To mark International Human Rights Day on December 11th, One Law for All held an all day conference on Apostasy, Sharia Law and Human Rights at Conway Hall, London.
As well as discussions on multiculturalism and its pitfalls, the challenges for ex-Muslims and apostates both within and outside of Europe, and the experiences of ex-Muslims here in Britain; the urgent cases of Pakistani Asia Bibi – who has received a death sentence for blasphemy, Palestinian Waleed Al-Husseini – arrested for criticising Islam, and campaigners in Iran charged with ‘enmity against God’, were highlighted. The conference unanimously demanded their unconditional and immediate release. The day also featured an address by Mina Ahadi, Chair of the Central Council of Ex-Muslims of Germany.
Rounding off the event was a play ‘Masculine Law’ by Ghazi Rabihavi which demonstrated the Sharia laws that subjugate women and endanger the welfare of children.
Speakers included John Adams (Emeritus Professor at the University of Hertfordshire), Mina Ahadi (Spokesperson of the International Committee against Stoning and Council of Ex-Muslims of Germany), Roy Brown (International Representative of International Humanist and Ethical Union), Nick Doody (Comedian), Goranka Gudelj (Outreach Coordinator of One Law for All), Rumy Hassan (Senior Lecturer at the Science Policy Research Unit of the University of Sussex and Author of Multiculturalism: Some Inconvenient Truths), Marieme Helie Lucas (Algerian Sociologist and Founder of Women Living Under Muslims Laws and Secularism is a Women’s Issue), Maryam Namazie (Spokesperson of One Law for All, Iran Solidarity and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain), Hassan Radwan (Teacher at an Islamia school for 15 years and presently Management Committee Member of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain), Gita Sahgal (Women’s Rights Campaigner; former head of Amnesty International’s Gender Unit suspended for questioning AI’s relations with an Islamist organisation), Keith Porteous Wood (Executive Director of the National Secular Society), Muriel Seltman (Campaigner of One Law for All), Alom Shaha (Science Teacher, Writer and Film Maker), Joan Smith (Writer, Columnist and Women’s Rights Campaigner), Bahram Soroush (Human Rights Campaigner), Peter Tatchell (Human Rights Campaigner).
The conference was co-sponsored by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Iran Solidarity, National Secular Society and South Place Ethical Society and was dedicated to Iran stoning case Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.