No one ever heard of the Dove World Outreach Centre until they announced that they were going to burn copies of the Koran tomorrow, but it is an evangelical Christian Church in Florida which has a big sign outside saying "Islam is the Work of the Devil" – and they give ten reasons to burn the Koran – which are reproduced below.

The position of Berkshire Humanists over this is absolutely clear . In no way would we condone such action . They are only reproduced to show the nature of the attacker and the ridiculous nature of their arguments. It also shows how far we have to go in making religions in peace with each other, not to mention making peace with freethinkers.

Ten Reasons to Burn a Koran

By Fran Ingram – Posted on 02 September 2010

On 9/11/10 we are burning Korans to raise awareness and warn. In a sense it is neither an act of love nor of hate. We see, as we state in the Ten Reasons below, that Islam is a danger. We are using this act to warn about the teaching and ideology of Islam, which we do hate as it is hateful. We do not hate any people, however. We love, as God loves, all the people in the world and we want them to come to a knowledge of the truth. To warn of danger and harm is a loving act. God is love and truth. If you know the truth it can set you free. The world is in bondage to the massive grip of the lies of Islam. These are:
One
The Koran teaches that Jesus Christ, the Crucified, Risen Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords was NOT the Son of God, nor was he crucified (a well documented historical fact that ONLY Islam denies). This teaching removes the possibility of salvation and eternal life in heaven for all Islam’s believers. They face eternal damnation in hell if they do not repent.
Two
The Koran does not have an eternal origin. It is not recorded in heaven. The Almighty God, Creator of the World, is NOT it’s source. It is not holy. It’s writings are human in origin, a concoction of old and new teachings. This has been stated and restated for centuries by scholars since Islam’s beginnings, both Moslem and non-Moslem.
Three
The Koran’s teaching includes Arabian idolatry, paganism, rites and rituals. These are demonic, an ongoing satanic stronghold under which Moslems and the world suffer.
Four
The earliest writings that are known to exist about the Prophet Mohammad were recorded 120 years after his death. All of the Islamic writings (the Koran and the Hadith, the biographies, the traditions and histories) are confused, contradictory and inconsistent. Maybe Mohammad never existed. We have no conclusive account about what he said or did. Yet Moslems follow the destructive teachings of Islam without question.
Five
Mohammad’s life and message cannot be respected. The first Meccan period of his leadership seems to have been religiously motivated and a search for the truth. But in the second Medina period he was "corrupted by power and worldly ambitions." (Ibn Warraq) These are characteristics that God hates. They also led to political assassinations and massacres which continue to be carried out on a regular basis by his followers today. 
Six
Islamic Law is totalitarian in nature. There is no separation of church and state. It is irrational. It is supposedly immutable and cannot be changed. It must be accepted without criticism. It has many similarities to Nazism, Communism and Fascism. It is not compatible with Western Civilization.
Seven
Islam is not compatible with democracy and human rights. The notion of a moral individual capable of making decisions and taking responsibility for them does not exist in Islam. The attitude towards women in Islam as inferior possessions of men has led to countless cases of mistreatment and abuse for which Moslem men receive little or no punishment, and in many cases are encouraged to commit such acts, and are even praised for them. This is a direct fruit of the teachings of the Koran.
Eight
A Muslim does not have the right to change his religion. Apostasy is punishable by death.
Nine
Deep in the Islamic teaching and culture is the irrational fear and loathing of the West.
Ten
Islam is a weapon of Arab imperialism and Islamic colonialism. Wherever Islam has or gains political power, Christians, Jews and all non-Moslems receive persecution, discrimination, are forced to convert. There are massacres and churches, synagogues, temples and other places of worship are destroyed.

