One Law for All is a year old today
One Law for All Campaign was established a year ago on December 10, 2008 to mark International Human Rights Day.
A year on, it has mobilised considerable support in opposition to Sharia and religious laws and in defence of secularism and universal rights. With nearly 21,000 individuals and groups having signed up to our petition calling for a ban on religious councils and tribunals in Britain, the Campaign has given many the space to challenge religious law from a human rights perspective and to make links and show real solidarity with people living under Islamic rule everywhere.
Some of the Campaign’s achievements over the past year include:
* Providing legal advice, information and a free helpline
* Organising a successful rally and public meeting on Sharia Law, Sexual Apartheid and Women’s Rights on March 7, 2009
* Launching the International Coalition for Women’s Rights against Sharia law in April 2009 * Organising a successful rally on November 21, 2009 in London with acts of solidarity taking place in 23 countries worldwide
* Coordinating an art competition against Sharia and religious laws
* Speaking in cities across Britain and the world to mobilise support for the campaign and raise awareness, including in Canada where Sharia courts in Ontario province were pushed back
* Co-founding with others the International Bureau for Laicite (secularism) on December 9, 2009…
But much more needs to be done to stop religious laws. In the upcoming year, we plan to:
* Conduct a survey of women who have been to Sharia councils or tribunals
* Hold a March 8, 2010 seminar to bring together campaigners, lawyers, experts, and politicians to discuss ways in which Sharia courts can be prohibited in Britain. The seminar will make recommendations and lay out the legislative and legal avenues available to help bring about equal rights for all
* Organise a gallery exhibition on the issue before Spring
* Hold a June 20, 2010 rally against Sharia and religious laws in central London
* Organise a concert in support of One Law for All in the Fall
* Coordinate a December 10, 2010 conference on Sharia Law and Apostasy
* Continue speaking out on the issue and more…
Yes, there is a huge battle ahead – what with another Sharia law court being set up in Wales next month and the rise of the implementation of Sharia law in other countries across the globe. But there is also much resistance taking place – from Iran, Iraq, to Afghanistan and Pakistan to right here in Britain.
And as you know, all this work costs money even if it is done by over twenty volunteers. And whilst Islamic organisations receive huge funds from Islamic states and also from Western governments in their attempts to appease the political Islamic movement, we must rely solely on the public to support us.
On our anniversary, we’d like to thank you for this support; we couldn’t have done it without you. But we’d also like to ask that you donate to One Law for All if you haven’t already done so this year. No amount is too small or for that matter too big. It all adds up and will help determine the society and world that we want to live in.
Thanks again
Warm wishes
Maryam
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson
PS If you are in London and can make it, please don’t forget about our Fundraiser dinner on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 7:00pm at one of London’s finest gastro-pubs. We hope you will be able to join us to enjoy an excellent three-course dinner whilst supporting the One Law for All Campaign and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. The dinner’s keynote speaker will be AC Grayling, the renowned philosopher, author, writer, reviewer, and broadcaster. To purchase a ticket(s) for a three-course meal at £45.00 per person, you can either post a cheque made payable to One Law for All or CEMB to BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX or pay via Paypal or Worldpay on those websites. Once payment has been received, we will send you your ticket(s), along with details of the venue and a menu to choose from.