One member of a British Columbia church wanted to use religious belief as an excuse to not join a cross guard union.

Apparently, the B.C. Labour Relations Board heard from a man from Abbotsford. The particular evangelical sect of the Abbotsford man from Plymouth Brethren Christian Church doesn’t allow socialization outside of the sect.

The union is the local Teamsters. He offered to give finances equivalent to the union dues to charity rather than join the union. The day-to-day lives of the members are highly constrained. A representative wrote to the B.C. Labour Relations Board for the man.

The letter stated, “It is our religious conviction that we cannot join or financially support an employee’s union. This request … is not based on any hard feelings toward any individual or to the Labour organization. Rather, it is based on principles that we have found in God’s Word and as upheld by our church.”

On January 29, the application for exemption was rejected. The Labour Code of B.C. stipulates the exemptions apply to preclusion from belonging due to religious belief.

David Duncan Chesman, Board Vice Chair, stated, “As the beliefs or ‘conviction’ of the church upon which the application relies have not been particularized or identified and as no explanation of their incompatibility with trade unionism has been provided, I am not satisfied that such beliefs are incompatible with trade unionism.”

In fact, the church, Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, enforces a Doctrine of Separation for its membership, which means the rest of the world and the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church community.

In other words, the application gave the believes, but the church gives explicit beliefs for public consumption and internal community enforcement. They find technology, communication, media, and schools, outside of the church community as a negative force for their world.

Socializing with anyone outside of the church is forbidden, streng verboten. The B.C. Labour Relations Board provided some exemptions to some churches in the past, but not this time.

With files from CBC News and Jason Proctor.

Photo by Benjamin Jameson on Unsplash

The television presenter Saira Khan received a number of death threats when making a public announcement: renouncement of practicing Islam.

She was a panellist for the show Loose Women. She stated that the issue for women with a Muslim-sounding name and an Asian heritage are the assumptions about them.

In addition to the death threats, she received a number of abusive troll comments online too. Her fame arose as a contestant on The Apprentice. She has been on Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Big Brother.

“I feel that by saying this as a public figure, I will no longer inadvertently confuse or unintentionally hurt others of the Muslim faith,” Khan wrote, “People assume that because we have Muslim parents we are practising Muslims, that we have read the Quran, that we fast every Ramadan, that we don’t drink, that we don’t have sex before marriage.”

Her reasons for renouncing Islam included wearing clothes against an accepted dress code, drinking alcohol, and having a boyfriend in a tryst sort of situation. She is of Pakistani heritage. She adopted a child and does not follow Islamic rules on inheritance for her daughter.

On individual Muslims, Khan clarified, “I respect people who have Islam in their lives – some are the most humble people I know… However, I don’t share their conviction. I’ve tried hard over many years, not for myself, but for my parents and the wider family.”

She bases current spiritual values on some of the Islamic upbringing and some other spiritual traditions as well. She was baffled as to how her personal choices in a faith and a lifestyle can so drastically impact the level of hatred in other people.

Khan was, in fact, “contacted by so many women in the last 24 hours documenting their fears for wanting to live their life how they wish… Whilst I like to keep things upbeat and positive, I cannot forget that I as a woman have a duty on my platform to help other women… We don’t need to look the same in order to feel each other’s pain. I feel your pain if you are hurt”

With files from BBC News.

Photo by Johannes Andersson on Unsplash

Those churches in British Columbia, as reported in some previous more in-depth articles, that have been violating public health orders may be given an injunction. An injunction sought by none other than Dr. Bonnie Henry or the Provincial Health Officer.

The basic claim is restrictions on gatherings in places of worship is justifiable in a pandemic. If people gather in places of worship for religious services, and then people get sick, then the obvious conclusion is God does not protect believers from the pandemic. If believers follow the orders, then they understand, too, the impotence of God to protect us absolutely.

It’s a sort of a catch-22 situation of losing in either direction. In particular, Henry, who I respect as a public official and an intelligent authoritative person, seeks the injunction via the B.C. Supreme Court, Henry will be there with the B.C. attorney general on Friday – tomorrow (Pacific Time, so Vancouver Time).

The orders are sought against three churches’ leaders. The churches of Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church, the Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack, and the Langley Riverside Calvary Chapel.

B.C.’s provincial health officer is seeking an injunction prohibiting gatherings by three Christian churches that are challenging her orders suspending in-person religious services.

Lawyers for Dr. Bonnie Henry and B.C.’s attorney general will be in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday seeking orders against the leaders of Langley’s Riverside Calvary Chapel, Abbotsford’s Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church and the Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack.

Pastor Lou Slagter is the head of Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church. Elder Nathan Sawatzky, Elder Brent Muxlow, Elder Pete Jansen, Lead Pastor Brent Smith, Assistant Pastor Randy Dyck, Assistant Pastor Rob Lee, and Youth Pastor Cole Smith are the pastoral leadership of the Riverside Calvary Chapel. Pastor John Koopman is the leader of the Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack.

Last week, the province applied for an injunction followed by a response to a petition by churches and some others who want to overturn the public health orders of Henry.

The claim from the court documents is the province of British Columbia is seeking a halting of elders and members from worship at places of worship for any event. The police could detain anyone on these grounds. The discussion seems to revolve around the absoluteness, or not, of the freedoms, the rights of Canadian citizens of British Columbia.

Henry issued an indefinite extension of the orders from November, 2020. This means stoppage of public events to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. The virus sets the timeline for us. Which is to say, as with many things, nature is far more in control. Our job is reduction of transmission via adaptation and vaccination.

Three pastors filed a petition on early January. These were not other faiths or the non-faithful, i.e., the secular, but the Christian in particular and coming from the Fraser Valley, not elsewhere. The petition argues for a violation of the Constitution of Canada, in terms of rights to expression and religious worship, while permitting restaurants and businesses to maintain operations.

The sole purpose is to invert the order for in-person worship, which means Zoom or recordings aren’t good enough. God needs a building and people in it; even though, he’s everywhere.

The province responded, “…no question that restrictions on gatherings to avoid transmission of (COVID-19) limit rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

The province maintains the restrictions are justified. Indeed, “Rights and freedoms under the charter are not absolute.”

If the healthcare systems and infrastructure are unable to cope with the current numbers of patients and corpses having to be dealt with because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province, then the protection of vulnerable populations – vis-à-vis health – should have protections from healthier populations.

Dr. Brian Emerson, the acting Deputy Provincial Health Officer, stated in an affidavit that the evidence shows COVID-19 spreads better in indoor settings. Those settings in which individuals may stay longer than 15 minutes.

The injunction application stipulated, “Clusters of COVID cases stemming from religious gatherings and religious activities have been noted since the onset of the pandemic globally, nationally and in British Columbia.”

Dr. Henry wrote to the pastors of the Riverside Calvary Chapel and the Free Reformed Church in December.  after she became aware of their intention to defy her orders.