Iran stoning case, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is at imminent risk of execution in Tabriz prison.
Moreover, her well known human rights lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, is in prison in Turkey after having fled the country to evade arrest for his advocacy work. His wife remains in prison in Iran – held hostage – until he is remanded into the regime’s custody (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/?p=1652). Given Turkey’s close relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mostafaei can face deportation back to Iran even though he has applied for refugee status with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees there.
Campaigners are concerned about the safety of Mostafaei and his wife. We are also extremely concerned for Ashtiani’s life. The regime may be preparing to execute her within the next few days, particularly given that the Tabriz prosecutor has demanded her execution and is awaiting the Tehran high court’s confirmation (http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/?p=1665).
In her most recent heart-wrenching message, she says:
“I am now quiet and sad because a part of my heart is frozen.
The day I was flogged in front of [my son] Sajjad, I was crushed and my dignity and heart were broken.
The day I was given the stoning sentence, it was as if I fell into a deep hole and I lost consciousness.
Many nights, before sleeping, I think to myself how can anybody be prepared to throw stones at me; to aim at my face and hands? Why?
I thank all of you from Tabriz Prison.
Mrs [Mina] Ahadi, tell everyone that I’m afraid of dying. Help me stay alive and hug my children.”
As a result the public outcry, Brazilian president Lula da Silva has offered Ashtiani asylum there. Ashtiani has accepted the offer (http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/08/sakineh-ashtiani-accepts-brazilian.html). The regime, however, has rejected it and continues to push for her execution and to disseminate misinformation on her case. It says it intends not to stone her but to execute her for murdering her husband. At the 30 July press conference in London, Mina Ahadi exposed the regime’s misinformation on the case and revealed court documents showing Ashtiani’s sentence of death by stoning for adultery. [In fact, she was acquitted of any murder charges; even those found guilty of murdering her husband have not been executed at the request of the victim’s family.]
At the 30 July press conference, Maryam Namazie also refuted claims made by the embassy of the Islamic regime of Iran in London and the former French ambassador to Iran that stonings in Iran were rare; she referred to a new report published by the International Committee against Executions which has found that over 100 people have been stoned with 25 known cases currently awaiting death by stoning in Iran (http://www.iransolidarity.org.uk/Stoning%20List%20(1989-2010)_edited.doc). Other speakers at the press conference AC Grayling spoke of the contradiction between a medieval government and a progressive population wanting to be free whilst Peter Tatchell stressed the importance of supporting Sakineh and all those languishing on death row.
Given the imminent risk of execution faced by Ashtiani and the insecure status of her lawyer in Turkey we urge the public to act now.
Ashtiani’s stoning and execution orders must be rescinded, she must be immediately released and there must be an end to stoning and executions.
PLEASE ACT NOW!
1- Send Sakineh a postcard of the city you live in or are visiting this summer telling her you are thinking of her and other prisoners on death row in Tabriz prison. You can address it to:
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Tabriz Prison
Tabriz, Iran
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=tabriz+prison&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=prison&hnear=Tabriz,+Iran&view=map&cid=5511433647417998115&iwloc=A&ved=0CBcQpQY&sa=X&ei=kRVbTK2HKJOe_gaemtzoBA
2- Write letters of protest to the Islamic regime of Iran demanding Ashtiani’s release and an end to stonings and executions. Protest letters can be addressed to the below:
Head of the Judiciary
Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737, Iran
Email: info@dadiran.ir or via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx
First starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address
Head of the Judiciary in East Azerbaijan Province
Malek-Ashtar Sharifi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary in Tabriz
East Azerbaijan, Iran
Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Iran
Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter (Persian)
Secretary General, High Council for Human Rights
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737, Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com
3- Sign petitions in support of her case if you haven’t already done so. Here are two of them: http://stopstonningnow.com/sakine/sakin284.php?nr=50326944&lang=en, http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?cl=651962225&v=6766.
4- Write to government officials, heads of state, MEPs and MPs in your country of residence calling on them to intervene to save her life and to cease recognition of a regime that stones people to death in the 21st century. See Mina Ahadi’s recent letter to heads of states on this: http://stopstonningnow.com/wpress/?p=1694.
5- Join protests to save her life. On 10 August come out in support of Ashtiani. On 28 August join 100 cities against stoning. More information to follow.
6- Write to the Turkish government asking them to release Mohammad Mostafaei and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Turkey urging them to grant him refugee status and expedite his resettlement to a safe third country.
Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90-312-417 0476

Minister of Interior
Icisleri Bakanligi
06644 Ankara
Fax: +90 312 417 23 90

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Disisleri Bakanligi
06100 Ankara
Fax: +90 312 419 1547
webmaster@mfa.gov.tr

