The Legion of Reason

We’ve already had two episodes dedicated to the Office of Religious Freedom (http://www NULL.international NULL.gc NULL.ca/religious_freedom-liberte_de_religion/index NULL.aspx). One (episode 2) was when the intention to create it was announced last year, and the second (episode 53) after the official opening itself. We now bring you a third look at the ORF, this time from someone who has had an audience with Ambassador Andrew Bennett. Michael Payton is the national director of the Centre for Inquiry Canada (http://www NULL.cficanada NULL.ca/) and he and several other CFI board members met with Bennett and we (me, Haysn and Kris) speak with Michael about this experience. Religious groups co-opting the power of the state to lash out against atheists are becoming more common, and not just in the Islamic world. In response to last year’s Pussy Riot demonstrations just this week the Russian parliament has passed a bill to increase the maximum punishment for the fictitious crime of blasphemy (http://www NULL.bbc NULL.co NULL.uk/news/world-europe-22090308) to three years in prison or a 300,000 rouble fine. Greece arrested a 27-year old man last fall for ”malicious blasphemy and religious insult” (http://www NULL.indexoncensorship NULL.org/2013/03/free-speech-takes-a-beating-in-greece/) ridiculed a well-known Greek Orthodox monk on his Facebook page. Even so-called secular Muslim countries get in on the act. In a move itself worth insulting, Turkish pianist Fazil Say was given a suspended 10-month prison sentence (reduced from 12 for good courtroom behavior) for insulting “Muslim values” on Twitter (http://www NULL.aljazeera NULL.com/news/europe/2013/04/2013415103818540386 NULL.html). But these incidents pale in comparison to what is happening right now in Bangladesh, where tens of thousands of protesters are calling for the death of atheist bloggers (http://www NULL.iol NULL.co NULL.za/news/world/bangladesh-atheist-bloggers-arrested-1 NULL.1494515). Bangladesh has no law against blasphemy, but extremist religious political parties such as Hefazat are calling for the government to institute not only draconian blasphemy laws targeted particularly at atheists (I mean, who else are they going to target?), but xenophobic isolationist laws and to make Bangladesh an official Islamic state. Even discrimination of other Islamic sects is promoted in Hefazat’s 13-point plan (http://blogs NULL.aljazeera NULL.com/blog/asia/bangladeshi-clerics-fight-atheist-bloggers). Bangladesh is seen by CFI (and us) as a test case for the ORF.They have written an appeal to Andrew Bennett to engage with the Bangladesh government (http://canadianatheist NULL.com/2013/04/12/cfi-petitions-the-office-of-religious-freedom/) to stem arrests and attacks on atheists who are simply trying to access the fundamental human rights of belief and free speech.

CFI is attempting to organize protests April 25 at Bangladeshi High Commissions and Consulates in Canada to go along with those in Washington, DC and New York. We’ll keep you posted here.

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