Islam and the Spread of Individual Freedoms: The Case of Morocco
Despite MoroccoÔÇÖs strong Islamic history and heritage, the battle for individual freedoms in the country has been making great (if quiet) strides in the past decade. In a┬ánew paper, Moroccan journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Benchemsi examines the roots of the Moroccan movement for individual freedoms, and addresses continuing challenges to its development and advancement. ÔÇ£To score more successesÔÇöincluding changes at the legal and constitutional levels,ÔÇØ says Benchemsi, ÔÇ£the movement needs to unify, engage in marketing and communication efforts, and most importantly adopt a unified agenda and strategy.ÔÇØ
The Moroccan population is mainly made up of Arabs, a mixture of Arab-Berber and Sunni Muslims of Berber descent. There is also a group of people referred to as the Gnaoua and Haratin, which are a highly mixed or black race of people. There is a Jewish minority group in Morocco and a number of foreign residents of Spanish and French origin. The Berbers, indigenous people of North Africa, have made Morocco home for the last five thousand years. The Arab population found in Morocco today originated from the Arab people who conquered this territory in the 7th and 11th century. There are an estimated 34,343,219 people living in Morocco.
Buddhism is the least homonegative religion, according to a new study in the Journal of Homosexuality. The Buddhist site Lions’s Roar reported on the study and pointed out that PRRI’s┬áAmerican Values Atlas┬áfound that┬á84 percent┬áof Buddhists support same-sex marriage, a rate higher than any other religious tradition.
 
As we want to create only a rough assessment of the religions with respect to their homonegativity, the three aspects are weighted equally for aggregation. This gives a ranking of religions, where Islam is the most homonegative religion, whereas Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are the least homonegative religions. However, assuming that all religions tend to promote homonegativity,8 atheism constitutes the end of the scale:9
Building on this operationalization of a religionÔÇÖs position toward homosexuality, the influence of an individualÔÇÖs religious affiliation on its homonegativity can be investigated empirically. A positive association would mean that the positioning of a religion (in its writings, through its leadership, as well as its degree of fundamentalism) is reflected in the attitudes of the individual believer.
The religiosity of followers of those religions that project a negative picture of homosexual people should impinge more strongly on homonegativity than the religiosity of the followers of religions that adhere to a more positive view of homosexuals. A second interaction effect should also occur in relation to religious motivation: the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation may condition the association between religiosity and homonegativity.
Non religious people in India amount to only 0.24% of the population.Therefore what influence can such a small minority have?
India’s Census (2001-2011) reveals that 2.87 million are non religious
India Hindu population drops below 80 percent as Muslim ratio rises
Reuters 26/08/2015
India defines itself as a secular socialist republic, a democratic society where no minorities should feel marginalised. But how far does this accord with the reality? Indeed what do Indians even mean when they employ the term ÔÇÿsecularÔÇÖ? Western democracies learn about this secularism from IndiaÔÇÖs small coterie of an English speaking elite. India has an epidemic of groups which I will call English writer forums. Every so often a new species of this bland faceless organism appear among the new wave of aspirant intellectuals. They have several things in common.
Secularism means the exclusion of religion, which in India is from public life. The trauma of partition led the countryÔÇÖs leaders to emphasise the common citizenship of its people rather than the religious differences which had to led to the creation of Pakistan. India was therefore to be the diametric opposite of Pakistan. In a diverse country such as this it was not initially without its merits. After all Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, realised that his diverse island nations with a plethora of languages, beliefs and ways of life could only be held together by a common value system he called Panchasila. The man who deposed him, Suharto, though ruling with an iron fist kept to these principles which some would deem secular because they used loyalty to the nation to override narrow religious tribalism. So India under Nehru was by no means unique in using the model of secularism for nation building. So now in India, almost every party claims it is secular, even the religious ones.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -┬áIndia‘s Hindus have dropped below 80 percent of the population for the first time since independence and media had speculated the previous government deliberately delayed the release of the data because it showed a rise in the Muslim population.
Members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party, which swept to power last year, have expressed growing concern about the rising numbers of Muslims.The census data shows that Hindus declined to 79.8 percent of the country’s 1.2 billion people in 2011, from 80.5 percent a decade earlier.The share of Muslims rose to 14.2 percent from 13.4 percent in 2001 – the only major religious group to record a rise. Christians stayed at 2.3 percent and Sikhs fell to 1.7 percent from 1.9 percent. Sakshi Maharaj, a Hindu priest-turned-politician, caused an uproar earlier this year when he said Hindu women should give birth to four children to ensure that their religion survives.In the first census, conducted after Britain carved India and Pakistan out of colonial India in 1947, Hindus accounted for 84.1 percent of the Indian population.
The number of Saudi women that have registered to vote in December’s municipal elections, the first time women will be allowed vote in Saudi Arabia’s history.
According to local media, women will be able to vote and run in elections held in December of this year, marking a step forward for proponents of women’s rights in a country that has received heavy criticism for its treatment of women.
“This is something new to women,” an unidentified woman told al Ekhbariya, Saudi state television. “I am pretty sure women will have different opinions and thoughts. I am very happy.”
Official voter registration begins August 22, and candidate registration begins on August 30, according to a Saudi government website. Both days will mark firsts for women in Saudi Arabia gearing up to participate in elections in December. Women will only participate in elections at the municipal level.