UNHCR – Branch Office in Turkey
Tiflis Cad. 552. Sok. No: 3
Sancak Mah. 06550 Ankara
Turkey
Fax: +90 312 441 21 73
Via website: http://www.unhcr.org.tr/MEP/index.aspx?pageKey=BizeUlasin
7- Donate to the important work of the International Committee Against Stoning, International Committee Against Executions and Iran Solidarity by making your cheque payable to ‘Count Me In – Iran’ and sending it to BM Box 6754, London WC1N 3XX, UK. You can also pay via Paypal (http://countmein-iran.com/donate.html). Please earmark your donation.
NOTES:
* See information on 30 July press conference in London here: http://www.youtube.com/user/rezamoradi and here: http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/07/press-coverage-on-30-july-press.html.
* See clip of Islamic Republic’s state TV’s misinformation on the 24 July International Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day protests we organised and Ashtiani’s case. The regime blurs out her face, uses only her initials and says she was sentenced to execution for brutally murdering her husband. A translation of the court document sentencing her to death by stoning for adultery is available here which refutes their statements on her case: http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/07/islamic-regime-of-irans-broadcast-on-24.html.
* See a report of the successful 24 July International Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Day here: http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/07/24-july-huge-success.html and here: http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/2010/07/media-coverage-of-24-july-2010-world.html.
* For more information contact:
Mina Ahadi, Germany, International Committee Against Stoning and International Committee Against Executions Coordinator, minaahadi@aol.com, 0049 1775692413; http://notonemoreexecution.org/; http://stopstonningnow.com.
Maryam Namazie, UK, Iran Solidarity Spokesperson, iransolidaritynow@gmail.com, 0044 7719166731, Iran Solidarity: www.iransolidarity.org.uk; http://iransolidarity.blogspot.com/.

“Anything But”

Listen to their music here

http://www.anything-but.co.uk/

Music for all from the 70′s to present day

Friday 30th of July 7.00pm

Bring picnic and seating. Real ale and pimms bar

Mill Corner Farm, Mill lane, near Greyhound Pub,

Tidmarsh

All proceeds go to Teenage

Cancer Trust

• Alison Boyland 01189845202

• Jenny Cope 07747775900

• Free Car Park Opens 6:30pm

SHANTIDEVA BUDDHIST

 CENTRE

9 BATH ROAD,

 READING, RG1 6HH

OPEN DAY AND FETE

Saturday June 26th

11am to 4pm

COME  AND VISIT US!

TEAS : PLANTS : CRAFTS :

BOOKS : CDs : GAMES

BBQ

INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION

 SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

If you would like your own stall please ring

01189 599133

An introduction to Humanism for kids (and anyone else who’s interested).

How did it all begin? Where did we come from?

Thousands of years ago, there were fewer people than there are today – about a million on the whole planet in 10,000 BC, after the last Ice Age. Today there are over 6.8 billion people – that’s 6,800 times more than there were. Human beings were widely scattered in small groups thousands of years ago, so they rarely came across anyone from outside their own tribe or community. They made up stories to explain how they came to be here because they didn’t know what we know now. These stories were handed down from parents to children, and so on. One story began in the ancient city of Babylon, which was where modern Iraq is now. It became so popular that it formed the first chapter of the Bible story of Genesis, where the world was created in seven days. Even today, when we know much more than the Babylonians did about how the world began, some people still believe it’s true. I think the true story is much more interesting.

Since I started this sentence, the Earth has travelled 100 miles around the Sun, the Sun has moved 1,000 miles in its circuit of the Galaxy, and the Orion Nebula has moved 100,000 miles relative to us. In the last few years, NASA (The American National Aeronautics and Space Administration) took a photograph with the Hubble Space Telescope, leaving the shutter open for 10 days. The 10 inch square photograph is of an area of space which to the naked eye is about the same size as a grain of sand viewed from 6 feet away. To cross it at 10 times the speed of light would take 300,000 years. There are about 1,500 galaxies in the picture, each containing billions of stars. And here we are, whirling round a relatively small star, our sun, on a tiny planet in all the vastness of space.

3½ billion years ago, the Earth was uninhabitable. There was nothing here that you’d recognise – no plants, no animals. If we travelled back in time, you and I wouldn’t be able to survive because the air wasn’t fit to breathe and there was no food. Half a billion years later simple organic compounds were formed ― the basis of life. They were just microscopic specks of chemicals. It was a very long time before DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) evolved, which made more complex life forms possible, but they were such small, primitive life forms that you wouldn’t have been able to recognise them. You might have heard people talking about DNA on TV, in crime or medical dramas.

