North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?
US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader 2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by The Saker >>
Doctors Who Change Gender Are Allowed to Scrub Past Wrongdoing from Public Record Thu Feb 20, 2025 18:31 | Will Jones New public records for medics who change gender are wiped of previous suspensions and formal warnings, it has emerged, after the General Medical Council confirmed that this is its policy.
The post Doctors Who Change Gender Are Allowed to Scrub Past Wrongdoing from Public Record appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Mark Zuckerberg?s Charity Sacks Diversity Team as the Great Unwokening Gains Pace Thu Feb 20, 2025 16:06 | Will Jones The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ? Mark Zuckerberg's multibillion-dollar charity ??has scrapped its diversity team and cancelled funding for projects promoting inclusivity as the Great Unwokening gains pace.
The post Mark Zuckerberg’s Charity Sacks Diversity Team as the Great Unwokening Gains Pace appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Yale Scientists Link Covid Vaccines to Alarming New Syndrome Causing Immune System Damage and Chroni... Thu Feb 20, 2025 13:38 | Will Jones Scientists from Yale have discovered a syndrome linked to?the mRNA Covid vaccines that damages the immune system and causes chronic fatigue with spike protein persisting in the blood for up to two years.
The post Yale Scientists Link Covid Vaccines to Alarming New Syndrome Causing Immune System Damage and Chronic Fatigue appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Amanda Holden ?Took 28 Flights? for BBC Show Despite Net Zero Pledge Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:54 | Will Jones Amanda Holden has said that she took 28?flights?to Spain during filming for a BBC DIY show, despite the corporation?s Net Zero pledge.
The post Amanda Holden “Took 28 Flights” for BBC Show Despite Net Zero Pledge appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Conservative Academics Are Still Self-Censoring, Says New Report Thu Feb 20, 2025 09:00 | Noah Carl A new survey has found that conservative academics are still much more likely to self-censor. More than half said they "hide their political beliefs from other faculty in an attempt to keep their jobs".
The post Conservative Academics Are Still Self-Censoring, Says New Report appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Putin's triumph after 18 years: Munich Security Conference embraces multipolarit... Thu Feb 20, 2025 13:25 | en
Westerners and the conflict in Ukraine, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Feb 18, 2025 06:56 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?120 Fri Feb 14, 2025 13:14 | en
Did the IDF kill more Israelis on October 7, 2023, than the Palestinian resistan... Fri Feb 14, 2025 13:00 | en
JD Vance Tells Munich Security Conference "There's A New Sheriff In Town", by J.... Fri Feb 14, 2025 07:37 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
For A Free And Secular Middle East And North Africa
international |
rights, freedoms and repression |
press release
Thursday October 27, 2011 11:42 by Maryam Namazie secularMENA at gmail dot com BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK +44 (0) 7719166731

76 secularists and human rights campaigners, including Mina Ahadi, Nawal El Sadaawi, Marieme Helie Lucas, Hameeda Hussein, Ayesha Imam, Maryam Jamil, Maryam Namazie, Taslima Nasrin, Farida Shaheed, Fatou Sow, and Stasa Zajovic have signed on to a Manifesto for a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa.
In light of the recent pronouncements of the unelected Libyan Transitional Council for ‘Sharia laws’, the signatories of the manifesto vehemently oppose the hijacking of the protests by Islamism or US-led militarism and unequivocally support the call for freedom and secularism made by citizens and particularly women in the region.
Secularism is a minimum precondition for a free and secular Middle East and for the recognition of women’s rights and equality. We call on world citizens to support this important campaign by signing on to our petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/world-citizens-defend-a...frica.
We also ask that supporters click ‘like’ on our Facebook page to support this important campaign: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle...1820#!/pages/A-Free-and-Secular-Middle-East-and-North-Africa/271164176261820 and Tweet: #freesecularMENA in support of a free and secular Middle East and North Africa.
Manifesto for a Secular Middle East and North Africa
The 2009 protests in Iran followed by the Arab Spring have the potential to herald a new dawn for the people of the region and the world. The protests have clearly shown that people in the region, like people everywhere, want to live 21st century lives.
We, the undersigned, emphasise their modern and human dimension and wholeheartedly welcome this immense and historical development. We are vehemently opposed to their hijacking by Islamism or US-led militarism and support the call for a free and secular Middle East and North Africa made by citizens and particularly women in the region.
Secularism is a minimum precondition for the freedom and equality of all citizens and includes:
1. Complete separation of religion from the state.
2. Abolition of religious laws in the family, civil and criminal codes.
3. Separation of religion from the educational system.
4. Freedom of religion and atheism as private beliefs.
5. Prohibition of sex apartheid and compulsory veiling.
SIGNATORIES
Mina Ahadi, Spokesperson, International Committees against Stoning and Execution, Iran/Germany
Marieme Helie Lucas, Sociologist, Founder and former international coordinator of Women Living Under Muslim Laws and founder of Secularism Is A Women's Issue, Algeria/France
Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Iran/UK
Ahlam Akram, Palestinian Peace and Human Rights Writer and Campaigner, Palestine/UK
Sargul Ahmad, Women's Liberation in Iraq, Iraq/Canada
Mahin Alipour, Coordinator, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Iran/Sweden
Sultana Begum, Regional Gender Adviser, Diakonia Asia, Bangladesh
Codou Bop, Journalist and Director of GREFELS, Dakar, Senegal
Micheline Carrier, Sisyphe, Québec, Canada
Fanny Filosof, Femmes en Noir, Belgium
Groupe de recherche sur les femmes et les lois, Dakar, Senegal
Laura Guidetti, Marea Feminist Magazine, Italy
Rohini Henssman, Human Rights Activist, India
Hameeda Hossein, Chairperson Ain o Salish Kendra, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Leo Igwe, Founder, Nigerian Humanist Movement, Nigeria
Ayesha Imam, Women's Human Rights and Democracy Activist, Nigeria/Senegal
Sultana Kamal, Executive Director, Ain o Salish Kendra and Chairperson Transparency International, Bangladesh
Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web, India
Houzan Mahmoud, Representative of Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, Iraq/UK
Amena Mohsin, Professor, Dept. International Relations Dhaka University, Bangladesh
Khawar Mumtaz, Director Shirkat Gah, Lahore, Pakistan
Taslima Nasrin, Writer and Activist, Bangladesh
U. M. Habibun Nessa, President, Naripokkho, Bangladesh
Partow Nooriala, Poet, Writer and Human Rights Activist, Iran/USA
Asghar Nosrati, Human Rights Activist, Iran/Sweden
Nawal El Sadaawi, Writer, Egypt
Full list at links.
For more information, contact:
Marieme Helie Lucas
Maryam Namazie
Telephone: +44 (0) 7719166731
For a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa
Email: [email protected]
BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK
|