Pastor John Koopman of the Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack said the “offer to consider a request from our church to reconsider your order sadly rings hollow.”

However, and contradistinction to the posturing of the pastor(s) at select churches, the documents of the court state faith leaders were widely consulted prior to the suspension of in-person religious services.

Either the pastor(s) at these select churches are a) lying about lack of knowledge, b) claiming special rights and privileges based on their interpretation of the Christian religion over and above all others, or c) are simply malicious, privileged, and stupid. B) seems the most plausible based on public statements.

Under Section 43 of the Public Health Act, the churches can request reconsideration.

The most crucial foundation here is the science about the virus and its variants, insofar as these are known to us. The experts note 18 new variants known detected in the U.K. and in B.C.

The injunction application said, “By contrast, the Attorney General and Provincial Health Officer have provided evidence that transmission occurs in social settings … that there is evidence from British Columbia, Canada and around the world of transmission in gatherings, and in particular, religious gatherings.”

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is representing the churches with their lawyer, Marty Moore, who wrote:

Our clients continue to diligently implement health guidelines and protocols to minimize any risk of COVID transmission, and will be providing the court with evidence attesting to the safety of their services

The actions of the government to seek an injunction against these three churches who have brought a petition for judicial review of the public health orders does not appear to reflect a genuine effort to advance public health concerns. 

Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson will hear an application for an intervening through the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA), which is a Christian advocacy group on the political level. ARPA represents reformed Christians – 165 in the country and 28 in B.C.

Their application stated, “The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the practice of in-person public worship (including celebrating communion) has been the top issue of concern for ARPA Canada’s constituency since March 2020… That constituency has been profoundly impacted by the orders under review in this proceeding — likely more so than certain other religious groups.”

With files from CBC News.

Photo by Aditya Chinchure on Unsplash

‘Ayaz Nizami’(Facebook, Twitter)^[1] ‘Allama Ayaz Nizami’^[2] is a pen name or a pseudonym for Pakistani humanist Abdul Waheed who was charged with blasphemy on March 24, 2017.^[3] He was charged with others. ‘Nizami’/Waheed had more than 12,000 followers on social media by most reports (probably, not Facebook).^[4]

Where, Waheed’s Facebook profile lists residence in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, with a small following of 337 people. It raises questions as to the legitimacy of claims of the threat of Waheed to the State of Pakistan.

This battle has been brewing in a number of countries with flaring in Pakistan in the 2010s against the secular and freethinker community. It’s a one-sided war with the majority of the religious population, the police, the State, the theocrats, and the legal system looking to crush, silence, and kill freethinkers.

It’s based on fear with attempts at control, where, when straight fear of loss of a connection to God or Allah through the corruption of the soul via ‘blasphemy’ fails as a psychological and social control mechanism, the State comes in to enforce ideological control through suppression of dissenters.

That’s why Waheed had to write as ‘Allama Ayaz Nizami’ or ‘Ayaz Nizami.’ As we have all seen internationally, there are continual claims to murder or otherwise harm freethinkers. It’s no mystery.

There’s a fear for livelihood or simply evading jail-time on ridiculous religious charges. Waheed has been referenced in a number of popular and obscure media over the last years between 2017 and 2020.^[5]

The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) of Pakistan, as reported in “Blasphemy crackdown: FIA arrests 2 suspects from Karachi,”^[6] arrested Waheed and others. It stated:

According to FIA sources the arrested, Ayaz Nizami alias Abdul Waheed and Rana Nauman, have admitted to having contacts in Holland, USA, UK and Canada from where they got financial and technical assistance.

The suspects were using a Dutch SIM for uploading blasphemous content on WhatsApp. Cyber Crime Circle Islamabad has registered an FIR under section 7/17.

Both the suspects used to upload blasphemous content on various, reports claim.

The crackdown has been launched on strict instructions of Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar.

Furthermore, Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddique^[7] has also issued orders to take immediate action against social media blasphemers.

I may be one of the Canadian contacts or the Canadian contact based on the correspondence and the efforts to collaborate via an interview to get Waheed’s views out to more audiences. I provided zero financial or technical assistance. Therefore, on the Canadian claim to “financial and technical assistance,” it’s a State lie.

Ironically, the Pakistani authorities have made more press for Waheed & company’s case than ever dreamed for the international secular communities. His and a number of others’ cases have exploded into the international rights scene.

Nonetheless, these orders from 2017 were newer because of the absurd nature of online blasphemy. They exist in cyberspace, not Pakistani territorial space. Yet, as will be discussed, these charges against Waheed and others eventuated in death penalties, as I have been urging for more coverage because of the urgency of impending death with more than 1,400 days in jail.^[8]

Waheed is a religious scholar. His specialties are Fiqh, Hadiths, Tafsir, and their principles. He has a particularly potent admixture with expertise in the Arabic language, its grammar and terminology. He was admitted to a religious school after a regular education.

The allegations are that Waheed published translated materials critical of Islam into English from Urdu. Alyan Khan, a Pakistani political author, exposed this. Following this, the social media account material was deemed overwhelming to the sensibilities of the public, according to Pakistani authorities, and then the account was shut down.

Hurr Ali Naqvi in “When Atheism becomes Terrorism in Pakistan” said, “Aftermath of Islamabad High Court ruling on social media blasphemy proved disastrous for Pakistani atheist minority. Hundreds of ‘un-Islamic’ websites were blocked in Pakistan. Several social media pages, groups and accounts of ex Muslim [sic] atheists have also been suspended. Pakistani authorities are warning [the] public to refrain from ‘blasphemy’ in cyberspace or they could face [a] death sentence for ‘insulting’ Islam.”

He described how Waheed never stated anything disrespectful about Islam on social media, so concludes Waheed was jailed for “organizing Pakistani Atheists.”^[9][10] That’s an astute point. The issue is an organized front against the theocratic vested interests as represented by the State.

Naqvi made an important point: 40,000 Pakistanis have been killed by terrorism between 2000 and 2016.^[11] This seems to make charging and crushing freethinkers as a sideshow from the real travesty of religious fundamentalist killing of Pakistanis, religious and secular alike^[12], rather than critical words in Urdu, Arabic, or English critical of Islam online.

“Nobody in my country demands ‘public hanging’ for convicted terrorists, murderers, rapists and pedophiles but they believe that ex Muslim [sic] atheists should learn harsh ‘lessons’ for criticizing Islam. Blasphemy law is often used to victimize minorities and influential religious people use it to settle their personal matters. When someone tries to bring reforms in these controversial and inhuman laws, he also becomes the victim of Islamic extremism,” Naqvi astutely, though bluntly, noted, at the time.

