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News, Blogs & Opinion
Denmark bans religious slaughterNews | Fri, 14th Feb 2014 Denmark's Agriculture and Food Minister Dan Jørgensen has signed into law a regulation that bans religious slaughter of animals. European Union regulations require stunning before slaughter, but permit member states to allow exemptions for religious slaughter. Under the new law, Danish slaughterhouses will no longer be able to apply for an exemption to pre-stunning. The move has been opposed by Jewish and Muslim religious leaders in Denmark, who have argued that the ban constitutes an infringement of religious freedom. However, defending the government's decision, Mr Jørgensen told Denmark's TV2 television that "animal rights come before religion". Denmark is a major exporter of Halal meat to the Arab world and Halal food is widely available throughout the country. Revelations last year that Danes were being served unlabelled meat from Islamic slaughter at public institutions triggered a nationwide debate on the practice of religious slaughter – and how far Denmark should go to accommodate the estimated 250,000 Muslims living in the country. According to the World Jewish Congress, the ban will have little practical consequences for Jewish life in Denmark since for the past ten years all kosher meat sold in Denmark has been imported from abroad. Denmark joins a growing list of countries, including Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland, where religious slaughter is prohibited. Earlier this year the National Secular Society backed renewed calls from the RSPCA and other animal welfare organisations for an end to the religious exemption that allows farm animals to be slaughtered without prior stunning. In 2013, the coalition government said it would not remove the exemption despite "strong pressure" from welfare groups, veterinary interests and the public for a prohibition on all slaughter without stunning. | |
Newcastle Council gives church-goers parking permit at a nominal feeNews | Tue, 18th Feb 2014 Newcastle City Council has announced that it will not proceed with its plan to completely withdraw free Sunday parking permits from churches in the city centre. Instead, worshippers will now be charged a nominal annual fee of £20, "to cover administration" while parking charges for everyone else will be raised substantially to bring in an estimated extra £500,000. Churches had originally been told that the free parking scheme would end in March 2014 but since then the council has met with church leaders to negotiate the nominal fee. Newcastle Council is making swinging cuts in all other areas of its services, including those for children and the elderly. Libraries, museums, art venues and leisure facilities are also being cut as the Council struggles to save £100 million. Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "Although this privilege won't make a huge amount of difference to the savings that Newcastle is being forced to make, it is still discrimination against every other motorist in the City who has to pay the full cost of parking. "Many people consider their own Sunday morning activities – whether it is visiting relatives, going to the cinema or out for a meal - to be just as valid as going to church, but they have no alternative but to pay the new inflated costs of parking. "Treating church-goers more favorably than everyone else is discrimination pure and simple". | |
French Islamists seek to use blasphemy law to silence criticsNews | Tue, 18th Feb 2014 French Islamists are suing the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for blasphemy after it published a front cover carrying the slogan "The Koran is crap, it doesn't stop bullets". Taking advantage of the existence of the crime of "blasphemy" uniquely available in the Alsace-Moselle region - it no longer exists in the rest of French common law – The League of Judicial Defence of Muslims (LDJM), led by the former lawyer Karim Achoui, has brought the case against Charlie Hebdo to the Criminal Court in Alsace-Moselle's capital, Strasbourg. The hearing is set for 7 April. Alsace-Moselle was annexed by Germany in 1871 and 1940-45 and retained part of the old German code when it returned to France. One complication is that the Alsatian blasphemy law does not recognise Islam, covering only Catholicism, three forms of Protestantism and Judaism. This test case will decide whether the law can be widened to include Islam. In the rest of France the crime of blasphemy has not existed since the Revolution. It was removed from the French law by Articles 10 and 11 of the Declaration of Human Rights and the Citizen of 1789, before being reinstated under the Restoration and again permanently deleted by the law of 29 July 1881 on freedom of the press. From the point of view of French common law, a caricature, even one perceived as 'disrespectful', cannot be blasphemous. But France does have racial and religious hatred laws that are intended to protect only individuals. French courts will consider cases that cause "injury, personal and direct attack against a group of people because of their religious affiliation" or incitement to racial or religious hatred in cases involving defamation of individuals. "The distinction may seem subtle, but it is fundamental, it is the citizen that the republic protects, not belief" says Hubert Lesaffre, doctor of public law, in an article published by Liberation newspaper. Undeterred by the absence of a blasphemy law in the rest of France, the LDJM is also trying to prosecute Charlie Hebdo in a Paris court for "provocation and incitement to hatred on the basis of religious affiliation and insult". The Tribunal of First Instance in Paris will decide whether the case can proceed. Article 166 of the Alsace -Moselle penal code - inherited from the German legislation - relating to blasphemy states:
