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
Effort to repeal New Zealand blasphemy law delayed
Posted: Wed, 24 May 2017 15:19
An attempt by Labour MP Chris Hipkins to remove anti-blasphemy laws from New Zealand's statute book has failed after National Party and Maori Party MPs voted it down.
New Zealand media reported that Hipkins introduced an amendment to get rid of the country's blasphemy laws, which only came to light when Stephen Fry became the subject of a blasphemy investigation in Ireland.
Prime Minister Bill English said the country could "get rid of" the laws and that he did not know they remained in statute until the furore around the Stephen Fry case.
But his party rejected Hipkins' approach, and on Wednesday the Prime Minister said he wanted to "go through the proper process rather than just spontaneous amendments on the floor of the House."
He did add that when a bill was properly presented to the House of Representatives he expected the blasphemy law to be repealed.
Anglican Archbishop Philip Richardson has expressed his support for repealing the law.
Mr Hipkins described the delay as a "sad day for freedom of speech, tolerance and leadership".
"What moral authority does New Zealand have condemning other countries for draconian blasphemy laws when we have one of our own that we refuse to repeal?"
The president of the Humanist Society of New Zealand, Sara Passmore said the delay was a "vote against human rights" and that it showed New Zealand to have only the "illusion of a secular government".
"By refusing to remove the blasphemy law from our Crimes Act, the Government is saying we are not free to criticise and challenge all ideas. This decision was backwards, and not in line with international trends. We think people, not ideas, should be protected."
NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans said: "Any country that retains these laws is undercut when it tries to defend human rights abroad. Blasphemy laws are inimical to free speech and these laws should be removed as soon as possible. Even if they are never used they undermine the values of the countries that have them. We hope the Prime Minister is correct and that this law can be repealed very soon."
Campaigns against blasphemy laws gather steam following Ahok conviction and Fry investigation
Posted: Wed, 10 May 2017 10:24
Indonesia, Denmark and New Zealand are facing calls to repeal their blasphemy laws, following the conviction of Jakarta's former governor for blasphemy and an investigation into Stephen Fry.
Former Governor Ahok was sentenced to two years in jail, a much more severe sentence than was expected, after he quoted from the Koran and was accused of insulting it. There have been angry protests against him throughout the trial. Police estimated that 15,000 attended a protest against him in March, but the true figure could be much higher.
Following his conviction and sentencing there have been complaints from Islamists that it was too lenient.
Amnesty International said the verdict "demonstrates the inherent injustice of Indonesia's blasphemy law, which should be repealed immediately.
"Despite protests of his innocence and evidence that his words were manipulated for political purposes, he has been sentenced to two years in jail. The verdict will tarnish Indonesia's reputation as a tolerant nation."
Ahok has said that he will appeal against the sentence.
NSS communications officer Benjamin Jones commented: "This grim ruling should shame those democratic countries which still retain blasphemy laws.
"This week Ireland has dropped a criminal investigation into Stephen Fry for blasphemy, but Ahok had no such luck. If his appeal is unsuccessful he will spend the next two years in prison. How can Ireland speak out against this appalling human rights violation while it has similar legislation?"
Following the news of the investigation, media in New Zealand reported that public figures there were "surprised" to learn that the country still had a blasphemy law, although it has not been used in almost a century.
Both Prime Minister Bill English and Anglican Archbishop Philip Richardson have called for the law to be repealed. The Prime Minister said he believed the law had only ever been used once, and said blasphemy laws were "not a good idea."
He said that New Zealanders would be "taken aback" if their authorities made the same choice as Gardaí in Ireland did to actually investigate a case.
And campaigners in Denmark are circulating a petition to secularist and human rights organisations around the world to drum up international support for their campaign against Danish blasphemy laws.
Danish law punishes "Any person who, in public, ridicules or insults the dogmas or worship of any lawfully existing religious community" with a fine or even a prison sentence of four months.
The petition says that "Denmark's blasphemy ban is manifestly inconsistent with Denmark's tradition for frank and open debate, and puts Denmark in the same category as many illiberal states where blasphemy laws are being used to silence dissent and persecute minorities."
It draws attention to the case of a man prosecuted earlier this year for burning a Koran, the first prosecution under the law since 1971.
The National Secular Society, which played a crucial role in abolishing blasphemy legislation in England and Wales, is a signatory to the petition.