If any writing needed international activism and prevention of a death, then Waheed’s is one now – no question, as my last contact was March 21, 2017, with him.^[13] We were to conduct an interview together, which never materialized with responses.^[14]

The reason for the non-materialization of the responses/answers to the interview for publication isn’t positive. Between March 24, 2017, and January 8, 2021, he was formally charged with blasphemy in Pakistan, and then, eventually, sentenced with the death penalty alongside others.^[15]

There is an international assault on the rights of freethinkers now. It’s a one-sided global war and, in the international freethinkers’ communities’ interests of self-defence, should be made two-sided as a matter of ethical necessity and existential reality.

In spite of being fellow citizens, it continues. In spite of having the same paper and proclaimed rights, it is ongoing. In spite of the declarations by national, regional, and international agencies, organizations, and leading intellectuals and human rights activists, to cease and desist in the maiming, jailing, and killing, the injustice keeps apace.

In spite of the unfairness and injustice of it, even simply violations of common decency, it doesn’t stop. In spite of the open threats of harm and violence, real ones, against freethinkers, it will not halt. Do not expect it as a matter of long-term evidenced principle, internationally, as it has not come for centuries and even recent decades increasing to an extent, the international fundamentalist communities and sympathizers have made themselves clear as their God’s purported voice in the Old Testament.

If we, the global communities of freethinkers, wish for justice and fairness in unjust and unfair circumstances, then we have to make the injustice and unfairness cost those who wish to enact them. Most of the world is a hostile place to us, not by accident, but by conscious choice, i.e., people choose to take us as a threat by mere heartbeats and brainwaves, existence.

If any State, party, or individual, wishes to make an act of human rights violation, as against Gulalai Ismail and Saba Ismail, Mubarak Bala, Zara Kay, Abdul Waheed, Sanal Edamaraku, Rishvin Ismath, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, Junaid Hafeez, Ahmed Rajib Haider, Avijit Roy, Faisal Arefin Dipan, Ananta Bijoy Das, Oyasiqur Rhaman, Niloy Chatterjee, Waleed Al-Husseini, Jaime Augusto Sánchez, Alejandro Gaviria Uribe, Miguel Lorenzo Trujillo, Álvaro Ariza and Jaquelina Ardila, Sergio David Urrego Reyes, Jesús Sánchez, Diego Hernández, Pedro Luís García, Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M.M. Kalburgi, H Farook, Alexander Aan, Mashal Khan, Aslam alias Saeen Achhu, Fauzia Ilyas, Carlos Celdran, Naomi Coleman, and countless others, then make it cost them, proportionately.

Bear in mind, some of the above-mentioned are dead now. Which is to implore, make it hurt, while only using physical violence as a last resort in self-defence: That is, make it cost them, at a minimum, something proportional to the human rights violation. If it’s a State, they hate bad international press and pressure from international rights organizations.

That’s one pressure point. Fundamentalists hate being exposed for the absurdity of the beliefs undergirding the claims to moral superiority. That’s another one. Then you can do this repeatedly, over a long period of time, proportionately escalated with their escalations until it stops. This will take coalitions, solidarity, national and international campaigns, and fervent adherence to universalist visions of the Commons.

If things are done above-board through some legitimate secular legal or human rights mechanism, then utilize the institutions and international documents inhering individuals of conscience with particular rights to freedom of expression, and freedom of belief and religion.

It will never stop until it’s forcefully drawn out into the public and made openly ridiculous and untenable, indefensible, which will require international solidarity seen in the likes of Zara Kay’s case, or Mubarak Bala.^[16]

Similarly, we have a large contingent of ex-religious organizations, including for ex-Muslims alone: “Central Council of Ex-Muslims, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, Central Committee for Ex-Muslims, Former Muslims United, Ex-Muslims Initiative, Ex-Muslims of Austria, Ex-Muslims of Switzerland, Atheist Republic formerly Orkut, Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, Council of Ex-Muslims of Singapore, Muslimish, Ex-Muslims of North America, Council of Ex-Muslims of France, Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco, Ex-Muslims of Scotland, Association of Atheism, Faith to Faithless, Humanistisch Verbond: Ex-Muslims of Norway, Atheist Alliance of the Middle East and North Africa, Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka, Ex-Muslims of Maldives, Alliance of Former Muslims, Council of Ex-Muslims of Jordan, Iranian Atheists & Agnostics, Iranian Humanist Atheists & Agnostics, Council of Ex-Muslims of New Zealand, Central Committee for Ex-Muslims of Scandinavia,” Ex-Muslims of Kerala, and many others.^[17]

There have been moves toward a unified front under the spokesperson, Halima Salat, for the International Coalition of Ex-Muslims.^[18] It’s a push out of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain web domain, which remains headed by Maryam Namazie who has been a pillar in the ex-Muslim communities for years.

Other examples include bringing the case as a question to the European Parliament.^[19] Also, Humanists International^[20] covered the case of Ayaz Nizami in “Humanists at Risk: Action Report 2020.”^[21] They stated:

Ayaz Nizami is the pseudonym of a humanist blogger currently detained in Pakistan under ‘blasphemy’ allegations. In January 2017, he was among several bloggers and activists accused of atheism or blasphemy that were forcibly disappeared, apparently by state security services.96 When they were released, some reported having been tortured in detention. Nizami and another blogger Rana Noman were accused of Highlighted Cases Ayaz Nizami spreading ‘blasphemy’ online in March 2017. While there were protests to release the ‘disappeared’ activists and bloggers, many others protested against them. Nizami’s arrest was greeted by the trending hashtag ‘#HangAyazNizami’ on social media The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom lists his case.^[22]

It’s on the humanist and freethinker radar via annual reportage. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom covered the case too, which is important coming from them because of the bipartisan and national nature of the organization. Their profile of Waheed states:

Abdul Waheed (pename [sic]: Ayaz Nizami), a Pakistani blogger, theological scholar, and member of Atheist and Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, was arrested on March 24, 2017 in his country for the crime of blasphemy and now faces the death penalty. Waheed was kidnapped by Pakistan security services.

Pakistani media reported that authroities [sic] arrested him for “uploading offensive content on social media,” linking him to sites including “realisticapproach.com, The Free Thnkrz, AAAP, truth.com, CEMB,” and describing them as “admins of the social media pages on which they were both uploading blasphemous content.” The link to his pen name (which was previously anonymous) has now been widely circulated in traditional media and online.This [sic]ensures a risk to Abdul Waheed’s life from extremists prepared to kill to settle “blasphemy” accusations.^[23]

Waheed has ample coverage from a number of internationally respected organizations. He is listed as a humanist and sits in Central Jail Rawalpindi.^[24] The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom representative for Waheed, Johnnie Moore, stated:

In Pakistan, the freedoms of religion and expression are severely restricted. Anything published or shared that is deemed blasphemous could result in imprisonment and even the death penalty. The case of Abdul Waheed, a Pakistani atheist blogger who penned his views under the alias of Ayaz Nizami, is a prime example of how Pakistan’s laws curtail these fundamental rights.