Eric Sander, Secretary General of the Institute of Alsace-Moselle, told Le Monde newspaper that local law states that "any religion, statutory or otherwise, can invoke Article 166 of the local penal code which is independent of system of worship". Asked in 2006 about whether the provisions of local Alsatian law "apply to all religious beliefs or only to legally recognised religions", the Ministry of the Interior had stated that "the implementation and determination of the scope application of [Article 166], in particular as regards the extension to non- recognised religions... is at the discretion of the judge". The last case brought under this law was in 1918. Another hearing has also been set for the 7 April, this time in the southern town of Nîmes, in a case against former decentralisation minister Claude Goasguen. He has been accused of "offending the honour and dignity of the Muslim community", in the words of lawyer Khadija Aoudia, acting for one of France's two major Muslim associations, the CFCM. Mr Goasguen, speaking at a gala organised by a pro-Israel group, KKL, claimed that the history of the Holocaust could no longer be taught in French schools "because people are so scared of the reaction of young Muslims who have been drugged in the mosques". Although the event took place in Paris, it was broadcast on television and the internet, thus allowing the CFCM's Abdallah Zekri to bring the case in Nîmes where he lives. Claiming that the "Muslim community" is "always ready to denounce anti-Semitic acts", Aoudia said that media coverage of Goasguen's remarks "feed Islamophobia and create a strong feeling of rejection". However, at a recent "Day of Rage" demonstration in Paris –which brought together Catholic fundamentalists, far-right groups and supporters of comedian Dieudonné, some of whom are young Muslims – anti-Semitic slogans were chanted. In yet another case, Minister of the Interior Manuel Valls is targeted. A petition has been filed with the Court of Justice of the Republic for "provocation to discrimination and hatred". The complaint is in response to remarks made by the Minister 19 August 2013 in which he said "within the next ten years, we need to demonstrate that Islam is compatible with democracy". | |
Australia shows the way in removing evangelists from schoolsOpinion | Thu, 20th Feb 2014 With widespread apathy about what passes for religious education in schools, our classrooms are increasingly being used by religious groups to carry out their missionary work. Terry Sanderson explains how Australian parents have led the way in removing evangelists from schools. Last year the National Secular Society published a report about the incursion of dubious and extreme religious groups into schools. We made the point that some of these groups are not really concerned with giving a rounded education about religion, but are more interested proselytising and seeking converts for their own brand of Christianity. School heads seem complacent about it, even grateful to these groups for helping them fulfil a legal requirement to provide religious education and worship that their own teachers are unable or unwilling to undertake. We complained to the Department for Education and sent them the evidence we had gathered. Their response was equally unconcerned, even vaguely approving of the idea of these evangelists using schools as a platform for their message. It appears that religious enthusiasts of all stripes can have free access to our schools if they are determined enough. All they need do is offer their services, which are often attractive and apparently skilled. Similar concern about the infiltration of schools has been raised in other parts of the world. In Ireland recently, a rather extreme Catholic group called Pure in Heart, with a message about abstinence, the undesirability of masturbation and the evils of contraception went into a school and taped up the hands of pupils to demonstrate something or other about the evils of extra-marital sex. Since the controversy, the Pure in Heart website has been taken down for "a facelift". The Irish Examiner appealed in an editorial for more oversight in schools to ensure that visiting groups weren't overstepping the mark. We made a similar appeal to Michael Gove but he will not be moved. There are signs, though, that in some parts of the world the evangelists are not given quite such a clear run to make coverts in classrooms. In the state of Victoria in Australia, an evangelical outfit called Access Ministries was appointed by the authorities in 2006 to provide in its schools "Christian Special Religious Instruction (SRI)" which Access prefers to more reassuringly call "Christian Religious Education (CRE)". From the very start it was clear to some that this was state-sponsored evangelism and proselytising in schools. As parents became aware of what was happening, the unease and resentment grew. Some parents complained after finding out that, even after they had exercised their 'opt-out' right, their children were still receiving religious education. Consequently, for the past two years, Religious Education has become "opt in". According to the Current Education Department guidelines, school principals are required to schedule "special religious instruction" classes in the school year when accredited teachers are available. Based on figures released by the Education Department, the number of state schools offering religious education has declined by almost a third in Victoria in the past two years. Statistics show about 666 state schools offered religious education in 2013 compared to 940 schools in 2011. There were 130,100 students who got religious