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
‘Islamophobia’ used to shut down debate, says government
Posted: Tue, 16 Nov 2021 16:31
The government has warned that the term 'Islamophobia' has been used to silence different viewpoints during a House of Lords debate.
Stephen Greenhalgh (pictured), minister of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said 'Islamophobia" has been used as a "heckler's veto to shut down alternative opinions".
The warning came in response to an oral question from Mohamed Sheikh about the government's position on adopting a formal definition of Islamophobia.
The minister said the government "utterly condemned the prejudice, discrimination and hatred directed towards British Muslims due to their faith", but criticised definitions of Islamophobia that conflate anti-Muslim hatred with race and fail to deal with issues around sectarianism.
"We need to come up with a way forward that does not compromise free speech, and that is absolutely what we are committed to doing," said the minister.
Speaking during the debate Claire Fox warned that the concept of Islamophobia was "muting any criticism of Islam as a religion and Islamism as a political ideology". She pointed to the "nervousness of politicians from all parties in supporting the Batley Grammar School teacher who was forced into hiding" and cautioned that accusations of 'Islamophobia' were "effectively allowing a default blasphemy law to be snuck in".
Greenhalgh agreed that the term was being weaponised by particular groups to undermine free speech.
The minister accepted that 45% of religiously motivated hate crimes were against Muslims and said the government had provided £4m of funding to the anti-Muslim hate monitor Tell MAMA over the last five years. £1.8m was also provided through the Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant scheme to support established community groups and civil society organisations.
In June, the government rejected a definition proposed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, saying it was "not in line with the Equality Act 2010 and would have severe consequences for freedom of speech".
The definition has however been adopted by the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Scottish National Party and a number of local authorities.
National Secular Society chief executive Stephen Evans welcomed the government's cautious approach to defining Islamophobia.
"Whilst we unreservedly and emphatically condemn anti-Muslim hatred, the uncritical and hasty adoption of the APPG's definition of Islamophobia has been concerning.
"Spurious allegations of Islamophobia can all too easily be deployed to shield Islam and even extremists from criticism. Formalising the current definition therefore risks further chilling necessary debate around Islam and public policy. Not only does this impinge on free speech, but it also risks undermining social cohesion and efforts to tackle Islamist extremism".
Death sentence for apostasy in nearly a dozen countries, report says
Posted: Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:52
Apostasy is punishable with death in nearly a dozen countries, according to a new report from Humanists International.
The Freedom of Thought Report 2021 found that "apostasy" is punishable with death in at least ten countries; Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Pakistan does not have a death sentence for "apostasy", but it does for "blasphemy", and the threshold for blasphemy is low. So in effect, there is a death penalty for expressing atheism or converting religion in at least 11 countries, of which all are Muslim-majority.
This year's edition of the report, released today, also found that apostasy is a criminal offence in 17 countries. Blasphemy remains punishable in 83 countries, of which the death penalty may be applied in six.
Worst performing countries
The report, which focuses on the rights, legal status and discrimination against humanists, atheists, and the non-religious, has a key countries section whereby some of the best and worst performing countries are analysed. Afghanistan, now wholly governed by a Sunni Islamist fundamentalist group, the Taliban, was the worst on the list.
The report concluded that small communities of religious minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Ahmadi Muslims, and Baha'is experienced egregious human rights violations and remained endangered, without the ability to observe their faith publicly. It also mentioned the killings of nine ethnic Hazara (who are predominately Shia Muslims) men and the unconfirmed killing of two atheists, with a further four missing.
Women in Afghanistan have also faced the brunt of the new Taliban regime according to the findings, with beatings imposed on those who fail to wear hijab 'correctly'. Unmarried and widowed women from the ages of 15 and 45 are also threatened with forced marriages and sexual enslavement to Taliban fighters. The Taliban regime also announced that women would not be able to work or attend university until it was it was possible to ensure the segregation of the sexes in an "Islamic environment".
Watch List
Other notable countries on a Watch List that Humanists International was closely monitoring include:
• Iran, which executes dozens of individuals on charges of "enmity against God" (moharebeh). Soheil Arabi, who the National Secular Society has campaigned for to be released, has been imprisoned for long periods on these grounds.
• Pakistan, which has suffered chronic violence against religious and non-religious minorities, with Shia Muslims subjected to most of it. Extremely serious incidents against the Ahmadi Muslim and Christian community have also been reported.
• Saudi Arabia, which mostly does not allow religious expression in the country other than their fundamentalist brand of Sunni Islam. Moreover, the country has notably spent over $1bn in hosting and investing in sports events ('sportswashing') to mask its extremely poor human rights issues.
Other key findings
The report also concludes that 39 countries across the globe have state religions, of which 35 derive legislation (wholly or partly) from religious law. In addition, the use of religious courts on family or moral matters exists in 19 countries.
The provision of mandatory religious instruction in state-funded schools without a secular or humanist alternative exists in 33 countries.
Comments
National Secular Society chief executive, Stephen Evans, said: "This report again highlights the grave implications for human rights when states are governed along religious lines.
"Wherever religion dominates political and public life, the rights of women, LGBT people, apostates, nonreligious people and religious minorities are threatened. As the report demonstrates, this situation is still all too common in the modern world."
President of Humanists International, Andrew Copson, said the "discrimination which humanists and other non-religious people continue to face as a result of daring to express their beliefs and to try to live according to their conscience" made for "grim reading".
UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, welcomed the publication for recording the experiences of "not just humanists and the non-religious globally, but also those are deeply religious yet are dissenters".