Nizami faces the death penalty for allegedly uploading blasphemous content on social media about atheism. Dozens have been murdered through mob violence and societal attacks over similar blasphemy allegations. Shortly after Nizami’s was arrested in 2017, the hashtag #hangayaznizami was trending on Twitter, reflecting the lack of tolerance fostered by the government in Pakistani society.

When this first emerged, there was a campaign wishing for his death, specifically hanging, on social media, internationally, which became #HangAyazNizami. The #hangayaznizami Twitter trend happened simultaneously alongside the campaigns in support of him with #FreeAyazNizami and #SaveAyazNizami, too.

Thus, those wishing for his death with #HangAyazNizami may get their wish in the presumed end result of the January 8, 2021 death penalty decision.^[25] For writing and the claim of blasphemy, so a religious ‘crime’ charged against a secular individual, he is a political prisoner and a secular writer.

The allegations centred on the translation of material in English to Urdu for www.realisticapproach.org critical of Islam.^[26] A website founded by him about irreligiosity. He was the Vice President of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan.^[27]

This was confirmed in correspondence with Waheed and in an interview with the President of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, Fauzia Ilyas.^[28] Ilyas noted this was the first organization for atheists, agnostics, and ex-Muslims, in Pakistan.^[29]

A nation whose religious demographics are less than 1% Buddhist, Folk Religions, Jews, Other Religions, and Unaffiliated, 1.6% Christians, and 96.5% Muslims, circa 2020.^[30]

She stated, “Ayaz Nizami was Vice President of AAAP.​ H​e is a blogger​ who​ translated materials critical of Islam in English to Urdu for publishing.​ ​Nizami founded the website realisticapproach.org, a website in Urdu about irreligon[sic].”^[31] There you have it.

Much reportage claims ‘allegedly served,’ and things like this, about serving as the Vice President of Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan. However, I have on the single best authority the fact of the matter, Fauzia Ilyas, or the President of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan.

Their Facebook page states, “We are FIRST Pakistani organization for Ex-Muslims, Atheists. Affiliated with Council of Ex-Muslims (CEMB) & The International Humanist and Ethical Union^[32].”

So, Ilyas founded Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan in 2012 with her partner. Things became heated with the founding and operations of the organization. She had to leave the country.

While, for Waheed, he was arrested for blasphemy along with three others, where three received the death penalty and one got 10 years’ imprisonment.

Ilyas explained, “When this organization was established, there was a lot of criticism, threats to life, and compromised security. We’re approached by law enforcement authorities. The blasphemy cases were initiated against me and my partner. It left us with the only option to leave Pakistan, so we left and now we’re in The Netherlands.”

All articles and encyclopedic listings can clarify the position as a past tense ownership of “Vice President of AAAP.” ‘Nizami’/Waheed was the Vice President of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, which means the first vice president of an organization of its type in a 96.5% Muslim dominated society with an in-place, active, and recently utilized blasphemy law.

Fauzia explained, “He was arrested in 2017 by the Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan because of his views and thoughts over Islam. He used to talk about equality, freedom, and fundamental rights, which is not wrong; but in a state like Pakistan, it’s a crime.”^[33]

In the interview, I raised the issue of the prominent and internationally known Ismail family – Saba Ismail (Co-Founder of Aware Girls), Gulalai Ismail^[34] (Co-Founder of Aware Girls), Mohammed Ismail (Gulalai’s and Saba’s father)^[35], and so on. Ilyas made the point: Criticism of religion isn’t a problem. Human lives are more important than religion.

“They should raise their voices in favour of those who’re in prison and taken just because of their expressions towards Islam. There’s a long list of these people. Not only Ayaz Nizami but also Junaid Hafeez and many others. So people should realize if they won’t stand up for their own rights, no one would ever realize it that how important those rights are,” Ilyas said.^[36]

We discussed the other cases of Asia Bibi, Mashal Khan, a “Christian couple… set on fire,” and the problems of Islamists and violent mobs.

Saba Ismail, one of the co-founders of Aware Girls, on ‘Nizami,’ in reaction to the judicial decision in Pakistan, said, “I condemn the decision made by the Pakistani authorities. As a humanist I demand the Pakistan authorities to set Ayaz Nizami free.”

Even a Belgian-Israeli philosopher colleague who has a specialty in metaphysics, Dr. Christian Sorensen, in an interview devoted to cases such as Mubarak Bala, Gulalai Ismail, Zara Kay, ‘Ayaz Nizami’/Abdul Waheed, and others, around the world concluded the interview declaring, “I hope that this interview, contributes at least as a grain of sand, to stirring up the indolent and lethargic consciences of human rights organizations, for the promptly liberation alive of Ayaz Nizami.”^[37]

On blasphemy laws, which is the heart of the ‘crime,’ Sorensen said:

I think that just as there are countries, that have blasphemy laws, because in practice generally follow what for me, is a kind of pantheism without explicitly recognizing it,  since everything that’s  touched, they believe that it has a divine breath, although actually, it may be  something of secular matter, and therefore, absolutely devoid of any religious nature, they’re others as counterpart, who tend to recognize themselves, as liberal and democratic, since explicitly, this countries do not have blasphemy laws, although in general, they act  like religious pantheists, and  consequently in practice, they implicitly live, according to blasphemy laws. Therefore it could be said, that in their own way,  they make freethinkers suffer, social death sentences, without giving them any chance to escape, and consequently by exerting progressive stress,  through emotional saturation,  they end up transforming them into living dead.^[38]

The reactions to the story are grounded in a narrative years in the making. In the original article published on Waheed as ‘Nizami,’ I wrote on the narrative in finding out about the further case for Waheed. It turns out. There was a significant issue facing him, which came to a life or death context for him, entirely religious against a freethinker:

… Earlier yesterday morning, in Pacific Standard Time, I saw an update via social media about an Ayaz Nizami, a blogger, or writer, jailed for blasphemy and placed into custody in an anti-terrorism cell. What is the criminal charge? Did Mr. Nizami murder someone? Did Mr. Nizami rape someone?

It seemed suspicious. The common knowledge in the educated secular community is bloggers with critiques of religion or religious patriarchs, or practices, can be killed, given lashings, or stigmatised and ostracised in their communities.

So the answer to the latter two questions: no, and no. Answer to the former query: as far as I can tell, he existed as a non-believer, especially an ex-Muslim, with self-confidence rather than acculturated diffidence and spoke out on religion and Islam, and with highly educated, scholarly authority in the relevant subject matter. It was taken as terrorism and blasphemy.