Could the next step be driver’s licenses for Saudi women?
US Supreme Court vs. God?
This week in US National news
Kentucky Clerk Denies Same-Sex Marriage Licenses, Defying Court
MOREHEAD, Ky. ÔÇö Defying the Supreme Court and saying she was acting ÔÇ£under GodÔÇÖs authority,ÔÇØ a county clerk in Kentucky denied marriage licenses to gay couples on Tuesday, less than a day after the court rejected her request for a delay.
A raucous scene unfolded shortly after 8 a.m. at the Rowan County Courthouse here as two same-sex couples walked into the county clerkÔÇÖs office, followed by a throng of journalists and chanting protesters on both sides of the issue. One couple, David Ermold and David Moore, tried to engage the county clerk, Kim Davis, in a debate before the cameras, but as she had before, she turned them away, saying repeatedly that she would not issue licenses to any couples, gay or straight.
ÔÇ£Under whose authority?ÔÇØ Mr. Ermold asked.
ÔÇ£Under GodÔÇÖs authority,ÔÇØ Ms. Davis replied.
Ms. Davis says same-sex marriage violates her Christian beliefs. She took office in January, succeeding her mother, who had been the county clerk for 37 years.
In Jerusalem’s Culture War, Secular Residents Make Gains
Crowds of angry ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, wearing long beards, black and white garb and large black hats, protested in the streets of Jerusalem earlier this month against a new cinema opening its doors on the Sabbath.
The demonstration was meant to be a show of strength in a long-running dispute over the role of strict Jewish law in the cultural life of Jerusalem. But in many ways, it was also a sign of desperation after a series of gains by the city’s secular community in recent years.
“No one’s saying we’re giving up,” said Shmuel Poppenheim, an unofficial spokesman for the ultra-Orthodox community. But, he conceded, “We know it’s a lost cause… We know that we can’t stage a war” over every new establishment open on the Sabbath.
Despite Jerusalem’s image as a city that grinds to a halt on the Sabbath, which runs from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, more than 200 cafes, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums, cultural institutions and other entertainment centers now stay open in non-religious Jewish areas of the city.
That is a major shift over the last 30 years from a time when only a handful of establishments stayed open and a law forbade cinemas from operating on the Sabbath. The “Yes Planet” cinema that drew the recent protests was the second major destination to open with Sabbath hours in the past two years, after a former train station reopened as a commercial center in 2013.
A feature of news and events from a selection of SPI Coalitions
by Deanna Cantrell
Do you live in the Philadelphia area and would like an alternative activity to the upcoming Pope Francis visit September 24? SPI Coalition member The Freethought Society and Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia have just the event in store to stimulate your mind. Join them for a speech by Annie Laurie Gaylor entitled, “Why Women Need Freedom From Religion.” Please see their websitefor more details on this no cost event.
SPI Coalition member The Dorset Humanists are proud to welcome Losing My Religion, a speech by founders, Clive and Lola, of the London Black Atheists. All are welcome to this Bournemouth event accounting Clive and Lola’s journeys from belief to reason and the tribulations which they encountered along the way. It should be noted that secularists of all races are encouraged to attend. This event takes place September 12, you can read more at the Dorset Humanists event page.
Can any organization use its religion as an unholy shield to justify human rights violations and discrimination which would be unacceptable in any other situation? What if that institution receives several million dollars a year in direct and indirect public support and subsidies? SPI Coalition member The Canadian Secular Alliance is asking for your help to prevent a law school from banning members of the LGBTQ community from admission. Read about their initiative here, a link to where to donate is provided. Take a stand for human rights!
Would you enjoy communing with like minded individuals from around the world? SPI Coalition member Atheist Centre is hosting their 9th World Atheist Conference, January 6-7 2016, in Andhra Pradesh, India. Check out their website for highlights of past conferences and find information on this upcoming event here.
Memories Are Like Wiki?
The Weekly SPI Fellows Update
by Deanna Cantrell
How are memories like a Wikipedia page? It is said that our minds can play tricks on us, but can our brains create false memories so vivid that we cannot distinguish them from truth? SPI Fellow Elizabeth Loftus gives a lecture on how memories can become narratives. View this thought-provoking presentation here.
Are common business practices that focus on short-term earnings reminiscent of the beliefs which many theologists hold in high regard? Read what can happen when business takes a humanistic approach in SPI Fellow David Sloan Wilson’s essay,
                                                                                            Change  the Story. Survival of the Fairest Companies.
Is there a new, global religion in the making? How has religion changed in the twenty-first century? Thanks to SPI Fellow Mark Juergensmeyer, his coauthors and a five year Luce Foundation project we have new insight to these and more burning questions. Read more about his new book, God in the Tumult of the Global Square, available now.
Many secularists face some sort of discrimination during the course of living openly about our worldview, but imagine being exiled from your homeland for being true to yourself. SPI Fellow Taslima Nasreen speaks about her exile from her home country of Bangladesh and about the current political landscape in this stirring blog, Religion is the Biggest Bane for Any Democracy.
New View of NFL Statistics
The weekly report on research and demographics of the secular movement
by Deanna Cantrell
The vast majority of Americans love sport, many can even be seen going to extremes.  This elevates them to the status of super-fan.  Sport may appear much like religion for man, they meet in front of their televisions every Sunday to cheer for their team.  Has a religious agenda been intertwined with sport all along?  How is an NFL player accepted among the flock when he expresses his secular views?  How do sports fans of varying demographics view the current state of the NFL?  What do Americans believe should be the penalty for violence off of the field?