See clock on homepage of this article

Gradually, over a very long period of time, these small things evolved into creatures that you might have recognised; insects appeared about 300 million years ago. The first dinosaurs didn’t appear until over 250 million years ago. If we represent the history of earth with a diagram of an hour in time ― a clock face ― human beings have only appeared within the last minute or so.

In the beginning there was just space, stars and planets. No one knows exactly how the universe began, but scientists think it just happened with a big bang, billions and billions of years ago. Scientists know a lot more about how life on Earth began, because they’ve found the evidence for what happened. They’ve been able to work out how old the rocks in the Earth’s crust are, and they’ve looked at the stars and seen how they’re formed, and they’ve studied fossils to work out how animals and human beings have changed over the centuries.

The variety of species is amazing. The natural world is amazing and there is still so much more to learn. Humanists use science and reason to understand the universe and how we came to be here. We are amazing. You are amazing

We are different from all the other creatures that live on our small planet. As we’ve evolved, our brains have got bigger and cleverer, though we don’t always use them as well as we should. We can think about all sorts of things, find out all sorts of things, and know all sorts of things. We can make things and destroy things. We can use our imaginations to help us to understand about other people and other creatures.

People like me are called Humanists because we think that we human beings have a special responsibility. As we don’t believe in a supernatural being, a sort of superman, that might come and sort out any mistakes we might make, we think it’s up to us to make the world a better place for each other and for future generations. We don’t think that there’s a life after death, but we do think that the effects of our behaviour can be felt after we’re dead. If we are kind and generous towards other people and try to avoid hurting anyone, they are more likely to think well of us and to remember us with affection. We don’t think you need to believe in a God to be good. People should be good to one another because it’s the right thing to do. Most people know this. Many people, not just Humanists, follow the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule has been part of the teachings of many societies and religions, as well as Humanism. There are different versions of it but they all mean the same thing. These are some of them:

• Do as you would be done by.
• Treat other people as you would like to be treated yourself.
• Don’t treat others as you wouldn’t like to be treated.
• You should always ask yourself what would happen if everyone did what you are doing.

Humanism isn’t a religion; it’s a way of life for people who live without religion. Many people are Humanists without realising it, because they don’t know it has a name. They hear about what it means and they’ll say, “That’s how I feel!” Although only a small number join a Humanist organisation, many more live as Humanists.

There are local groups of Humanists. There’s a British Humanist Association, and there are Humanist organisations in other countries too. There’s an International Humanist & Ethical Union.

The history of Humanism goes back over 2,500 years, to great thinkers of ancient Greece and the Far East. There have been people who think like us for a very long time, but as we’ve learned more, we’ve changed our ideas, mostly because of what we’ve learned about the world from scientists and other great thinkers. That’s essentially what Humanists do; we think a lot, we ask questions, we work things out for ourselves, and we try to live good lives.

The international symbol of Humanism is the Happy Human. What do you think it looks like? You can findit on the front page of this website.

One of the ways some of us try to help other people is by providing rite of passage ceremonies. A rite of passage is an event or ceremony that marks a stage in someone’s life; a birth, a wedding, or a a funeral. There’ve been rites of passage for a very long time, since before Christianity and the other main religions began, because people have always wanted to celebrate these special events and show they care. So what do you do if you’re not religious? People used to think that you had to be baptised or married in church, because that’s all most people knew about. They thought you could only have a funeral with a religious minister. Now more and more people who live without religion know that they can choose to have ceremonies without hymns or prayers or Bible readings, so they do.

You can do these things yourself, or you can hire someone to lead a ceremony for you. Humanist Celebrants lead baby-namings, weddings and funerals for people, without religion. Baby-namings are the equivalent of a christening or baptism. Have any of you been to a rite of passage ceremony? What sort? What was it like?

A lot of people like to ask what Humanists do at Christmas, as we don’t believe in God. Most of us do much the same as everyone else, apart from going to church – and a lot of people don’t go to church anyway. We have presents and parties and good food and drink, and we get together with our families. Most of us try not to go mad and not to spend too much money – we just enjoy ourselves. What religious people may not know is that Christmas is celebrated at around the time of the shortest day of the year, the midwinter solstice, which falls on 21st December. Humans have been celebrating the solstice all over Europe, Scandinavia and around the Mediterranean Sea since long before the Christians called the midwinter festival “Christmas”. In fact, for the first four centuries of Christianity the church leaders didn’t approve of all the jollity, and didn’t celebrate anything. So while other people may celebrate the birth of Christ in the middle of winter (which probably isn’t when he was born), we just carry on an ancient tradition because we enjoy it.