Whether or not the statements are true or not, and whether or not you’re religious or not – and especially if you’re religious take the parable of the hypocrite and the Golden Rule into account, ask, “Should someone be imprisoned on blasphemy or terrorism charges – even threatened with a hashtag hanging campaign (#HangAyazNizami) based on belief, in particular non-belief, in the public arena?”^[39]

This line of reasoning seems to hold firm to me. It inspired some other writings.^[40] Even Humanists International (formerly the International Humanist and Ethical Union, or IHEU) was able to bring part of its reportage to the United Nations General Assembly in A/HRC/36/NGO/143, they stated:

On 22 March 2017, Waheed – a blogger and theological scholar (who had published his views that Abrahamic faiths are not divine, but “a mere creation of the human brain and a bi-product of culture and civilisation in the world.”18) – was kidnapped by Pakistan security services.19 Around the same time, another blogger Rana Noman was also arrested. National media reported that two had been arrested for “uploading offensive content on social media,” linking them to sites including “realisticapproach.com, The Free Thnkrz, AAAP, truth.com, CEMB,” and describing them as “admins of the social media pages on which they were both uploading blasphemous content.”

The IHEU understands that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) may have verified the pen name and attempted to gain access to his accounts by pressuring Abdul Waheed during “interrogation”. The link to his pen name (which was previously anonymous) has now been widely circulated in traditional media and online. This ensures a risk to Abdul Waheed’s life from extremists prepared to kill to settle “blasphemy” accusations. The hashtag “#HangAyazNizami” trended on Twitter for some days after his arrest, and continues to date. Ayaz Nizami’s page on the AAAPakistan website is not currently available.^[41]

These death penalties and imprisonment charges have an intrinsic absurdity and unfairness about them. Syed Umarullah Hussaini in “ATC Hands Death Penalty To Nasir Sultani, 2 Others In Blasphemy Case” reported on the Anti-Terrorism Court on Rana Norman, and Nasir Sultani, who received the death penalty with Waheed.

A fourth individual, Professor Anwaar Ahmed, received 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 100,000. Ahmed was convicted based on Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, for “disseminating controversial and blasphemous views during a lecture at the Islamabad Model College, where he was a teacher in the Urdu department, according to Dawn.^[42] This was from the court judge, Raja Jawad Abbas, verdict.

Malik Asad in “In a first, three get death for ‘cyberspace blasphemy’” reported on this as being three men sentenced to death “for committing blasphemy in the cyberworld.”

The accused had “disseminated blasphemous material on social media, while Nasir Ahmad uploaded blasphemous videos on a YouTube channel.” That’s the interesting case, digital or cyberspace blasphemy. It’s new, apparently.

Congratulations to Islamabad ATC Judge Raja Jaawad Abbas for furthering the realm of absurdities religious law can extend and evidencing religion destroying more lives in the process, fundamentally, the legal system violated the human rights of Waheed, Noman, Sultani, and Ahmed.

The case was registered on March 19, 2017, to the Pakistani FIA, which means two days before our last contact.

The First Information Report or FIR stated, “There are several unknown people/groups disseminating/spreading blasphemous material through internet using social media i.e. Facebook, Twitter, websites, etc. through alleged profiles/pages/handles/sites etc… and several others wilfully defiled and outraged religious feelings, belief by using derogatory words/remarks/graphic designs/images/sketches/visual representations in respect of the sacred names.”^[43]

19 witnesses testified on the case. On September 5, 2020, the ATC reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Waheed, Noman, Sultani, and Ahmed. The claimed crime was the “uploading of blasphemous material on social media.” Waheed and Noman presented four witnesses.

Asad concluded the recent article:

The judge clarified that “the purpose of explaining the above process and authentication of the digital evidence is to determine whether the International best practices and techniques had been adopted in this case by the forensic expert while analyzing the hard-disk of CPU and Laptops, Mobile phones and other gadgets belonging to accused persons Abdul Waheed and Rana Nouman Rafaqat”.

In the light of the evidence the “accused persons Nasir Ahmad, Abdul Waheed and Rana Nouman Rafaqaat are liable to be convicted under Section 295-A, 295-C, PPC and Section 7 (g) of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 respectively … and sentenced to DEATH”, the court ruled.

The verdict, however, is subject to confirmation by the Islamabad High Court.

Accused Anwaar Ahmad was convicted under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code and sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs100,000. Under ATA, Ahmed was sentenced five-year imprisonment.

The court issued perpetual arrest warrants of absconding accused Faraz Pervaiz, Pervaiz Iqbal, Tayyab Sardar and Rao Qaiser Shehzad Khan.

To any and all freethinkers with an orientation to writing and campaigning on human rights, the way out may be the Islamabad High Court with an international campaign vigorously pursued for dropping the death penalty charges for Ahmad, Waheed, and Rafaqaat, and the 10 years’ imprisonment for Ahmed.

Footnotes

^[1] These hyperlinks come directly from correspondence from ‘Nizami’ or Abdul, where Abdul identified as the Vice President of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan. This amounts to one confirmation of the positions. Others exist in reliable sources.

^[2] Worley (2017).

^[3] Gyaanipedia (2021).

^[4] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty (2017).

^[5] End Blasphemy Laws (2017), Mrleibniz (2018), Mehta (2017), Kabir (2018), StupidVision (2017), MuhammadTheAtheist (2017), Filosofi I Skolen (n.d.), Nixon (2020), National Secular Society (2017), Hodgart (2017), Javed (2017), Werner (2017a), Werner (2017b), Werner (2019), Werner (2020), Sultan (2018), Gannon (2017), The Associated Press (2017), Wikiwand (n.d.), IndraStra (2017), Shultan (2017), Fuller (2017), and Geling (2017).

^[6] The Nation (2017a).

^[7] The Nation (2017b).

^[8] Jacobsen (2017), Jacobsen (2018), Jacobsen (2019a), Jacobsen (2019b), and Jacobsen (2021).

^[9] “’Ayaz Nizami’ Needs Far More Attention” stated:

These are environments for cyber-dissidents. These are the lives some will live. Some will be killed. Others imprisoned for years or even life. Still others, they will not see the light of day due to mob justice, as we found in some of the cases of the Bangladeshi bloggers. This is the world in which the Internet provides a space for freedom of expression and a furtherance of the destruction and emaciation of the lives and livelihoods, respectively, of those in difficult circumstances. Lives of the arbitrary precarity of health and wellbeing. This can be stopped. It has to start one at a time, to show how these cases can pass, how the authoritarian efforts and regimes are, in fact, fragile, and, therefore, can be overcome.

This is why ‘Ayaz Nizami’ deserves a whole lot more attention now and into the future until he is released.

Jacobsen (2019b).

^[10] Naqvi (2017).

^[11] Ibid.

^[12] The same appears to have happened in the case of Mubarak Bala in Nigeria.

^[13] Jacobsen (2017).

