OMG! Blasphemy!
Blasphemy, religious hatred, and human rights: who speaks for the sacred?
On Saturday 28 January the British Humanist Association and the Centre for Inquiry UK are pleased to present a fantastically thought provoking one-day conference on freedom of speech and blasphemy laws. This event focuses on the criminalisation of religious hatred, defamation, and insult under European human rights law, and how this functions as a de facto blasphemy law.
Introduced by Dr Stephen Law of Heythrop College, University of London and Editor of Think (Royal Institute Philosophy), presenters on the day include lecturer, broadcaster, and author of From Fatwa to Jihad: The Rushdie Affair and its Legacy, Kenan Malik; Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association Andrew Copson; author of The Future of Blasphemy Austin Dacey; and the Director of Legal Affairs at the Danish think tank CEPOS Jacob Mchangama.
Andrew Copson commented that ‘after decades of campaigning the criminal offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel have been abolished but censorship of blasphemous content and even threatened prosecution of blasphemers continues in the UK. To effect change we have to explore how corporate interests, opaque advertising regulations and new criminal laws continue to stifle free expression, and freedom of speech.’
Notes
Saturday 28 January 2012
Registration: 10.30am 11:00am - 16.30pm
Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL
Full details about the event can be found at
http://www.humanism.org.uk/meet-up/events/view/169
Tickets: £10.00 general public; £8.00 concessions; Free to members of the CFI UK. Booking in advance available at the BHA website.
Press passes and interviews:
To register your interest for a press pass or for more information, please contact Sara Passmore at the BHA on 020 7079 3586 or sara@humanism.org.uk
Event organised by Stephen Law, senior lecturer in philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London. Media can contact Stephen on: think@royalinstitutephilosophy.org
For more information on speakers please see links below,
Kenan Malik - http://www.kenanmalik.com/top/cv.html
Andrew Copson - http://www.humanism.org.uk/about/people/staff
Austin Dacey - http://www.austindacey.com/
Jacob Mchangama - http://www.cepos.dk/english/employees/jacob-mchangama/
Maryarm Namazie - http://www.maryamnamazie.com/
About Humanists, Humanism and the BHA:
Throughout recorded history there have been non- religious people who have believed that this life is the only life we have, that the universe is a natural phenomenon with no supernatural side, and that we can live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It is one of the main purposes of the BHA to increase public awareness of what Humanism is and to give greater confidence to people whose beliefs are humanist by offering resources so people may develop their knowledge of humanist approaches to some of the big ethical, philosophical and existential questions in life.
About the Centre for Inquiry UK:
CFI UK’s primary aim is education, with the focus on the three following areas:
(1) The application of science and/or reason to questions regarding religion and the supernatural(e.g. divinity and parapsychological questions, etc.)
(2) The application of science and/or reason to pressing contemporary ethical dilemmas and social/ political problems (e.g. stem-cell research)
(3) The question of what is, and what is not, good science(e.g. is cold fusion or magnet therapy good science?)
Sara Passmore, Head of Education and Promotion, British Humanist Association. Email: sara@humanism.org.uk Telephone: 0044 207 079 3586
British Humanist Association (BHA)
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