Prayer in the NFL has become commonplace.┬á It has even sparked original memes and phrases, for example, Tebowing.┬á This meme took the internet by storm in 2011 and inspired barrages of content produced mimicking Tim Tebow’s, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, prayer stance that he assumes on the field.┬á According to Timemagazine, every football team has at least one designated
Tebowing
chaplain whom the players and coaches can turn to for religious guidance.┬á Well, provided said guidance comes from the Bible.┬á No designated spiritual support has been provided for players of other faiths or those who do not follow any doctrine.┬á For NFL punter Chris Kluwe, a self-described Agnostic, said, “Religion plays a big role in the NFL, but I think it’s a structural role.┬á It’s like white-male privilege; it’s hard to see the role it plays if your entire life has been lived within that structure.┬á If you’re a religious guy in the NFL, you don’t see the problem.┬á You’re the one in it.┬á You have Chapel or Mass on Sunday before the game.┬á You have Bible study during the week┬á It’s built into the structure.”
The National Football League has a history of what could be seen as religious bias.┬á For example, last year Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah received a 15-yeard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after punctuating his 39-yard touchdown for practicing the Sajdah.┬á Sajdah is an Arabic word meaning prostration to God, is is performed facing Mecca and is the way a follower of Islam gives praise and glory to Allah.┬á This was Abdullah’s version of Tebowing, yet instead of his actions becoming a meme he was penalized.┬á The NFL later made a public statement on Twitter stating that there should have been no penalty, however the game was long completed.┬á “Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct,” said Michael Signora, a league spokesman.┬á The rules prohibit players from celebrating while on the ground, but officials should not “flag a player who goes to the ground as part of a religious celebration,” Signora added.┬á So, does this policy prevent a secular player from celebrating on the field?┬á Without an approved religious celebratory gesture, does this rule out celebration entirely? Is this not another form of discrimination by singling out the minority who does not subscribe to a theology?
The NFL’s First Openly Secular Player
Recently, Houston Texans’ running back, Arian Foster, spoke up regarding his secular views.┬á On the subject Foster said, “Everybody always says the same thing: You have to have faith.┬á That’s my whole thing:┬á Faith isn’t enough for me.┬á For people who are struggling with that, they’re nervous about telling their families or afraid of the backlash…man, don’t be afraid to be you.┬á I was, for years.”┬á For six years, he remained silent, now he has been inspired by other secularists to speak up in his support of gaining respect for fellow secular Americans.┬á For now, Foster has not reported any discrimination from fellow players.┬á He listens to music in lieu of participating in the pregame prayer huddle.┬á From this vantage, it appears to be about mutual respect.┬á It was not always smooth sailing in his career, he has faced discrimination.┬á Read his ESPN interview for more of his story.
The Hand of God in Sports
Majorities of Americans (53%) and sports fans (56%) say that God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success; more than 4 in 10 Americans (45%) and sports fans (42%) disagree.  Roughly two-thirds of Catholics (65%) and minority Protestants (68%) say that God rewards faithful athletes with good health and success.  Six in ten (60%) white Evangelical Protestants and nearly half (49%) of white mainline Protestants also believe faithful athletes are rewarded.  By contrast, only 27% of the religiously unaffiliated believe athletes with faith are rewarded, while 71% disagree.
About 1 in 4 (26%) Americans and 27% of self-described sports fans say that God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event.  About 7 in 10 (71%) Americans and sports fans (69%) disagree.  Minority Protestants (45%) are more likely than any other religious group to believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event.  More than 3 in 10 white Evangelical Protestants (32%) and Catholics (31%) believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins a game.  Only about 19% white mainline Protestants and 9% of the religiously unaffiliated believe that God has a hand in the outcome of sporting events.  For even more figures on this subject visit The PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey.
It is worth mentioning that Tim Tebow has suffered two significant injuries and has spent the last two years on the bench as well as being traded from team to team.┬á The official reason is due to injury of his shoulder and rib fracture, but from polling football fans the majority argued his major malady is lack of talent.┬á Regardless, Tebow is regarded as the most outspoken Christian in the league, if faith and prayer are rewarded with health and success wouldn’t he be starting every game and impervious to injury?┬á It appears that the laws of physics indeed apply to Tim Tebow.┬á Arian Foster has also seen injury, recently undergoing surgery for a groin injury.┬á However, Foster has missed games instead of entire seasons.┬á Score one for physical therapy.
Recording of the SPI International Call — July 2, 2015
Here’s the latest recording of the Secular Policy Institute’s international coordinating call.
Agenda
I ÔÇô┬áSPI International Hot Spot of the Month – Bloggers Killed in Bangladesh
June 29, 2015
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister’s Office
Old Sangsad Bhaban, Tejgaon,
Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin
3510 International Drive, NW
Washington, DC 20008, USA
Dear Prime Minister Hasina and Ambassador Ziauddin:
We at the Secular Policy Institute, together with the below signed member organizations, are deeply saddened by the recent wave of violence in your country toward those who have written blogs critical of religion. The world has taken notice of these murders and as a leading voice in the global secular community, we would like to arrange a meeting with Ambassador Ziauddin to establish a constructive dialogue regarding the pursuit of fair prosecution for those involved in the attacks against people placed on the kill list of terrorist Ansarullah Bangla.