^[14] In full, and for the first time, the interview question set sent via email to him, rather innocuous:

An Interview with Ayaz Nizami

Vice President, Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan

Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Conatus News

Tell me some of your family background regarding agnosticism or atheism.

Either a singular moment makes, or a trend towards becoming, an atheist or an agnostic – or both – comes out in origin stories for members of the atheist or agnostic communities. What was the trend or moment for you?

What is the best argument for atheism or agnosticism that you have ever come across?

What is the general treatment and perspective of atheists and agnostics in Pakistan? For example, some countries’ populations don’t care because they’re integrated in their acceptance of them. Others express open vitriol and prejudice. Others simply don’t know what those terms mean, so don’t know who those fellow citizens in their respective general populations.

You are the vice president of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan. What tasks and responsibilities come with this station? What inspired its founding?

What are the demographics of the alliance? What is the most likely demographic to be an atheist or an agnostic?

How does the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, if at all, advocate and promote the freedom to be an atheist and agnostic in the public sphere?

What are some of the more touching stories of people coming out as atheists or agnostics for you?

What have been some of the main campaigns, initiatives, and provisions of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan on behalf of its constituency?

In the Manifesto of the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, there is specific mention of ex-Muslims. Are there unique problems for the atheist ex-Muslim sub-population not faced by others in the general atheist and agnostic? What are they? How can secular-, atheist-, agnostic-oriented Pakistanis help out?

Who are some of its most unexpected allies for the advancement of atheism and agnosticism – or at least the equal and fair treatment in society – in Pakistan, or in the region?

In general, what are the perennial threats to atheism and agnosticism in Pakistan?

People can reach you on Twitter and Facebook, or through the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan. How can people get involved with the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, even donate to it?

Any closing thoughts or feelings based on the discussion today?

Thank you for your time, Ayaz.

Personal correspondence from March 21, 2017.

^[15] AhmadiyyaFaceCheckBlog (2021).

^[16] You can see the list of some of the signatories in support of Kay from the international freethinker community:

Signatories

A C Grayling, Philosopher, UK
Aaron Yandell, USA
Abir Ahmed Raihan, Author and Ken Fiklow Prize Awardee, Canada
Adriana S.Thiago, Communications Officer, European Network of Migrant Women, Belgium
Ahmad Nasser, ExMuslim TV, UK
Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury, Editor in Chief and Publisher, Shuddhashar, Norway
Prof. Alan Davison, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Albert Beale, Pacifist Activist, UK
Ali A. Rizvi, Author of The Atheist Muslim and Co-host, Secular Jihadists for a Muslim Enlightenment podcast, Canada
Ali Malik, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Refugee and Asylum Project Manager, UK
Ali Utlu, Human Rights Activist, Germany
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, Women’s Rights Activist, Sweden
Alice Carr, Advocate, Progressive Atheist Inc., Australia 
Alliance of Former Muslims, Ireland
Amardeo Sharma, President, The Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften, Germany
American Atheists
Ana González, Solicitor, UK
Andrew L. Seidel, Constitutional Attorney and Author, USA
Andrew Rawlings, Former President, Progressive Atheist Inc., Australia
Angkatan Murtad, Malaysia
Anissa Helie, Professor, Algeria/USA
Anna Zobnina, Coordinator, European Network of Migrant Women, Belgium
Annie Laurie Gaylor, Co-founder, Co-President, Freedom From Religion Foundation, USA
Anthony McIntyre, The Pensive Quill, Ireland
Arash Hampay, Refugee Rights Activist, Greece
Arif Rahman, Secular Humanist Blogger, Bangladesh/UK
Armin Navabi, Founder, Atheist Republic, Canada
Arsalan Nejati, Activist, Turkey
Arzu Toker, Internationaler Bund der Konfessionslosen und Atheisten, Germany
Ashanour Rahman Khan, Ex-Muslim Blogger, Sweden
Ashkan Rosti, Activist, Ex Musulmani d’Italia
Atheism UK 
Atheist & Agnostic Alliance of Pakistan
Atheist Iranian Community
Atheist Refugee Relief
Atheisten Österreich
Atheists for Liberty
Atheists In Kenya Society
Atika Samrah, Activist, Conseil des Exmusulmans de France, France
Avinash Patil, Executive President, Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) And Vice President, Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA), India
Azam Khan, Ex-Muslim Blogger, Switzerland
Barry Duke, Editor, The Freethinker, UK
Beatrix Campbell, Writer, UK
Betty Ibtissame Lachgar, Founder, M.A.L.I. (Alternative Movement of Individual Liberties, Morocco), Morocco
Bread and Roses TV, UK
Cadmeus Cain, Representative, Atheist Muslims South Africa, South Africa
Carl Russ-Mohl, Filmmaker, UK
Catherine Dunphy, Author, Canada
Cemal Knudsen Yucel, Leader, Ex-Muslims Of Norway, Norway
Central Committee of Ex-Muslims in Scandinavia
Centre for Secular Space
Chris Cooper, Representative, Atheist Muslims South Africa, South Africa
Chris Street, President, Atheism UK, UK
Christa Compas, Director, Humanistisch Verbond, The Netherlands
Cinzia Sciuto, Journalist, Italy
Community Women Against Abuse
Conseil des Exmusulmans de France
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
Council of Ex-Muslims of New Zealand
Council of Ex-Muslims of Singapore
Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka
Craig Michael Chatfield, UK
Dagfinn Eckhoff, Leader, Norwegian Atheists, Norway
Dan Barker, Co-President, Freedom From Religion Foundation, USA
Dario Picciau, Co-President, EveryOne Group, Italy
David P. Kramer, South Africa
David Rand, President, Libres penseurs athées, Montréal, Canada

Signatories Cont.