education in 2011 while only 92,808 students in 2013. One principal, Joe Kelly, of Cranbourne South Primary School, who has suspended the classes with Access Ministries, said: "It is not education… It has no value whatsoever. It is rubbish – hollow and empty rhetoric … My school teachers are committed to teaching children, not indoctrinating them." A spokesperson for the Atheist Foundation said: "We encourage all other school principals to put the education of our children above the attempts to indoctrinate them via the promotion of one particular faith based belief system. This thinly veiled pseudo-curriculum has already been systematically reviewed and exposed for what it really is." Professor Marion Maddox, a leading authority on the intersection of religion and politics in Australia and Director of Macquarie University's Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, concluded: "The tone of ACCESS materials is unequivocally evangelical, not only in that it relentlessly pushes the participating students towards cultivating an individual faith but, perhaps more importantly, in that a person participating in the ACCESS program would come away with the idea that Christians believe that being (or becoming) a Christian is the only acceptable life choice. "Moreover, proselytising may occur not merely between religions but between different branches of a single religion. Despite occasional warnings in the teachers' books to have regard to Christian diversity, 'Religion in Life' continuously presents a single, evangelical, literalist version of Christianity. My conclusion is that 'Religion in Life' would, intentionally or not, have the effect of conveying to non-evangelical Christian students that their version of Christianity was inadequate and that they should abandon it and adopt the 'Religion in Life' version." Dr David Zyngier, Senior Lecturer in Curriculum & Pedagogy at Monash University included in his evaluation: "Students across all the student workbooks are not being challenged to think independently as the vast majority of student tasks are based on what we in the profession call busy work. "Moreover there does not seem to be any logical selection and sequencing of the content, nor is the content broken down into manageable instructional units based on students' cognitive capabilities. The related instructional delivery in the Instructor's Manual also does not appear to support clear sequencing, clear descriptions and demonstrations of skills to be acquired, nor are the student activities followed by practice and timely feedback – the essence of good pedagogical practice which should focus initially on high levels of teacher involvement." And further reassuring news comes from New Zealand where a primary school in Auckland has removed religious education from its curriculum after several parents complained to the Human Rights Commission. St. Heliers School was accused of discriminating against non-Christian families by teaching religious classes to all students. The school sent a letter to parents telling them it would remove the religious classes within regular school hours. Religious education will still be offered in the school but only after normal class hours. So, it can be done. But the lesson of these cases is that the initiative has to come from the parents. Only if they make their concerns and anger known will the Government listen, otherwise the evangelists have a free hand. As things stand at present in Britain, the widespread apathy about what goes on in schools in relation to religious education stands in the way of any barriers being put up. Even if the law did not compel schools to teach religious education, there seems to be a general feeling among headteachers, as well as the Government, that any religion is better than no religion. Obviously, that is not an opinion that we share. We have provided the bullet in the form of our Evangelism in Schools report. But it is up to parents to fire it. Read our report on the activities of evangelical organisations in state schools: | |
Secular or bustOpinion | Tue, 18th Feb 2014 Reflecting on the extremist wings of Pakistani politics and ideology, Kunwar Khuldune Shahid describes the dire need for Pakistan to place the secular narrative at the centre of its political agenda and mainstream media. Before Pierre Gassendi gave Epicureanism a new life in the 17th century, the teachings of Epicurus had been relentlessly misinterpreted – and hence shunned – for nearly two millennia. Epicureanism had been misapprehended as atheism and propagated as such. Dante's Divine Comedy threw Epicureans in the sixth circle of hell, while those who shared the beliefs of Epicurus had no place in Mishnah's afterlife either. This was because Epicureans were perceived as 'heretics' and 'non-believers', even though they were – like Epicurus himself – merely deists who propagated the concept of "neutral gods" that do not influence the laws of nature and hence, do not interfere with human lives. Peddling any form of theism that differs from orthodox religion's idea, as atheism, historically kept the church's stranglehold over the state. In Pakistan secularists have been suffering the fate of Epicureans since the country's inception. People like Maulana Maudoodi, the founding father of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), and a staunch opponent of Pakistan's creation, dubbed secularism as "atheism" or "irreligion". Even though all secularism asks for is state neutrality on matters of belief, where everyone is free to practice their religious rituals as long as they do not breach another person's individual liberty and basic human rights. Secularism merely propagates – as reiterated by Epicurus around 307 BC – the separation of religion and state, and not the