Sometimes, people ask us if it isn’t difficult to be a Humanist, because we don’t have a set of rules to obey; we have to work out the answers to our problems ourselves. The trouble with having a set of rules is that the world is changing so fast, they’re not much use if they don’t change too, or they’re soon out of date. We think it’s much better to get into the habit of thinking about what we should or shouldn’t do when we’re young, rather than expecting other people to supply all the answers.

What do you think?

Rt Reverend Stephen Cottrell
Bishop of Reading

Organised by Nuclear Awareness Group(NAG)

Information 01183277489

 www.nuclearawarenessgroup.org.uk

7:00pm Wednesday 9th June

RISC Centre
35-39 London Street,RG1 4PS

ERIC KAUFMAN

will be talking about his latest book

SHALL THE RELIGIOUS

INHERIT THE EARTH?

which explores the rise of religious
fundementalism and globalisation

READING CENTRAL LIBRARY

WEDNESDAY 5th MAY

Talk will start at 6:30pm

Tickets £3/£2 to library members

For tickets email info@readinglibraries.org.uk , phone 01189015950
or collect from Reading Central Library

QUESTION YOUR CANDIDATES

Ask your candidates about what matters to your faith communities

Environment?

Poverty?

Local Issues?

Teenage Pregnancies?

Young People?

MONDAY 26th April 2010

7.30-10pm

Chair Maurice O’Brian

News Editor of Reading Chronicle

Tilehurst Methodist Church

School Road, Tilehurst RG31 5AN

Parking in local Co-op car park

Contact Jan Hearn with your questions ahead of the Hustings

jan@strongertogether.org.uk  01189584849

Is Belief Rational?

New perspectives on the conflict between secularism and spirituality.

 Given by John Cottingham,

Prof. Emeritus of the Philosophy at the University of Reading

 Thursday 18th March, 7.30pm

 Henley Business School Lecture Theatre,

Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading.

 Religious belief, or its lack, is something that touches our integrity very deeply. It goes to the heart of who we are. Much philosophy tackles belief in God as if it depended entirely on abstract intellectual argument. This talk will show how the religious outlook connects with our deepest human longings and how it may not be after all in conflict with a scientific understanding of the world.

 ‘Cottingham offers gentle and courteous persuasion, whether philosophical, historical or literary.’

(Sir Anthony Kenny)

Email chaplaincy@reading.ac.uk for free booking and further details, or ring 0118 378 8797.

University of Reading Chaplaincy Park House Lodge Whiteknights READING RG6 6AH

International Women’s Day

A Seminar on Sharia Law

Monday 8 March 2010

6:30-8:30pm

Conway Hall London

Biographies of Speakers

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is a journalist and Chair of British Muslims for Secular Democracy. She grew up in Uganda and completed her M.Phil. in literature at Oxford in 1975. She has written for major newspapers and magazines in the U.S.A. and U.K., and is now a regular columnist for The Independent and the Evening Standard. She is also a radio and television broadcaster and author of several books, including: No Place Like Home, an autobiographical account of a twice- removed immigrant; Who Do We Think We Are? on the state of the nation; and After Multiculturalism, which looks at the globalised future. From 1996 to 2001 she was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research. She is also a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre. In June 1999, she received an honorary degree from the Open University for her contributions to social justice. She is a Vice President of the United Nations Association, UK, and a special ambassador for the Samaritans.