De Balie Centre for Arts and Politics, The Netherlands
Didarul Islam, Ex-Muslim Blogger, Greece
Djemila Benhabib, Collectif Laïcité Yallah, Belgium
Dustin Krinzer, Chairman, Atheisten Österreich, Austria
E.A. Jabbar, Yukthivadi Organisation, Kerala, India
Eddie Goldman, Journalist, USA
Eldridge Alexander, Information Security Engineer & Speaker, USA
Eric Weinstein, Host of the Portal Podcast, USA
ExMuslim Somali Voices, Netherlands
Ex-Muslims of India
Ex-Muslims of Netherlands
Ex-Muslims of North America
Ex-Muslims of Norway
Ex-Muslims of Tamil Nadu, India
Ex-Muslim Support Network of Australia
Fabian van Hal, Activist, The Netherlands
Faithless Hijabi
Fariborz Pooya, Producer, Bread and Roses TV, UK
Fauzia Ilyas, Atheist & Agnostic Alliance of Pakistan, The Netherlands
Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA), India
Federico Galanetto, Italy
FEMEN
Freedom From Religion Foundation
Freethought Lebanon
Geoff Cooper, Author, USA
George Broadhead, Secretary, Pink Triangle Trust, UK
Gita Sahgal, Spokesperson, One Law for All and Founder, Centre for Secular Space, UK
Glenys Robinson, Co-President, EveryOne Group, Italy
Gulalai Ismail, Human Rights Activist and Founder, Aware Girls (Pakistan), USA
Haafizah Bhamjee, Representative, Atheist Muslims South Africa, South Africa
Halaleh Taheri, Executive Director, Middle Eastern Women and Society organisation-MEWSo, UK
Halima Salat, Founder,, Ex-Muslim Somai Voices, The Netherlands
Harris Sultan, Author and Ex-Muslim activist, Australia
Harrison Mumia, President, Atheists In Kenya Society, Kenya
Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web, India
Hassan Radwan, Agnostic Muslims & Friends, UK
Helen Pluckrose, Writer, UK
Hemant Mehta, Editor, Friendly Atheist, USA
Hina Hasan, Co-Founder, Ex-Muslims of India, India
Houzan Mahmoud, Women’s Rights Activist, Germany
Humanist Union of Greece
Ian Bellis, USA
Ibn Warraq, Author and Researcher, USA
Imal Senevirathna, Irreligious Community of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Inna Shevchenko, FEMEN, France
Internationaler Bund der Konfessionslosen und Atheisten (IBKA), Germany
Istishion Blog, Bangladesh
Izzy Diab, Community Support, Faithless Hijabi, Jordan
Jaan Dillon, Public Officer, Faithless Hijabi, Australia
Jahid Hasan, Ex-Muslim Blogger and ICORN Scholar, Norway 
Jalil Jalili, Activist, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, UK
Jan Bockma, Contributing Editor, Vrij Links, The Netherlands
Jane Donnelly, Human Rights Officer, Atheist Ireland, Ireland
Jason Frye, CEO, Secular Policy Institute, USA
Javed Anand, Human Rights Defender, Journalist and Convener, Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy, India
Jay B. Kohnson USA
Jean-Pierre Sakoun, Chairman of Comité Laïcité République, France
Jenny Wenhammar, FEMEN Sweden, Sweden
James Gavitt, USA
Jill Nicholls Film-maker, UK
Jimmy Bangash, Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, UK
Jimmy Snow, YouTuber USA
Johanna AGA Browne, Melbourne Australia
Jorick-Yzaak Mallette, Canada
Julie Bindel, Journalist, Author and Feminist Campaigner, UK
Kacem El Ghazzali, Secular Essayist and Activist, Switzerland
Kareem Muhssin, Spokesperson, Alliance of Former Muslims (Ireland), Ireland
Karen Ingala Smith, Women’s Rights Campaigner, UK
Karrar Al Asfoor, Humanist Dialogue Forum, Germany
Kat Parker, Secular Rescue Case Manager, Center for Inquiry, Australia 
Katha Pollitt, Poet and Essayist, USA
Keith Porteous Wood, President, National Secular Society, UK
Kenan Malik, Writer, UK
Khadija Khan, Journalist, UK
Kifriazrin Ahmad Kapli, Malaysia
Komal Ali, Netherlands
Lawrence M. Krauss, Physicist and Author, USA
Leo Igwe Humanist Association of Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria
Libres penseurs athées – Atheist Freethinkers, Montréal, Canada
Lisa-Marie Taylor, Feminist Activist and CEO, FiLiA, UK
Ludovic Mohamed Zahed, Director, CALEM Institute, France
Mahaarah
Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), India
Marea Magazine
Marek Łukaszewicz, President, Kazimierz Lyszczynski Foundation, Poland
Mariam Aliyu, Founder and Executive Director, Learning Through Skills Acquisition Initiative, Nigeria
Marieke Hoogwout, Writer and Editor, Vrij Links, The Netherlands
Marieme Helie Lucas, Founder, Secularism is a Woman’s Issue, Algeria
Markus Wollina, Co-founder LAG Säkulare
Linke Berlin, Germany
Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All, UK
Maryam Shariatmadari, Women’s Rights Activist
Meredith Tax, Writer and Feminist Organizer, USA
Mersedeh Ghaedi, Iran Tribunal London, UK
Michael Nugent, Chairperson, Atheist Ireland, Ireland
Milad Resaeimanesh, Spokesperson, Central Committee of Ex-Muslims in Scandinavia, Sweden
Mimzy Vidz, Youtuber, Counsellor, Lifecoach UK
Mina Ahadi, Founder, Zentralrat der Ex-Muslime in Deutschland, Germany
Miriam Therese Sofin, Ex-Muslim Women’s Rights Activist and Blogger, Germany 
Mo Jones, Cartoonist Jesus & Mo, UK
Mohamed Amara, Critic of Islam, Sweden
Monica Lanfranco, Editor, MAREA magazine, Italy
Mouvement alternatif pour les libertés individuelles Morocco
Muhammad Syed, President, Ex-Muslims of North America, USA
Muslimish
Nada Perat, Center for Civil Courage, Croatia
Nadia El Fani, Filmmaker, Tunisia/France
Nahla Mahmoud, Sudanese Atheists, UK