As an advocacy organization in support of a more rational world, we find Sheikh MujiburÔÇÖs implementation of a secular Bangladesh, its 2010 reestablishment by the High Court, and further development by the Awami League as led by the Honorable Sheikh Hasina, to be beacons of light for those in the process of secularization. Despite these advances, however, new challenges encumber these pursuits. Democracy requires the protection of political speech and discussion. This includes the right to question the role of religion in public policy and decision-making. The Honorable Prime Minister has carried her fatherÔÇÖs torch in advancing secularism and human rights. Both BangladeshÔÇÖs bold ÔÇ£Vision 2021ÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Digital BangladeshÔÇØ represent progressive steps in this direction. But the realization of these visions will require ongoing efforts to promote a more reason-minded society.
In support of this goal, we seek justice for those non-violent writers who were murdered for expressing their beliefs, and to assist in addressing those policies and processes that constrain Bangladesh in its efforts to become a flourishing secular democracy by its Golden Jubilee Deadline.
II ÔÇô┬áSPI Overview (Edwina Rogers, CEO)
ÔùÅSPI Mission
The Secular Policy Institute (SPI) is a think-tank organization of thought leaders, writers, scholars, and speakers with a shared mission to influence public opinion and promote a secular society. We believe governmental decisions and public policies should be based on available science and reason, and free from religion and religious preferences.
ÔùÅWorld Future Forum & International Secular Leaders Summit
The Secular Policy Institute convenes some of the worldÔÇÖs most prestigious scholars and scientists to develop and disseminate compelling resources to influence the worldÔÇÖs decision-makers. Open to policymakers and the public alike, the inaugural World Future Forum provides an unparalleled opportunity for an informed discussion of authoritative perspectives on the critical issues facing contemporary societies across the globe.
ÔùÅRegistration opened Friday, May 8, 2015 at┬áwww.secularpolicyinstitute.net
ÔùïCost: $295 per person.
ÔùÅThe World Future Forum will take place at the Phoenix Park Hotel, at 520 North Capitol St NW, Washington, DC 20001
ÔùïHotel Room Blocks available at the Phoenix Park Hotel:
ÔùïSingle/Double Occupancy, 1 Bedrooms are $249 a night (tax additional)
ÔùÅAdditional $30 per person / per day for triple/quadruple occupancy.
ÔùïReservations can be made at┬áphoenixparkhotel.com, using the Group Code┬á19849┬áin order to obtain the GroupÔÇÖs rate.
ÔùÅSunday, October 25, 2015, @ Phoenix Park Hotel
Ôùï2 ÔÇô 5 PM: International Secular Leaders Summit and Training
Ôùï6 ÔÇô 7 PM: Cocktail Reception
Ôùï7 ÔÇô 9 PM: VIP Dinner ÔÇô Keynote Speaker on the Future of Nations and Humanity
ÔùÅMonday, October 26, 2015, @ Phoenix Park Hotel
ÔùïWorld Future Forum ÔÇô Emcee Lawrence Krauss
Ôùï9 ÔÇô 10:30 AM: Future of EarthÔÇÖs Climate
Ôùï10:45 ÔÇô 12:15 PM: Future of Violence and Terrorism
Ôùï2 ÔÇô 3:30 PM: Future of Space Exploration
Ôùï3:30 ÔÇô 4 PM: Conclusion
Ôùï7 ÔÇô 9 PM: World Future Forum Great Debate, @ GWU Lisner Auditorium
ÔùÅSeparately ticketed event: $30 ÔÇô $100; students $20.
ÔùÅCommunity Action Network (www.CommunityActionNetwork.org)
Community Action Network (CAN) promotes the development and application of science and reason in an ongoing quest for secular solutions to local problems. As an inclusive, affirming, and action-oriented initiative, CAN seeks to promote rational relationships and effective community building in support of collective problem solving and the ongoing advancement and enjoyment of a more just and reasoned world.
ÔùÅWorld Future Guide
ÔùÅSecular Demographic Guide
ÔùÅRecruit National and Regional Leaders
ÔùÅInternational Hotspots in Need
III ÔÇô┬áFellowsÔÇÖ Corner (Madeline Schussel, Director of Policy)
ÔùÅWe would like to highlight these new SPI Fellows:
ÔùïDonald Prothero┬á- Natural History Museum, CA
Donald is an American geologist and mammalian paleontologist who was one of the first to conduct research in magnetostratigraphy, a technique to date rock layers that is used to examine historical climate changes.  Stephen Jay Gould cited his research, which noted the lack of response to climate change in mammals, in support of the punctuated equilibrium model of evolution.
Donald attended the University of California, Riverside, where he studied paleontology, and went on to receive his Ph.D. in geological sciences from Columbia University.  He taught and led undergraduate paleontological and geological field trips at Columbia, CIT, Knox College, and Vassar.  Then, for 27 years, he was a member of the faculty at Occidental College.  Donald is currently a research associate in vertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles.
Prothero has┬áauthored or edited more than 30 books and over 250 scientific papers, including 5┬ágeology textbooks. ┬áHe has appeared on┬áJeopardy, and he has also┬ádefeated┬áBen Stein on the show┬áWin Ben SteinÔÇÖs Money.
