The redoubtable Maryam Namazie is head of One Law for All, the organisation that stand for what it says: that is, one law for Britain, one law legislated by parliament, and applied without fear or favour throughout the green isles.
Standing up for this principle would have seemed odd a while ago, for it would have been taken as given: of course the law of the land was the law for all. But now it needs to be stood up for -- support for this basic principle of all democracies in the west is needed now in response to one thing, and one thing alone: the push for Sharia law.
Think that's not on the cards? Think again. It already is: there are some 87 Sharia tribunals in the UK, which affect Muslims and non-Muslims alike and which do harm to the rights of women and children in particular.
The OLfA report with details of those harms is here.
Maryam is also head of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain: brave people who have put their names and photos on their website and their Manifesto here.
In her most recent letter to supporters, Maryam talks of the craziness of the UK government's giving Charitable Status to groups promoting Sharia - with all its misogynist, murderous provisions -- while secular groups such as the Council of Ex-Muslims is not permitted that status. As she says
There is something fundamentally wrong when the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain can’t get charity status but the Sharia Council legislating misogyny in its sharia courts can.
Below is her letter in full:
Dear friends
I wanted to thank you for your support of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. As you know we were in desperate need of financial help and are grateful for the donations of many generous individuals and groups.
What we do – breaking the taboo that comes with renouncing Islam and challenging a movement that sentences apostates to death – is considered ‘controversial’ to say the least and makes it almost impossible to get support from mainstream funders. Also, we haven’t been able to secure charity status.
In its refusal letter the Charity Commission says: “Under English law the advancement of religion is a recognised charitable purpose and charities are afforded certain fiscal privileges by the state. The prohibition of any such financial privilege as called for in the demand made in Manifesto would require a change in law. Similarly a separation of religion from the state and legal and education system would appear to require both constitutional reform and change to the law.”
There is something fundamentally wrong when the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain can’t get charity status but the Sharia Council legislating misogyny in its sharia courts can. And how absurd that defending secularism is not a charitable object but advancing religion is, particularly in this day and age when we are living under an Islamic Inquisition.
Much of the struggle for change throughout history has included demands for changes in the law and in religion’s role in the public space. And this is something the Council of Ex-Muslims will continue to do with your support.
Again, thank you. Please do continue to support us in any way you can; every little bit helps go a long way in the fight that lies ahead.
Warmest wishes
Maryam
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
1. See Maryam’s speech at the Dublin World Atheist Conference on the Islamic Inquisition here.
2. See our Manifesto here
3. See an updated list of members here
4. See the latest media coverage of our activities here
5. To donate to the crucial work of CEMB, please either send a cheque made payable to CEMB to BM Box 1919, London WC1N 3XX, UK or pay via Worldpay by visiting here
6. The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain was launched in June 2007. The launch video has been seen by over 190,000 people 7. For further information contact:
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
BM Box 1919
London WC1N 3XX
telephone: +44(0)7719166731
e-mail: ex-muslimcouncil@googlemail.com website: www.ex-muslim.org.uk