More Signatories

Nao Behache, Founder, Asociación de Exmusulmanes/as de España, Spain
National Secular Society
Network of Women in Black Serbia/Mreža Žena u crnom u Srbiji
Nicholas Forbes, Secretary, Faithless Hijabi, Australia
Nick Fish, President, American Atheists, USA
Nidhal Gharsi, President, INARA Association, Tunisia
Nina Sankari, Editor, Atheist Review and Vice-President, Kazimierz Lyszczynski Foundation, Poland
Norwegian Atheists
Nur – E – Emroz Alam Tonoy, Ex-Muslim Journalist, Contributor – Muktomona blog, Columnist – Dhaka Tribune, South Asia Monitor and South Asia Journal, Frankfurt, Germany
Nur Nabi Dulal, Writer, Hamburger Stiftung für politisch Verfolgte and Editor, Istishon, Germany
Obaid Omer, Podcaster, UK
One Law for All
Panayote Dimitras, Spokesperson, Humanist Union of Greece, Greece
Parisa Pouyande, Human Rights Activist, The Netherlands
Peter Tatchell, Director Peter Tatchell Foundation, UK
Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters, UK
Progressive Atheist Inc. Australia
PZ Myers, Biologist, USA
Rahila Gupta, Writer, UK
Rana Ahmad, Founder, Atheist Refugee Relief, Germany
Ratan Kumar Samadder, Author and ICORN Scholar, Norway 
Rebecca Durand, Feminist Dissent, UK
Reginald Bien-Aime, Haitian Freethinkers, Haiti
René Hartmann, Chairman, IBKA, Germany 
Richard Dawkins, Scientist, UK
Ridvan Aydemir, Creator, Apostate Prophet, USA
Rishvin Ismath, Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Rivka Leah Goldstein, Kent Community Secular Alliance, USA
Rob Sellars, Manchester, UK
Roberto Malini, Co-President, EveryOne Group, Italy
Robyn E. Blumner, President and CEO, Center for Inquiry and Executive Director, Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science, USA
Rohit Balakrishnan, Author and Human Rights Activist, India
Rokaya Mohamed, Program Coordinator, Faithless Hijabi, Egypt
Rumana Hashem, Founder, Community Women Against Abuse, UK
Saadiq Samad, Ex-Muslims of Tamil Nadu, India
Saba Ismail, Activist, USA
Sadaf Alvi, Women’s Rights Activist and Columnist, Pakistan Affairs, Pakistan
Saff Khalique, Activist, UK
Safwan Mason, Council of ex-Muslims of New Zealand, New Zealand
Saif Ul Malook, Advocate, Pakistan
Salil Tripathi, Journalist, USA
Sami Abdallah, Freethought Lebanon, Germany
Samint, Artist, France
Sanal Edamaruku, President, Rationalist International, Finland
Sarah Haider, Executive Director, Ex-Muslims of North America, USA
Sarah Taylor, Researcher, Australia
Savalan Sultan, Co-Founder, Ex-Muslims of Netherlands, The Netherlands
Scott Homan, Witness Underground
Secular Policy Institute
Seth Andrews, Secular Activist, Author, Podcaster, USA
Seyyid Hanif, Ex Muslim Activist, Faithless Hijabi, Canada
Shabana Rehman, Født Fri, Norway
Shaheen Hashmat, Writer and Activist, UK
Shahin Mohammadi, Atheism Campaign, Sweden
Shakila Taranum Maan, Artist/Filmmaker, UK
Shaparak Shajarizadeh, Women’s Rights Activist, Canada
Shelley Segal, Singer-Songwriter, Australia
Shirin Shams, Founder of Women’s Revolution (of Iran), Sweden
Sikivu Hutchinson, Writer and Founder, Black Skeptics Los Angeles, USA
Sohail Ahmad, Reason on Faith, Canada
Staša Zajović, Activist, Belgrade, Serbia
Stephen Evans, Chief Executive Officer, National Secular Society, UK
Stephen Knight, Podcaster, UK
Stephen Law, Philosopher, UK
Steven Lukes, Professor of Sociology, NYU, USA
Subrata Shuvo, Atheist Blogger, Sweden
Sudesh Ghoderao, National General Secretary, Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA), India
Sunny Hundal, Journalist, UK
Susanna McIntyre, President & CEO, Atheist Republic, USA
Taslima Nasrin, Writer, India
Teresa Giménez Barbat, Writer and ex-MEP, Spain
The Secular Party of Australia
Thomas Sheedy, President, Atheists for Liberty, USA
Thomas Westbrook, Media Producer & Conference Organizer
Ufa M. Fahmee, Freethinker and Social Activist, Maldives
Usama al-Binni, Arab Atheists Network and Manaarah, USA
Veedu Vidz, Youtuber, UK
Victoria Gugenheim, Body-Artist, UK
Wissam Charafeddine, Muslimish, USA
Women in Black Belgrade, Serbia
Yasmin Rehman, Human Rights Activist, UK
Yasmine Mohammed, Founder, Free Hearts, Free Minds, Canada
Yoeri Albrecht, General Director, De Balie Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Zehra Pala, HumaSecuLa, Turkey
Zihni Özdi, Author, Former Member of Dutch Parliament, The Netherlands
Zoheb Hasmani, Tanzania 

Faithless Hijabi (2021).

^[17] Jacobsen (2019c) & Wikipedia (2021).

^[18] It’s comprised, at the time of writing, of Ateizm Dernegi (Turkey), Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, Atheist Iranian Community, Council of Ex-Muslims of Jordan, Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco, Council of Ex-Muslims of Singapore, Ex-Muslim Somali Voices, Ex-Muslims of India, Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka, Ex-Muslims of Tamil Nadu, India, Freethought Lebanon, MALI – Mouvement Alternatif pour les Libertés Individuelles – Maroc, Manaarah Initiative, Atheist Refugee Relief, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB), Council of Ex-Muslims of France, Council of Ex-Muslims of Germany, Council of Ex-Muslims of Scandinavia, Ex-Muslims of Norway, Ex-Muslims of the Netherlands, Council of Ex-Muslims of New Zealand, Ex-Muslim Support Network of Australia, Ex-Muslims of North America, and Muslimish. See Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (2021).

^[19] “Subject: VP/HR — Pakistan and GSP+: detention of blogger Ayaz Nizami” stated:

On 24 March 2017, Pakistani blogger Ayaz Nizami, a member of Atheist and Agnostic Alliance Pakistan, was arrested in his country for the ‘crime’ of blasphemy and now faces the death penalty. To date, information has emerged regarding the conditions under which he is being held.

According to NGOs, since 1986 some 1200 people have been arrested under blasphemy laws. These laws have been used as a pretext to persecute anyone who criticises Islam, and to persecute Christians and members of other religious minorities. Pakistan has one of the worst records in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental principle enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, one of 27 international conventions that countries taking part in the EU’s GSP+ scheme must ratify.

Despite this blatant persecution, justified by blasphemy laws, Pakistan still enjoys GSP+ status. Against this background, can the EEAS say what action has been taken to secure the reform of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws?

What is it doing to secure the release of Mr Nizami?

What steps has the Pakistani Government taken to protect religious minorities?

European Parliament (2018).

^[20] Some of the main people to contact for Humanists International on these cases of humanists at risk are Chief Executive, Gary McLelland, and Humanists At Risk Coordinator, Emma Wadsworth-Jones.

^[21] I have contributed to this particular report.

^[22] Humanists International (2021b).

^[23] United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (2021).

^[24] Ibid.

^[25] Gyaanipedia (2021).

^[26] Realistic Approach (2021).

^[27] Awan (2017).

^[28] Jacobsen (2019a).

^[29] Ibid.

^[30] Pew-Templeton: Global Religious Futures Project. (2021).

^[31] Jacobsen (2019a).

^[32] International Humanist & Ethical Union has become or been rebranded as Humanists International. See Humanists International (2021a).

^[33] Ibid.

^[34] Gettleman (2019a) & Gettleman (2019b).

^[35] Gettleman & ur-Rehman (2021)

^[36] Jacobsen (2019a).

^[37] Sorensen in the interview discussed a number of human rights, religious, and ethical quandaries seen in the cases of ‘Nizami’ and others from the view of an independent metaphysician and philosopher. Jacobsen (2021).

^[38] Jacobsen (2019a).

^[39] Jacobsen (2017).

^[40] Werner (2017a).

^[41] United Nations General Assembly (2017).

^[42] Asad (2021).

^[43] Asad (2021).

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