Today is 14 March 2012: International Day of Action to Defend Blasphemers and Apostates

Here is more information on the day and contact details where you can send your protests: Countless individuals face threats, imprisonment, and execution because of their criticism of religion and religious authorities. Blasphemy and Apostasy laws as well as uncodified rules imposed by both state and non-state actors aim primarily to restrict thought and expression and limit the rights of Muslims, ex-Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Such rules exist in a number of countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere.

On 14 March 2012, we, the undersigned, are calling for simultaneous events and actions in defence of the critics of religion in order to highlight medieval laws and exert pressure to save the lives of the women and men facing execution, imprisonment or threats.

Whilst there are countless people awaiting punishment under these rules and regulations, we are highlighting ten such cases, namely:

-Hamza Kashgari, Saudi Arabia: 23 year old Muslim, charged with blasphemy for tweeting about Mohammad and women’s status

-Alex Aan, Indonesia: 30 year old atheist, charged with blasphemy for saying there is no god on Facebook

-Asia Bibi, Pakistan: 45 year old mother of five, sentenced to death for blasphemy for ‘insulting Mohammad’

-Yousef Nadarkhani, Iran: 34 year old sentenced to death for apostasy for converting to Christianity

-Nabil Karoui, Tunisia: charged with ‘violating sacred values’ for showing the film Persepolis-Saeed Malekpour, Iran: sentenced to death for ‘insulting and desecrating Islam’

-Muhammad Samiullah, Pakistan: 17 year old, charged with blasphemy, for ‘derogatory remarks’ about Mohammad on his exams

-Adel Imam, Egypt: comic actor jailed for three months for ‘insulting Islam’

-Sarwar Penjweni, Iraqi Kurdistan: threatened for researching Islam and Quranic texts.

-Lanja Abdulla, Iraqi Kurdistan: Director of Warvin Foundation for Women Issues threatened at a public meeting for challenging religious authorityThe success of this international day and the very lives of those it hopes to save depend on the intervention of each and every one of us.

We call on groups and individuals to take action on this day by organising a protest or vigil, setting up a table in a city centre, writing a letter, signing a petition, drawing a picture, taking a photo, making a video – anything at all – to highlight these medieval laws and rules, defend free expression and the women and men whose lives are at stake.

You can also register your protests here below:

Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.mofa.gov.sa/sites/mofaen/MAINCONTACTUS/Pages/ContactGeneral.aspx

Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs E-mail:

http://www.kemlu.go.id/Pages/ContactUs.aspx?l=en

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

http://www.mfa.gov.ir/NewsShow.aspx?id=746&menu=87&lang=en

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

http://www.mofa.gov.pk/mfa/pages/comment.aspx

Kurdistan Regional Government-Kurdistan-Iraq

http://www.krg.org/krg_contact.asp?lngnr=12&smap=01000000

Egypt-Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

http://www.mfa.gov.eg/English/Contact_Us/Pages/default.aspx

Tunisia- Ministry of Foreign Affairs

http://www.diplomatie.gov.tn/index.php?id=353&L=2

Initial signatories:

 Houzan Mahmoud, Spokesperson of Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq-UK

 Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson, One Law for All and Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, UK

Evelyne Accad, Professor Emeritus University of Illinois and Lebanese American University, USA

 Mina Ahadi, International Committee against Stoning, Germany

 Sargul Ahmad, Women Organization in Iraq, Canada

 Mahin Alipour, Director, Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, Sweden

 Evan Darraji, Writer and Artist, Iraq

 Patty Debonitas, Iran Solidarity, UK

 Deeyah, Music Producer, Norway/USA

 Jani Diylan, Journalist, USA

 Tarek Fatah, Muslim Canadian Council, Canada

 Tahir Gora, Editor and Publisher, Canada

 Laura Guidetti, Feminist Activist (Marea), Italy

 Maria Hagberg, Chairperson of the Network against Honour Related Violence, Sweden/Iraq

 Asos Hardi, Director of Awene newspaper, Kurdistan-Iraq

 Farzaneh Hassan, Writer, Canada

 Marieme Helie Lucas, Secularism is a Women’s Issue, France

Sundas Hoorain, Pakistani Human Rights Lawyer, UK

Abbas Kamil, Unity Against Unemployment in Iraq, Iraq

Monica Lanfranco, Journalist (Marea), Italy

Nahla Mahmoud, Director, Sudan: Non-Religious out loud, Sudanese Humanists Group, UK

Hassan Radwan, Management Committee, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, UK

Gita Sahgal, Centre for Secular Space, UK

Nina Sankari, European Feminist Initiative, Poland

Sohaila Sharifi, Women’s Rights Campaigner, UK

Issam Shukri, Defence of Secularism and Civil Rights in Iraq, Canada

Fatou Sow, Women Living Under Muslims Laws, UK

Adnan Honarvar: Writter-Kurdistan

Gona Saeed: Political ad women’s rights activist-UK

Adilah Nasir: Human rights activist- Malaysia

Ciaran MacAoidh: Member of Atheist Ireland

Clara Connolly-London

Christiane Passevant: France

Yacoub abu-bakr: Palestine

Yacov Benyamin

Ha-kohen ben-arieh: Israel

Jason White: USA

Kerri Levine: USA

Jean Beaini: Milton Keynes-UK

Achintha:  Colombo'-Sri lanka

Soheila Dalvand: Canada

Wael Saleem : Riyadh

Deniz Günal:  Melbourne Australia

Christa Rihani Ooms: The Netherlands.

Naima Nash:  Eygptian in UK

Eric swinson:  Morocco

Toyer Khan: South Africa

Cathe Kidd:  U.S.A.

Sawsan Esbaitah: UAE.

Francesc Ferrero Herrera:  Alacant-Spain.

Post your actions and support here or on the Facebook page below.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/306432962752879/

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