The threats, intimidation and murder of atheists in Bangladesh continue, and now Islamists are demanding the state give them a hand with the killing.
Islamists are calling for the death penalty for atheist bloggers for supposedly blasphemous blogs or else face the prospect of Islamist groups descending on the capital, Dhaka. The state’s response? A shut down of blogs, the ordered deletion of posts and the establishment of an intelligence panel looking to censor future material deemed to have “defamed Islam and the Prophet Mohammed”. Meanwhile “progressives” defend the accused, not by demanding their freedom of conscience and expression, but by pretending they are not atheists at all.
Shame on the Bangladeshi government for siding with the far-right Islamists and shame on the “progressives” who apologise for the free thought of others.
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain stands in solidarity with atheists and rationalists who stand for reason, universal human rights and secularism and calls on the public to defend their freedom of expression and rights to life and security.
Hands off atheist bloggers now!
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Here’s a piece Taslima Nasrin did on the matter in February.
Here a piece I did about killing of atheist blogger Ahmed Rajib.
another prime example of the utter and absolute hypocrisy of religion and the hatred, arrogant ignorance, superstitious fear and intolerance that it breeds. i try not to single out any of the three leading monotheist religions as being worse or better than their counterparts but its hard not to look at followers of Islam as a bunch of whiny, insecure bullies who use murder, violence or the threat of either to get their way. last week they stormed an entire christian neighborhood kicking in doors in the middle of the night terrorizing the occupants and destroying their belongings because a christian has allegedly talked shit about their prophet. or last year when they went on a 2 week rampage killing innocent people and setting fire to businesses because of a very ( and i mean very ) shitty film about their prophet. no one else on the planet acts like this, like 2 a year old throwing a tantrum. so why are they able to get away with this type of bullshit behavior? i really think the world needs to stand up to these asshole bullies and send them a message that this is not acceptable and that they are not the only ones entitled to an opinion. i in no way condone violence as a way of solving problems but perhaps its time the shoe was on the other foot and every time they start their shit we start burning Korans, trashing their mosques, kicking in the doors of Muslims homes, roughing up the occupants and breaking their stuff. because with most bullies the longer you turn a blind eye and allow them to carry on as they do the more brazen they will become.
I have a Facebook friend in Bangladesh who is sending me increasingly desperate messages asking for my help to get the message out about what is happening. I feel useless. It is terrible what is happening.