 Yassi Atasheen is the Legal Coordinator for the One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain. She is a law graduate from the University of Essex. She studied LLB Law and received her BA in July 2008. She is currently taking a gap year to prepare for the Bar Vocational Course. She plans to pursue a career as a barrister in family and criminal law. Clara Connolly is currently an immigration solicitor. She previously worked at the Commission of Racial Equality and the University of North London on issues relating to equality and discrimination. She has been a feminist activist for many years around issues of domestic violence, abortion for Irish women and the effects of Christian fundamentalism. She is active with Women Against Fundamentalism. David Green is the Director of CIVITAS: The Institute for the Study of Civil Society. He has written a number of books on public policy issues Power and Party in an English City, Allen & Unwin, 1980; Mutual Aid or Welfare State, Allen & Unwin, 1984 (with L. Cromwell); The New Right, Wheatsheaf, 1987; Reinventing Civil Society, 1993; Community Without Politics, 1996; and Individualists Who Co-operate, 2009. In 2006 he wrote We’re (Nearly) all Victims Now: how political correctness is undermining our liberal culture. And in 2009 he edited Music, Chess and Other Sins (a study of Muslim schools in Britain) and Sharia Law Or One Law For All (a study of the growth of Sharia jurisdiction in the UK). He occasionally writes for the newspapers, including in recent years contributions to The Times, the Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Sunday Telegraph, and occasionally broadcasts on programmes such as Newsnight, the Moral Maze and the Today programme.

Denis MacShane has been MP for Rotherham since 1994. He worked in the Foreign Office after Labour won power in 1997, first as a PPS and then as a minister, between 2001 and 2005. He was made a privy councillor in 2005 and now represents the UK on the Council of Europe. He is active in European and global policy discussions and writes and speaks on issues in different fora. Rony Miah is a Solicitor, and a Management Committee Member of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. He is also a member if the newly formed Lawyers Secular Society. He has been active in progressing the work of the CEMB for the past two years. He comes from a traditional British/Bangladeshi Muslim background but renounced Islam in early adulthood after studying Islam and its roots. His particular interest lies in the historical origins of Islam and stopping young UK Muslims from veering towards extremism.

 Maryam Namazie is Spokesperson for the One Law for All Campaign, Iran Solidarity, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and Equal Rights Now- Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran. She is also National Secular Society’s 2005 Secularist of the Year award winner and an NSS Honorary Associate; Central Committee member of the Worker-communist Party of Iran; Vice President of Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association; Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association, amongst others. Maryam was one of Elle Quebec’s 45 outstanding women of the year in 2007. Her blog has been ranked one of the top 100 atheist blogs. Pragna Patel is a founding member of the Southall Black Sisters and Women Against Fundamentalism. She worked as a co-ordinator and senior case worker for SBS from 1982 to 1993 when she left to train as a solicitor. She has remained active in the group in respect of its policy and campaigning work and has recently returned to SBS as its Director. She has been centrally involved in some of SBS’ most important campaigns around domestic violence, immigration and religious fundamentalism. She has also written extensively on race, gender and religion.

 Fariborz Pooya has an M.A. in Economics from University of London and is head of the Iranian Secular Society, established to bring an end to the control of Iranian public life by religion. He is also one of the founding members and chair of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. He took an active part in the 1978-79 Iranian revolution and opposed the establishment of the Islamic regime in Iran. He left Iran in 1979 and organised opposition to the Islamic regime in the UK and Europe. He currently hosts Secular Society TV on New Channel TV. Fariborz is co-editor of WPI Briefing and has written numerous articles on the role of Islam in maintaining dictatorships in the Middle East.

Yasmin Rehman has worked for more than 20 years on a range of crime reduction issues predominantly violence against women and community cohesion. Yasmin has worked in the private, public (local government) and third sectors during her career. As Director of Partnerships and Diversity with the Metropolitan Police Service, Yasmin had strategic lead for Domestic Violence (DV), Violence against Women (VAW), Hate Crime and Honour based Violence (HBV). She was the Deputy Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) lead for Honour based Violence. Yasmin is one of a handful of Police Staff who has held a national policing portfolio role and was the most senior Asian woman in policing in the UK for a number of years. Yasmin has also worked on a number of international projects with agencies in Sweden, USA, Canada, South Africa, India, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. She is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees of Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), a member of Women Against Fundamentalisms (WAF) and a trustee of Searchlight Educational Trust (SET). She is currently a freelance consultant and trainer. Joan Smith is a novelist, columnist and human rights activist. Her columns appear in the Independent, Independent on Sunday and Evening Standard, and she also writes for the Times, Guardian and Sunday Times. She chaired the English PEN Writers in Prison Committee for four years and has advised the Foreign Office on promoting freedom of expression. She is the author of a dozen books, including Misogynies and six novels; the latest, What Will Survive, is set in London and Lebanon. She is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society.

Maryam Namazie BM Box 6754 London WC1N 3XX, UK Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731 E: onelawforall@googlemail.com W: http://www.facebook.com/l/0158c;www.onelawforall.org.uk ——————–