dissolution of religion per se. Since Epicurus's God was neutral and didn't interfere in human lives, Epicureans condemning the interference of religion in personal life was its logical corollary. And of course, it's not quite as simple as it sounds. Secularism has been touted by some quarters as the solution to Pakistan's multi-pronged problem for as long as the country has existed. However, it has never been more pivotal, with sectarianism and religious extremism redefining the quintessence of Pakistan by reaching their respective nadirs on a daily basis as manifested by the TTP orchestrated blasts in Bannu and Rawalpindi. With the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their blood brothers Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) using their religious zeal to wreak havoc in the country, shelving religion as a political tool has become the need of the hour. On the face of it, the TTP's demand of implementing the Shariah in Pakistan falls perfectly in line with the 1973 Constitution's Preamble, according to which Islam is the state religion and Allah has the sovereignty. And so it's ironic that a group so often accused of breaching the constitution is actually the most fervent proponent of its founding principle. The fact that when TTP's passion spills over the blood of Pakistanis also spills over, is in synchrony with the ideology that they propagate, contrary to popular belief. From attacking Malala Yousafzai to orchestrating suicide bombings, the Taliban defend every single one of their heinous crimes through religious scriptures and historical precedents, as current TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid and his predecessor Ehsanullah Ehsan have regularly reiterated. Dubbing it as misinterpretation on the Taliban's part is as convenient as it is dangerous considering that it's a direct case of "my interpretation versus yours", with the only difference being that the TTP's interpretation endeavours to recreate 7th century Arabia as accurately as possible. Which 'version' of religion is correct, becomes a redundant question when one particular 'version' has taken up arms against every other 'version'. The question of safeguarding the lives of "the others" from the menace of this particular 'version' thence becomes the most pertinent question, with the answer simply being: secularisation. There is a need to understand that no religion envisions an ideal pluralistic society. For the biggest selling point of every religion is the superiority of its followers which in turn is taken care of by incorporating their authority through laws emanating from religious scriptures. Fighting over which 'version' is accurate can only be a relevant exercise, where all 'versions' are guaranteed basic human rights. Which again, is only workable in a secular society. When you disseminate terms like 'Islamic republic', 'Islamic democracy', 'Islamic socialism', 'Moderate Islam' or any such oxymoron as a part of your political ideology, you're creating room for all 'versions' of the religion to become stakeholders, with the most dangerous becoming usurpers through sheer clout. By separating religion from the state you put human rights at the forefront of everything with any violation, regardless or its religious or cultural motivations, becoming a punishable offence. Whenever religion and basic human rights end up being at odds – as they quite often do – it's the latter that is given precedence in a secular state. There's a need to comprehend the fact that the question of Pakistan's future is now a binary one. It's either the Taliban ideology that shall rule the roost or it's going to be a secular one. For any attempt to find "middle ground" would inadvertently leads towards the former. It's simply either Talibanisation or secularisation. The only reason that some quarters in Pakistan are actually mulling over making barefaced terrorists like the TTP as stakeholders in government is owing to the fact that carrying religion on your sleeve or even shoving it down others' throat garners popularity. And so in a country where religion can be used — rightly or wrongly — to subjugate human beings owing to their identity; to defend chopping off heads; and to decide who can and can't read any particular scriptures, accurate depiction of secularism obviously becomes crucial. Just like Epicureanism, secularism doesn't deny the existence of a deity or endeavour to create a state sans religion. All it vies to formulate is a society where all citizens are equal regardless of who they worship or don't; regardless of which historical figures they respect or don't and regardless of what they believe in and what they don't. There is a dire need to put this rather simple narrative in the mainstream media. Kunwar Khuldune Shahid is a writer and social commentator based in Pakistan. His blog piece originally appeared on the The Friday Times website and is reproduced here with kind permission. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the NSS. | |
Trust in religion falls in PolandNews | Thu, 20th Feb 2014 An opinion poll in Poland shows that trust and attachment to the Catholic Church is falling, despite the new Pope. The survey, conducted by the CBOS polling agency in Warsaw, showed that 74% of Poles think that religion is not always the source of morality and people should follow their own conscience first. Poland's reputation as the most Catholic country in Europe – where the church claims that 95% of country's 38 million inhabitants are baptised – takes a knock as 41% said they thought that there is no direct link between religion and morality. In 2009 that figure was 33%. When asked if religion was the only source of morality, only 16% answered in the affirmative. In 2009 it was 24%. Commenting on the results, Tadeusz Bartos, professor of philosophy at the Humanistic Academy in Pultusk, said that people were trusting their own consciences above what the Church taught because "the moral teaching of the Catholic Church seems to be paralysing the individual's choices." Recent controversies over IVF, civil unions and public funding for the church are weakening the Church's stranglehold on the state. The poll shows that young Poles, too, are becoming increasingly hostile to the Church. Bishops blame negative media reporting, saying that the Church is presented as "backward and immobile" because of its attitudes to gay people, contraception and abortion. Recent cases of child abuse by clerics has also turned many people away from the Church. | |