ÔùïIan Morris – Stanford University, CA
Morris grew up in the United Kingdom. He attended Alleyne’s comprehensive school in Stone, Staffordshire, and studied ancient history and archaeology at the University of Birmingham. He gained his PhD at Cambridge University. From 1987 through 1995. he taught at the University of Chicago, and since 1995 he has been at Stanford.
Since joining Stanford in 1995, he has served as Associate Dean of Humanities and Sciences, Chair of the Classics Department, and Director of the Social Science History Institute. He was one of the founders of the Stanford Archaeology Center and has served two terms as its director. He has published extensively on the history and archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean and on world history. He has also won a Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
ÔùïJohn McWhorter – Columbia University, NY
Since 2008, he has taught linguistics, American Studies, and in the Core Curriculum program at Columbia University. After graduation McWhorter was an associate professor of linguistics at Cornell University from 1993 to 1995 before taking up a position as associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1995 until 2003. He left that position to become a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a libertarian think tank. He is Contributing Editor at┬áThe New Republic┬áand weekly columnist for┬áThe Daily Beast. From 2006 to 2008 he was a columnist for the┬áNew York Sun┬áand he has written columns regularly for┬áThe Root,┬áThe New York Daily News┬áRupert Murdoch’s┬áThe Daily┬áand Time Ideas.
McWhorter has published a number of books on linguistics and on race relations, of which the better known are┬áPower of Babel: A Natural History of Language,┬áOur Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English,┬áDoing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why You Should, Like, Care, and┬áLosing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America. He has spoken at TED (2013), has appeared on┬áThe Colbert Report┬áand┬áReal Time with Bill Maher, and appeared regularly on MSNBC’s┬áUp with Chris Hayes.
ÔùïGreg Benford – University of California
American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine.
He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University and the Universities of Turin and Bologna. In 1995 he received the Lord Prize for contributions to science. With more than 200 scientific publications, his research encompasses both theory and experiments in the fields of astrophysics and plasma physics. His research has been supported by NSF, NASA, AFOSR, DOE and other agencies. He is an ongoing advisor to NASA, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and the CIA.
ÔùïDaily News Clip Now Available -┬áHow to sign up
IV ÔÇô┬áCoalition & Resources (Johnny Monsarrat, Alliance Director)
ÔùÅWorld SPI Calendar┬áÔÇô Upcoming Major Conferences
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ÔùÅCoalition Update
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ÔùÅResources:
ÔùÅAbuse in American Faith Based Initiative System
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V ÔÇô┬áUS Public Policy Update
Checking In On The United Nations United Nations Invitation Consultation – How to create and maintain civil society space? What works? A Report by the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Deadline June 30, 2015 Read more
United Nations Treaty Bodies
Regularly updated news about what committees are meeting, documentation, jurisprudence, etc.
Consultation – Human Rights Committee – General Discussion on Right to Life – 14 July 2015 – Rm. XIX, Palais des Nations.┬áRead more
Consultation of treaty body Chairpersons with civil society – 25 June 2015, 10.30am, San Jos├®, Costa Rica.┬áEnglish┬á-┬áSpanish
United Nations Special Procedures
Regularly updated calendar about which Special Procedures expert is travelling where? Read more
Latest report of cases of human rights violations taken up by Special Procedures. Read more
Advance unedited version of the report of the Human Rights Council on its 28th session (2-27 March 2015) – Deadline for comments 23 June 2015 to hrcouncil@ohchr.org.┬áGet report
One to Watch
Jihad – The One To Watch
Deeyah Khan (@Deeyah_Khan) is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker who spent two years with some of the leading figures in the British jihadi movement from previous generations to try to understand the draw of ISIS and other Islamic fundamentalist movements. Her new film about it, Jihad, makes her one to watch.
U.S. Secular Policy Guide
In December 2013 Edwina Rogers released the Secular Policy Guide for the U.S. secular Movement while the Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America.  All secular groups in the United States were requested then as now to adopt it and use it as their own and put their logo and information on the cover.   Ms. Rogers announced that the document was open source and that every secular group was encouraged to label and promote it at the national and state level.  The document was labeled to be available in whole or part to all with no need for permission to repurpose or quote.  Policy Guides are released this way to encourage legislative and executive branch staff to take any policy discussions or recommendations without concern of copyright matters and use when briefing their members before votes.  Ms. Rogers has produced over ten such guides on a variety of topics and was an avid user of these policy guides while White House Staff and while working for four U.S. Senators.
SPI encourages at this time, as Ms. Rogers did while at SCA, that all US secular groups adopt the guide and tailor it to their needs.  Please let us know if your group needs assistance with any graphics or editing. The document can even be used in a specific state only with editing. These policy guides are not evergreen and the basic document will need to be updated very soon via a movement wide working group as before.
SPI will work with member organizations in other regions to develop policy guides that can be used by all regional groups and offered to legislators and other decision-makers.
Ms. Rogers notes that she has seen much higher rates of adoption of policy guides in other movements (health care for one) when pharmaceutical companies would adopt and print 20k or 30k copies and distribute to healthcare facilities and legislators.  This gave the guide a tremendous boost through secondary distributions.  Please consider doing your part.
