Category: Notes
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The Woman’s Quran
On 30 September, #BlasphemyDay, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) publishes The Woman’s Quran (114 Pages for 114 Surahs). It is blank because all religions degrade women and because the Quran, Islam and Islamism are the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women’s emancipation. (*A reference to US Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “The Bible…
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In Support of Charlie Hebdo: We’re Not Offended
Today’s issue of Charlie Hebdo with (mostly) #exMuslims, thanks to Inna Shevchenko. Caricatures de Mahomet : Paroles de musulmans non offensés, Charlie Hebdo, 16 September 2020 Translation of my contribution: “A progressive, satirical anti-clerical tradition such as that of Charlie Hebdo’s is not the sole domain of the West. When Charlie Hebdo draws Mohammed, it…
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On #GeorgeFloyd and #BlackLivesMatter
Tweets on #GeorgeFloyd and #BlackLivesMatter Maryam Namazie @MaryamNamazie Jun 2nd 2020, 10 tweets, 4 min read In 1991, I was beaten by NYPD at anti-Iraq War protest. Undercover agents threw something into parade, 18 of us were dragged over barricades fencing protesters in. One cop kicked me in face while I was on the ground;…
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Celebrating Blasphemy and Dissent in the Ex-Muslim Movement | Maryam Namazie
The below was published in Shuddhashar magazine, Blasphemy issue, 1 May In a quarter of the world’s countries and territories, people are legally killed, imprisoned or persecuted for blasphemy and apostasy. It is astonishing that in the 21 Century, thought, and opinion are still criminalised in this way. The argument for blasphemy laws is that…
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The hijab: “preventing common impositions”
حجاب: جلوگیری از تحمیل عرف The hijab: “preventing common impositions” was published in Workers Liberty Solidarity in defence of banning child veiling on 27 November 2019. Maryam Namazie is an activist with the Council of Ex-Muslims and other secularist groups. On the issue of child veiling, a state ban on conspicuous religious symbols for children…
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Maryam Namazie on the freedom to choose.
By Souwie I met Maryam Namazie at the Celebrating Dissent festival in Amsterdam recently. As co-organiser of this unique gathering, it soon became clear that Maryam was seen by many of the participants as something of a mentor, even a mother figure. A veteran campaigner for human, especially women’s rights, Maryam, now 53, speaks with the eloquence…
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Stand with the witches, heretics and blasphemers, sister-hood Interview with Maryam Namazie
Interview with Maryam Namazie, sister-hood Part 1: 10 September 2019 Part 2: 18 September 2019 Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born writer and activist. She is the Spokesperson for Fitnah – Movement for Women’s Liberation, One Law for All and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. She hosts a weekly television programme in Persian and English…
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We understand intolerance better than most; Blasphemy is not Bigotry
On 15 July, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) wrote to the newspaper Het Parool to ask for a right to reply to a piece by Dino Suhonic, director of Maruf platform for queer Muslims in the Netherlands where a number of intentionally false statements were made about the CEMB and our fight for LGBT…
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Must take an unequivocal stand against all forms of hate
My interview with Nilantha Ilangamuwa in Sri Lanka’s FT She is energetic and outspoken. Her creativity on resistance against repressive regimes has attracted many communities around the globe. Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born writer and activist based in London. She is the Spokesperson for Fitnah – Movement for Women’s Liberation, One Law for All and the…
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Defining Islamophobia
The below article was published on sister-hood. “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness” – All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims definition of Islamophobia The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia has mainly been framed as a free speech issue.…
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Fundamentalism and White Nationalism: the same, just wearing different clothes
Below is the English version of an interview with Marieke Hoogwout published in Dutch in Vrij Links on 20 March 2019. The interview was conducted before the Christchurch and Utrecht terrorist attacks this month. You can read the Dutch interview here. In January, Iranian-British human rights activist Maryam Namazie gave the 24th Freedom Lecture at…
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Secularism is my right; freedom is my culture سكولاريسم حق من؛ آزادى فرهنگ من
Secularism is my right; freedom is my culture سكولاريسم حق من؛ آزادى فرهنگ من Maryam Namazie’s Freedom Lecture at De Balie, Amsterdam سخنرانى مريم نمازى در ده بالى آمستردام