, rigorous justice."

The killers of Md Washiqur Rahman Baby, murdered on 30 March 2015, said they were doing their "Islamic duty."

A protest demanding justice for murdered secular writers in Bangladesh will take place outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London (SW7) at 4pm on Thursday 14 May. Full details here.

You can never kill ideas: an anonymous blogger on the deaths of secularists in Bangladesh

Opinion | Thu, 14th May 2015

Following the recent wave of assassinations targeting atheist and secular writers in Bangladesh, we publish the thoughts of a British secularist of Bangladeshi origin – and his message to their murderers.

Ananda Bijoy Das was killed just two days ago in Sylhet, Bangladesh for simply saying, writing and expressing his opinions. Nothing more. His opinions may have been offensive to some; his words deemed blasphemous, but all they were, were words, his opinions, nothing more. All he did was write those words and send them into the web to be read, and if someone liked it, perhaps for it to be liked on Facebook.

He is the third blogger killed in Bangladesh in the last few months, starting with Avjit Roy in February and Washiqur Rahman in March. I feel a deep sense of despair, frustration and anger at what is happening in Bangladesh. Anger, because it is unlikely the perpetrators will ever be caught or that the Government will give these deaths the attention they deserve and because I simply still cannot understand why someone wants to kill someone else for holding a different belief. Despair, because I suspect a lot of people, Muslims and non-Muslims will simply say the bloggers bought it on themselves, thus displaying a complete lack of understanding of the idea of free speech and freedom of expression.

I am British, Bangladeshi and ex-Muslim. Mukto-Mona (Free Mind), the website all the bloggers contributed to, was and still is a favourite which I often visited to find information and support. The website takes a critical look at Islam, questions its belief system and indeed is critical of all religions and superstitions. It seeks to promote a rationalist and scientific worldview. The website's organisers and its writers are usually Atheist, or secularist coming from formerly Muslim or Hindu backgrounds, but most importantly proudly Bangladeshi or Bengali.

Observing from the safety of the UK, the website did not seem particularly controversial and of course it is not. It is a website with articles by bloggers and writers expressing their views. The writers were not renowned Professors, well known politicians or celebrities. They simply felt the need to tell anyone who would listen, why they had left Islam or were critical of Islam.

Mukto-Mona, may not have had the pedigree of Charlie Hebdo but it should now be spoken of in the same category. Its writers have been attacked and killed for exactly the same reasons as the writers and cartoonist of Charlie Hebdo- the expression of free speech. The courage to carry on despite the threats and danger to life is extra-ordinary.

Of course the big "mistake" they made and for which three of them have paid with their lives was to be openly critical of Islam and its prophet. I admit this has frightened me. I would like to write about why I left Islam, how misogynistic it is, how barbaric it is, how irrational it is and how the Quran is full of contradictions and say so in my name. But, I think I won't. I do not want to die or be attacked by lunatics. I have a family, and friends who I want to carry on living with. I would like to visit Bangladesh in safety and not have to worry that someone might have been monitoring my tweets, posts or articles and taken offence. This might seem cowardly to some and maybe it is, but I think I would rather be safe than sorry.

Bangladesh had a strong secular tradition which is now being eroded. I was always proud of the fact that Bangladesh hadn't fallen to the scourge of Islamic fundamentalism, as Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries had. I always felt the reasons for this was a strong Bengali culture which is shared with all Bengalis of whatever religion and nation- the common music, language and literature. The Bengali identity provided a strong counter-point to a purely Muslim identity and for most it was an easy mixing. But now, as in any other parts of the world, some fanatical Muslims who cannot understand any other form of identity other than the religious one and who cannot understand or contemplate any dilution in faith are gaining power and courage. These murders were carried out in broad daylight in full view of the passing public. Unless the Bangladeshi Government and indeed Politicians all over the world wake up to the fact that the non-religious are just as worthy of protection as the religious I am afraid nothing will change and any dissenting opinions of Islam will be silenced.

However I do not blame any Government or anyone for these killings except the killers themselves. They are deluded and pathetic. I want to say to the killers, 'why are you so threatened by words and speech? Is it because you simply can't win the argument, you've tried, but can't defeat logic, rationality and science. Deep down perhaps you even realise you might be wrong, but mainly you just can't win the arguments with your own words or eloquence and so resort to the weapon of choice for all Islamist bullies - violence and intimidation. Why don't you understand that today you have the power to silence us from saying what we want, but one day it could be other way around? How would you feel if you were not able to say what you wanted about your religion? Or to practice it peacefully. What if you were not able express your views about how wonderful it is, and how content it made you feel? Don't you realise you would feel robbed of the very thing that makes us human- the desire to speak openly and freely and a wish to share our ideas with others. You are denying this to us. Can't you see that you would feel bereft if the same were to happen to you?

The problem for someone like me of course is that you've won for now. I certainly will not be writing in my name. I and many others will remain anonymous, except for the few extra-ordinarily brave ones, but you should know that you can never kill ideas or change what's in people's minds.

A protest demanding justice for murdered secular writers in Bangladesh will take place today (Thursday 14 May) outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London (SW7) at 4pm. Full details here.