VI ÔÇô┬áInternational Public Policy Update
ÔùÅLatin America Update
ÔùïHugo Estrella
SPI is seeking UN Special Consultative Status.  Edwina will be representative in NY and Hugo in Geneva.  We are looking to build coalitions and join networks.  SPI will seek UNESCO consultative NGO status.  Then we have the EU, there, they have an office which would be more than appropriate for us to lobby, which is the European Commission for Fundamental Rights.
Our fellows from the Italian Union of Atheists Rationalists, Agnostics and Freethinkers (UAAR.it) to which Hugo belongs and who publish news from US matters and internationally as well (they are members of the European Humanist Federation) have office space in the city (Circolo UAAR di Pisa).  SPI will share the office thanks to Hugo.
ÔùÅAtheism in Zambia
ÔùïLeo Igwe
Like other countries in Africa, Zambia is a very religious nation and has the dubious of distinction of being officially declared a Christian nation by President Federick Chiluba in 1996.
One need not look far to see where Chiluba got the political will to establish this Christian nation. Eighty seven percent of the population is Christian and only twelve percent profess other faiths. The number of non-believers is too low to measure. Apparently, Zambia is 100 percent religious and theistic.
But recently, the countryÔÇÖs religious demography has begun to change. Atheists are leaving their closets and are starting to organise. Atheists in Zambia are becoming assertive and are making their voices heard. They are standing up and identifying as atheists in public. An atheist group has just been formed in Zambia and a Facebook page has been created. It is called the Atheists in Zambia. This group is the first of its kind in the country and signals a bright and promising future for freethought in this Southern African country.
It is not clear why the members of this group chose to identify as atheist, rather than sceptics, freethinkers, humanists or rationalists. Why didnÔÇÖt they choose other labels which engender less stigma?
Their eagerness to state unambiguously that they are people without God speaks volumes for the groupÔÇÖs vision, passion and conviction. Members want to tell the world that there are godless people in the ÔÇÿChristian stateÔÇÖ of Zambia. The situation in Zambia is not too different from that found in Nigeria or Ghana where almost the entire population self-identify as God believers yet atheist groups exist and are active.
Atheism is not really a recent development in Zambia. What is new is organised atheism. There have been non-religious and non-theistic people in the country for years. Atheism in Zambia may actually be as old as the country itself.
Over a decade ago I worked to establish an African Humanist Alliance and in the course of building the network I corresponded with a Zambian atheist and activist, Wilfred Makayi. He was based in Solwezi and later relocated to the capital, Lusaka.
Makayi worked and campaigned to promote humanism and freethought in the country. He organised events to discuss humanist and freethought issues. In one of his mails, he told me it was difficult for him to get his humanist articles published in the local media. Makayi made little progress in terms of building an organisation and in bringing a humanist and sceptical perspective to issues. But this was before the Internet was introduced.
Today the Internet has brought a lot of changes and opportunities for atheism. It provides atheists with an alternative space for meeting, community building and finding an audience. Hence I am optimistic about the future of this new group of atheists in Zambia. The Internet has made organisation and mobilisation very much easier. If atheists in Zambia cannot meet physically, they can meet online and they can remain in touch via their Facebook page and other digital services.
The main problem is that many atheists in Africa have remained in the closet because of the social and political pressures on people to identify as religious even when they do not believe in God. Africans born into Muslim families cannot renounce their faith because there are penalties for apostasy up to and including death. Consequently, they are forced to pay lip service to Allah. Of course, this is no longer religion or exercising religious freedom. It is more akin to forced mental slavery.
In most parts of Africa, atheism is taboo and being identified as an atheist is a form of stigma. The public perception of atheism is strongly negativeÔÇöa prejudice that is deeply embedded by the indoctrination and brainwashing which most Africans receive from cradle to grave. Atheists are perceived as people without morals and who cannot be trusted. Many atheists are forced to conceal their atheism when they are in relationship or running for political office. Many atheists find it difficult to come out to their family and friends because they fear persecution and discrimination. Some atheists do not come out to their employers because they could be sacked if they did so.
So there are few atheists out there who are prepared to withstand the pressures and weather the religious storms from theistic family members, friends, employers and state and non-state actors.
This concern has held back atheism in Africa and contributed to the bloated religious demography in many African countries. Fortunately, the situation is beginning to change. Atheism is becoming increasingly visible in many African countries, including those countries once categorised as religious strongholds. People are beginning to realise the positive and enlightening possibilities of atheism, particularly as a resource in combating superstition and religious extremism.
The wind of atheist emancipation is blowing across Africa.
Atheists in Zambia have their job cut out for them in terms of changing attitudes towards atheists and atheism. But more importantly, they need to tackle superstition and religious fanaticism that is destroying lives in Southern Africa. Zambia is a very superstitious society. Atheists need to start a conversation with other Zambians on the existence of God, Satan, witches, demons, the potency of ritual sacrifice etc. Many people in Zambia believe witchcraft is real. Recently there have been reports of witch killing, the killing of Satanists, of albinos and the murder and mutilation of persons for ritual purposes. While atheists in Zambia fight to de-stigmatise atheism, they need as a matter of urgency, to put in place programs and activities that can help reason Zambians out of superstition, encourage critical thinking and eradicate religious and cultural practices that darken and destroy the lives of people in the country.
