Tag: Secularism
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Defend Protests in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon
Farsi, Arabic and French translations below. Nationwide protests in Iran against a 50% fuel price hike over the last few days has seen widespread suppression by the Islamic regime of Iran’s security forces leaving at least 200 dead, hundreds injured and over a thousand arrested. The use of overwhelming force by security forces has been…
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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
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Why is Inclusive Mosque so Afraid of Secularism?
The Inclusive Mosque Initiative is organising “Beyond the Promise of Secularism” in response to our 25 November International Conference on Sharia, Segregation and Secularism. Their event will apparently explore what they say are “western preoccupations with ‘Sharia Law’, Hijabs, and segregation” and “look at the ways Islam is pitted against ‘secularism’ in the name of…
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A Response to Tariq Modood: We need less religion, not more, in the public space
Below are my opening remarks during a conversation with Sociologist Tariq Modood at Westminster University on Secularism and Diversity on 24 February 2017 organised by the University’s Secular Adviser, Isabel Millar. The event went ahead as planned even though Jihadi John’s Islamic Society tried but abysmally failed to “disinvite” me. Which goes to show once…
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Confronting Islamism with Secularism
Monograph · Evening Discussion with Richard Dawkins at European Parliament organised by Euromind Maryam Namazie A future Europe must be secular. By secularism I mean the complete separation of religion from the state (and not the British version of equal tolerance for religions, which breeds communalism). Whilst freedom of religion or belief is an important…
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Reason Rally 2016: Out, proud and loud for secularism
Below is my speech at Reason Rally 2016 on 4 June 2016 in Washington DC. I’m very happy to be here. Thanks to the organisers for this wonderful event. Thanks to all of you for coming out today. I think you should give yourselves a huge round of applause. It’s well deserved. In the age…
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Secularism is the way to defend women’s rights
My opening remarks on Women in Islam in a discussion with Tehmina Kazi of British Muslims for Secular Democracy at AHS University Of Birmingham conference on Religion in 21 Century. Women in Islam have no rights. It’s the same in any religion. Even if was “progressive” for its time – which I don’t buy –…
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Confronting Islamism with Secularism, Free Expression and Citizenship Rights
The below is my speech prepared for European Parliament meeting on 23 February 2016. Today, I would like to focus on the importance of defending secularism, universalism, free expression, and citizenship rights in confronting Islamism. To begin with, let me clarify the distinctions between Islam (an idea), Muslims (people) and Islamism (the religious-Right). The three…
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Mass protests in Iraq: ‘Neither Shia nor Sunni, but secularism’
The protests, which started in several cities in southern Iraq last week, quickly spread to the rest of Iraq, reaching their peak on 7 August. Around half a million people came out in Baghdad alone, chanting slogans against the corrupt and reactionary rulers. Hundreds of thousands of others have demonstrated in Samawah, Al Diwaniyah, Basra,…
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Promoting Secularism in the age of ISIS
See my speech at the INR5 Conference in Vancouver, Canada in June this year. Here is the text of the speech.
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Promoting Secularism in the Age of ISIS
This is my speech at the 5th Imagine No Religion conference in Vancouver, Canada during 5-7 June 2015. The global rise of Islamism in particular and the religious-Right in general has turned the demand for secularism into an urgent task and necessity. There are those in academia who theorise about a ‘post-secular’ world and insist…