Date: 18th May 2019
Location: The Tower Hotel in London, St Katharine's Way, London E1W 1LD
What does "religious freedom" truly mean? While religious lobbyists commonly use terms like "religious freedom" to demand privileges, this conference will serve to highlight that true "religious freedom" means freedom of belief for people of all religions and none. The conference will also explore the limits of religious freedom when it impinges on other human rights, including bodily autonomy, equality and freedom of expression.
We also presented our Secularist of the Year 2019 award at the conference. Secularist of the Year is an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding groups and individuals advancing secularism and related human rights. The 2019 winner was Saif ul-Malook; read more here.
Videos
Stephen Evans, Opening
Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Introduction to religious freedom
Pragna Patel, Religion and the politics of causing offence: Whose freedom?
Nick Cohen, Freedom of speech and religious freedom
Joyce D'Silva, Non-stun slaughter and religious freedom
Yasmin Rehman, Religious freedom and religious orthodoxy
Sara Khan, Religious freedom and religious orthodoxy
Izzy Posen, Why God Doesn't Like Educated Kids: A Personal Account
Brian Earp, Religious Freedom, Equal Protection, and the Child's (Gender Neutral) Right to Bodily Integrity
Rachel Laser, Religious Freedom in Trump's America: Why It's Unrecognizable and How We're Fighting Back
Secularist of the Year Awards Ceremony, presented by Geoffrey Robertson QC
See the speakers' biographies (PDF, 798 Kb)