VII ÔÇô┬áProject and Member Spotlight
ÔùÅMuslimish ÔùïWissam Charafeddine
Muslimish is a group of Ex-Muslims of varying degrees of religiosity who want to create a safe place for people to exchange thoughts and ideas that we were taught not to talk about.
ÔùÅFoundation for Critical Thinking ÔùïDr. Linda Elder┬áis an educational psychologist and a prominent authority on critical thinking. She is President of the Foundation for Critical Thinking and Executive Director of the Center for Critical Thinking. Dr. Elder has taught psychology and critical thinking at the college level and has given presentations to more than 20,000 educators at all levels. She has co-authored four books, eighteen thinkerÔÇÖs guides on critical thinking, and co-authors a quarterly column on critical thinking in the Journal of Developmental Education.
The work of the Foundation is to integrate the Center For Critical ThinkingÔÇÖs research and theoretical developments, and to create events and resources designed to help educators improve their instruction. The FoundationÔÇÖs materials include books, thinker’s guides, and videos. The Foundation sponsors the National Academy: Training for Trainers, the International Academy on Critical Thinking and various workshops on critical thinking.┬á The Foundation also works with institutions in designing critical thinking professional development programs.┬á The Foundation is a recognized 501C3 Non-Profit organization.
The weekly report on research and demographics of the secular movement
by Julie Esris
Recently, The Atheist ExperienceÔÇÖs Matt Dillahunty appeared in a YouTube video to relate his story of deconversion from Christianity to atheism to a group of non-believers and skeptics. DillahuntyÔÇÖs story is a fascinating one. He was brought up in a religious Southern Baptist household and eventually was preparing to go to seminary in order to become a minister. That changed, however, when he started to closely examine his beliefs. Deciding he cared more about conclusions based on evidence than what he wished to be true, Dillahunty eventually realized that there was not enough evidence to justify his Christian beliefs, and ultimately became an atheist.
While Matt DillahuntyÔÇÖs story reflects a great deal of analysis and reflection, not everybody who calls themselves an atheist arrives at this conclusion in the same way. In fact, a 2012 Pew research study reveals┬áthat some self-professed atheists claim to believe in God, and some people who identify with a religion say that they do not believe in God. Of those surveyed, 14% of atheists claimed to believe in a universal spirit; it includes 5% who are ÔÇ£absolutely certainÔÇØ that there is a god; 3% even consider themselves religious! 26% of atheists think of themselves as spiritual, and 41% say that they often consider the meaning of life.
Predictably, however, this is still in stark contrast to the self-identified religious individuals who believe in God. 38% of self-professed atheists claim to believe in God, as opposed to 97% of the religiously affiliated. 100% of white evangelical Christians and 100% of black Protestants surveyed believe in God, whereas 95% of white mainline Protestants, 97% of Hispanic Catholics, and 96% of white Catholics hold the same belief. All groups surveyed believe in God to varying degrees of certainty: 9% of atheists, 93% of white evangelical Protestants, 63% of white mainline Protestants, 93% of black protestants, 71% of white Catholics, and 58% of Hispanic Catholics are ÔÇ£absolutely certainÔÇØ that there is a god.
Why any atheists profess to believe in God is a mystery, since lack of belief in God is implicit in the term ÔÇ£atheistÔÇØ. LetÔÇÖs return to Matt DillahuntyÔÇÖs story about how he became an atheist. He carefully considered the information and how likely it was for certain supernatural beliefs to be true. He did not become an atheist because of something traumatic in his past that made him bitterly declare that God couldnÔÇÖt be real. Nor did he become an atheist due to a dislike of organized religion. There are other people, however, who become atheistsÔÇöor who at least leave religionÔÇöbecause of bad experiences, because they dislike the teachings, or because they do not like organized religion. Such reasons only reflect the individualÔÇÖs opinion of religion, not whether or not they believe in God, or even any supernatural phenomenon. These reasons certainly have nothing to do with whether or not a god or any supernatural entity exists. Hypothetically, God could exist but be a sadistic tyrant, not the loving, forgiving God espoused by many Christians. It is all but clich├® in atheist circles to say that people who profess belief in God do so unthinkingly, but many people profess atheism just as unthinkingly.
It is possible that some people misuse the term ÔÇ£atheistÔÇØ to identify themselves as someone who is against organized religion. After all, one can dislike religion but still believe in a higher power. Conversely, a cursory examination of peopleÔÇÖs answers in the ÔÇ£religious viewsÔÇØ category on FacebookÔÇöChristian, Catholic, Jewish, etc.ÔÇömay reflect their cultural heritage or identity, not necessarily beliefs in religious doctrine. What is clear is that many people are espousing labels without thinking about why. A self-professed Catholic on Facebook may only be making a statement of his heritage; a self-professed atheist may only be declaring his disdain for religion.
It is important when conducting these surveys to remind respondents to define their terms: What do they mean by ÔÇ£atheistÔÇØ? What do they mean by ÔÇ£GodÔÇØ? What does it mean that oneÔÇÖs religious views are ÔÇ£JewishÔÇØ? If someone claims to belong to a religion, do they only mean that their recent ancestors practiced that religion, or that they actually believe in the doctrine? What does one mean when he says, ÔÇ£I am religiousÔÇØ or “I am spiritual”? Are some of these terms too nebulous to define? In terms of recent deconverts, how did they arrive at atheism? Through bad experiences, or through rational analysis, like Matt Dillahunty?
