Alexander Aan jailed today in Indonesia – Intensify campaign for his release and for repeal of blasphemy laws
Atheist Ireland condemns the jail sentence imposed today on Indonesian civil servant Alexander Aan for sharing material on Facebook about the Prophet Mohammad. The law should protect people from harm, and not protect ideas from criticism. We ask all Irish people to contact the Indonesian embassy demanding his immediate release, ...
Why we must combat blasphemy laws – Michael Nugent at the European Atheist Conference in Cologne
On May 26, Michael Nugent gave this talk about blasphemy laws to the European Atheist Conference in Cologne in Germany.
Repeal blasphemy laws: David Nash and Austin Dacey talk to Atheist Ireland
This is the second in a series of occasional lectures hosted by Atheist Ireland and livestreamed on the Internet. Professor David Nash and Austin Dacey talk about blasphemy laws, at a discussion chaired by Michael Nugent.
Two Irish Senators support Alexander Aan in Indonesian blasphemy case
Following a briefing of politicians by Atheist Ireland on Tuesday, two Irish Senators have asked the Irish Government to support Alexander Aan, the indonesian civil servant who is facing blasphemy charges for writing on Facebook that God does not exist. Speaking in the Seanad this Thursday, Senators Jillian van Turnhout ...
Senator Ivana Bacik calls for debate on Irish blasphemy law
Senator Ivana Bacik yesterday requested a Senate debate on the Irish blasphemy law and its international implications, following a briefing by Atheist Ireland of politicians in Leinster House the previous day. Senator Maurice Cummins responded that the Government can certainly look at this. Here is Senator Bacik’s contribution on the ...
Update on the campaign against the Irish blasphemy law
This is an update on the ongoing work that we have been doing in the campaign against the Irish blasphemy law, which is still on the Irish statute books. Our campaign against this law took a different and less confrontational focus when the previous Justice Minister accepted that the law ...
25-day walk for Irish blasphemy referendum
Starting today, Thursday May 6th, Atheist Ireland member Paul Gill will walk the length of Ireland, from Mizen Head in Cork to Malin Head in Donegal, to highlight the need to vote Yes in the coming Irish blasphemy referendum. On January 1st, the day Ireland’s new blasphemy law became operational, ...
Ahern proposes Autumn referendum on blasphemy
Atheist Ireland welcomes the statement from Dermot Ahern, the Irish Justice Minister, that he is proposing a referendum this Autumn to remove the offence of blasphemy from the Irish Constitution, along with two other referendums that the government is already committed to. The Minister has told the Sunday Times that ...
In the News – Jan 8 to Jan 14
Irish blasphemy law being used as a lever by Islamic countries (news item in CathNews Asia, 13 Jan) Irlanda, rappresentante Osce contro la legge sulla blasfemia (news item in Il Velino, 13 Jan) Blasphemy, an unjustified privilege (opinion piece by Ophelia Benson in the Guardian, 11 Jan) Let the Blaspheming ...
Irish Senator Defends New Blasphemy Law
Fianna Fail Senator Jim Walsh has become the first Irish Government politician to publicly defend the new blasphemy law since it became operational on 1 January (a spokesperson for the Minister for Justice did tell the Sunday Times that I was “some crackpot sitting in an attic somewhere”, but that ...