Tickets on sale now for Secularist of the Year 2014News | Thu, 30th Jan 2014 The shortlist has been announced for this year's Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year. The award is presented annually in recognition of an individual or an organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the secular cause. Nominations for Secularist of the Year are made by members and supporters of the National Secular Society; the shortlist and eventual winner is chosen by the NSS Council – along with Dr Michael Irwin, the sponsor of the award. This year's prize will be presented by Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kerry McCarthy MP, at a lunchtime event in central London on Saturday 29 March. This year's shortlist for the award is as follows: Nick Cohen – for his eloquent and passionate defence of free speech and for consistently standing up for secularist principles in the media. An example of which can be found here. Jem Henderson – for standing up for the rights of all Girlguides, to take the new secular oath after guide leaders refused to drop God from the promise. One person who nominated Jem described her as "an inspiration" and praised her "tremendous courage and integrity" when opposed in the media by powerful public figures and organisations. Safak Pavey, member of the Turkish Parliament – for consistently standing up in defence of secularism in Turkey as the Islamist-leaning Government tries to dismantle it. In 2012, she was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the US Department of State. You can read a piece by Safak on secularism here. Abhishek Phadnis and Chris Moos (jointly) – for bravely challenging Islamist groups, their own university (LSE) and Universities UK over important and fundamental issues such as free speech and gender segregation. Gita Sahgal – for her advocacy of secularism and tireless activism against fundamentalism, blasphemy laws, restrictions on free speech and violence against women. Gita was co-founder of Southall Black Sisters and Women Against Fundamentalism and more recently founded Centre for Secular Space. Dan Snow – for promoting a secular vision for the national ceremony of remembrance and challenging the Church of England's dominant role at the Cenotaph. Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, commented: "This year we have a remarkable list of nominees, all of them deserving of the £5,000 Irwin Prize. This year's occasion looks set to be a real celebration of freedom, fairness and human rights – all of which are impossible without secularism". Last year's prize was awarded to Plan UK's Girls fund in honour of Pakistani school girl and campaigner for girl's education, Malala Yousafzai. Other previous prize winners have included former MP Evan Harris, Lord Avebury, Maryam Namazie, Southall Black Sisters, Sophie in 't Veld MEP and Peter Tatchell. Tickets for this year's lunchtime event are available online, priced at £45. This includes a welcome 'Jesus & Mojito' cocktail and a three-course meal with tea and coffee. Tickets can also be purchased from the NSS office by making a cheque payable to 'National Secular Society' and sending it to NSS, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL – and please remember to indicate whether you have any special dietary requirements. |
NSS Speaks Out
We were quoted about the Church of England's ban on its gay clergy being married when the new law comes into effect next month in The Times (subscription) and Huffington Post
NSS Campaigns Manager Stephen Evans had a letter published in the Times Educational Supplement calling for education about religion to be objective and balanced, and never biased towards a specific faith. He also spoke on BBC3Counties radio, arguing for an end to the exemption that permits religious slaughter in the UK.
Quotes of the Week
"Until the Vatican is finally held to account by an organisation that has the legal authority to compel them to begin to fix what they've destroyed, corrupted, and shattered, including the lives of so many innocent children, absolutely nothing will change."
(Miranda Celeste Hale, blog)
"One of the unsung benefits of free speech is that it affords bigoted perspectives as much rope as they need to ensure their own hanging."
(Eric C. Miller, Religion Dispatches)
Essays of the Week
Why imported notions of rights can't help Afghanistan's women
(Nushin Arbabzadah, Guardian)
25 years after Rushdie we're too frightened to say we are scared
(Nick Cohen blog)
Upcoming Events
Talk: "Organised religion is the single greatest threat to human rights worldwide" By Peter Tatchell - Nottingham Secular Society
Mon, 24th Feb 2014
LGBT Humanist Association presents: Two Plays: "Darwin's Bulldog bites Soapy Sam" & "Mrs Darwin Entertains"
Wed, 26th Feb 2014
International Women's Day Conference - The Oppression & Resilience of Women
Sat, 15th Mar 2014
Council of ex-Muslims of Britain fundraiser - Marlene Dietrich – an affectionate tribute
Thu, 27th Feb 2014
Secularist of the Year Awards 2014
Sat, 29th Mar 2014