A more precise study, with these questions in mind, is needed.
Policy: Make Your Voice Heard
The weekly report on US and International policy
by Edwina Rogers
Sign-On Letter Opportunity: Uganda Non-Governmental Organizations Restrictions
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Uganda are facing trouble as a new bill about to be passed in Parliament will make virtually all NGO decisions fall under the oversight of a government agent, potentially preventing or stopping humanist and freethought groups from operating.
Please sign on to the letter that asks the Ugandan government to keep freethought free. The deadline to sign on is Friday, September 4, 2015. Just let me know if your group would like to be listed by sending an email to edwina@secularpolicyinstitute.us. You may review the letter here.
Share Previous Letter Campaigns
Thank you all very much for signing on to our past letters. All finalized Sign-on Letters are available for viewing on our website at https://secularpolicyinstitute.net/advocacy-campaigns. Please feel free to share with your organization.
This letter is still open for group signatures and opposes new citizen being forced to recite pledges that include “Under God”:
2015 Sex Ed State Round-Up  -163 Bills Introduced In 40 States
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), a DC public policy advocacy organization of which┬áSPI is a supporter and collaborator, is pleased to release the┬á2015 Sex Ed State Legislative Round-Up: Overview of Activity Across the Country. This first-ever analysis of policy provisions introduced in state legislatures related to sexuality education highlights key takeaways, enacted legislation, and common provisions within legislative topic areas for the 2015 state legislative session. SIECUS identified 163 bills from across the countryÔÇÖs state legislatures that included provisions ranging from advancing school-based sexuality education, requiring sexual violence prevention education, restricting sexuality education with content requirements, and promoting abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.┬á
Highlights of the report include:
163 bills related to school-based sexuality education were introduced in 40 states.
Sexual violence prevention, instruction requirements, and safe schools/bullying prevention were the most common legislative topics introduced related to sexuality education.
11 states enacted 13 laws to related to sexuality education. Of these, 12 new laws advance sexuality education and 1 new law restricts sexuality education.
The vast majority of introduced (74%) or enacted (92%) bills contained provisions to advance sexuality education in their respective states.
Latinos Warming To Climate Change
A new poll of Latinos in the United States finds that a large majority– more than four fifths — accept that climate change is real, and┬áthat a majority — almost two thirds — accept that climate change is┬ámostly due to human activity.
Asked “Do you think global warming and climate change are mostly┬ácaused by human activities; caused mostly by natural changes in the┬áenvironment; other; or none of the above because global warming and┬áclimate change isn’t happening,” 66% of respondents preferred┬áthe first answer, 31% preferred the second answer, 3% preferred the┬áthird answer, and 6% preferred the fourth answer, with 3% saying that┬áthey didn’t know.
In a memorandum about the poll, Latino Decisions — which conducted┬áthe poll for Earthjustice and GreenLatinos — commented, “Latinos,┬ámore than other Americans, see climate change as a consequence of┬áhuman activity. Almost two-thirds (66%) accept anthropogenic
explanations of global warming. Comparing our results to other┬ánational surveys of the broader population, the differences are around┬á14 percentage points.”
As a Former Extremist who Knew Anjem Choudary, I fear for the Mentality of British Muslims
Like 33 per cent of British Muslims do, I once supported the idea of a caliphate based upon sharia law. But the debate has now become polarised and poisonous.
Anjem Choudary, BritainÔÇÖs loudest Islamist extremist, has finally been remanded in custody, charged under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The charge is related to him sending messages to his 32,000 followers on Facebook, allegedly encouraging people to join Isis. His guilt or innocence is a matter for the courts. What concerns me here is his trajectory.
I first met Anjem in 1994, when I was 17 years old. We were both students of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT), which was led in the UK back then by the Syrian firebrand cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad. HT is responsible for first popularising the notion of resurrecting a theocratic caliphate in Muslim-majority countries. At the time, I had been studying at Newham College and was eventually expelled due to my Islamist belligerence. Anjem volunteered as my lawyer, furnishing me with advice on my expulsion.
homonegativity can be investigated empirically. A positive association would mean that the positioning of a religion (in its writings, through its leadership, as well as its degree of fundamentalism) is reflected in the attitudes of the individual believer.
Crowds of angry ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, wearing long beards, black and white garb and large black hats, protested in the streets of Jerusalem earlier this month against a new cinema opening its doors on the Sabbath.
Sabbath.
Humanist Society of Philadelphia have just the event in store to stimulate your mind. Join them for a speech by Annie Laurie Gaylor entitled, “Why Women Need Freedom From Religion.” Please see their 
How are me
same thing: You have to have faith.┬á That’s my whole thing:┬á Faith isn’t enough for me.┬á For people who are struggling with that, they’re nervous about telling their families or afraid of the backlash…man, don’t be afraid to be you.┬á I was, for years.”┬á For six years, he remained silent, now he has been inspired by other secularists to speak up in his support of gaining respect for fellow secular Americans.┬á For now, Foster has not reported any discrimination from fellow players.┬á He listens to music in lieu of participating in the pregame prayer huddle.┬á From this vantage, it appears to be about mutual respect.┬á It was not always smooth sailing in his career, he has faced discrimination.┬á Read his 
Sign-On Letter Opportunity: Uganda Non-Governmental Organizations Restrictions