Democracy cannot exist without the right to free speech.
Free speech should be robustly defended as a fundamental freedom.
The National Secular Society has defended free speech from religious threats since our founding. We played an instrumental role in abolishing "blasphemy" laws in Britain, but serious concerns remain. Blasphemy laws still exist in Northern Ireland. And throughout the UK, religious fundamentalists seek to impose their blasphemy taboos on others through violence and intimidation.
There are also increasing attempts to categorise offending religious sensibilities as 'hate speech', making criticism, mockery or perceived 'insult' of religion a criminal act akin to racial hatred or inciting violence – in other words, a 'blasphemy law by the back door'.
Without free speech no search for truth is possible; without free speech no discovery of truth is useful; without free speech progress is checked… Better a thousand fold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech.
We are further concerned by a developing 'culture of offence' in which any speech or action deemed likely to offend religious sensibilities is considered taboo. Enforced by a toxic mix of terrorism and religious deference, this is chilling free speech through self-censorship.
We also campaign against blasphemy laws around the world, where they continue to be used to target religious and political minorities. These are sometimes described by UK politicians as 'misuse' of blasphemy laws, but we contend there are never any legitimate uses for blasphemy laws.
Being offended from time to time is the price we all pay for living in a free society. Rather than trying to silence those we disagree with, we believe the answer to speech we don't like is more speech – better speech.
We therefore campaign to protect and preserve freedom of expression, including offensive, critical and shocking speech.
What you can do
1. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
2. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Campaign in Egypt urges citizens to remove religion from ID Cards
Posted: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:49
In an attempt to disentangle religion and citizenship, activists in Egypt are encouraging citizens to remove their religious affiliation from their national identity cards.
The "None of Your Business" campaign is being driven by a Facebook group and a YouTube video and follows in the wake of recent violence against Coptic Christians in the country.
Organisers say the removal of religion from official documents — the most important of which is the personal ID card — is a small but important step towards ending discrimination on the basis of religion. The group's Facebook page describes the initiative as "a campaign against interference in citizens' private lives by the state".
The campaign's video was produced by Aalam Wassef, an artist, musician and blogger who made subversive online videos during the Mubarak era under the pseudonym Ahmad Sherif.
Mr Wassef told the New York Times Lede Blog: "Under Muslim Brotherhood rule, stating that your religion is your own business is a radical form of re-appropriation at a time when Islamists are posing as the sole gatekeepers of what it is to be a 'good Muslim', 'a good Christian' etc. Taking the liberty of masking your religion is, de facto, a way of challenging this imposture and discarding the threat of being called an infidel."
Many in the country recognise the importance of secularism in ensuring national unity between Coptic Christians and Muslims.
When taking office as Egypt's new president in June 2012, Mohammed Morsi pledged to follow a pluralist policy that respected the rights of women and non-Muslim minorities. However, Human Rights Watch has warned of growing religious intolerance and sectarian violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt in recent years and the rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood has alarmed many of the country's Coptic Christians who make up 10% of Egypt's 82 million population.
There has been a proliferation of prosecutions for blasphemy in Egypt in the nearly two years since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. Critics say defamation and blasphemy laws are being used by the Government to stifle dissent and limit the freedoms of religion and expression. Many of those targeted have been Copts. Last year a court sentenced Alber Saber, an atheist blogger from a Coptic Christian family, to three years in prison for blasphemy and contempt of religion.
IHEU calls for action on Bangladesh
Posted: Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:49
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.
Its call came in response to the recent demands made the Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, to hang those who insult Islam. The group also called for Bangladesh's constitution to be amended so as to prevent "the infiltration of alien cultures" and to separate men and women in public (amongst other changes). Its supporters have protested against what they said were blasphemous writings by atheist bloggers - several of whom have now been arrested on grounds that they have hurt the religious sentiments of the country's Muslim majority.
Whilst the Bangladeshi Prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has stated that her government has no intention of enacting a law against blasphemy (and the likelihood of it implementing Hefazat-e-Islam's agenda as very slim), she somewhat ominously, within the context of these recent arrests, observed that under existing laws: "If anybody tried to hurt any sentiments of any religion or any religious leader, there is a law. We can take any action."
IHEU has highlighted the serious threat to freedom of thought, expression and political opinion in Bangladesh. It has called upon all its members to express solidarity with the Bangladeshi bloggers and to institute a "coordinated, global response to defend the right to express religious criticism and secularist principles, and also to defend political activism."
Noting the American Humanist Association's call to its members and supporters to contact the US Ambassador to Bangladesh and express their concerns, IHEU has urged individuals to contact their ambassador, in order to object to the arrests, and the threat to freedom of speech those arrests represent. It points out that if a national ambassador were to receive even a small amount of correspondence on this issue, it might be sufficient to draw their attention to it as an issue to be raised as a priority with the Bangladeshi Government.
There are also online petitions that have been established, and which can be signed here.
