Open Letter to The Minister for Justice and Equality on the Blasphemy Referendum Wording
Dear Minister Fitzgerald, Following the Constitutional Convention, your government has announced that there will be a referendum held during 2015 in relation to the clause on blasphemy within Article 40 of the Constitution. While the specific question to be asked on the ballot paper has yet to be announced, ...
Convention’s vote on blasphemy could bring Ireland back to the 1980s
We are pleased that 61% of the Constitutional Convention members have rejected the reference to blasphemy in the Constitution. But we are shocked and concerned by some aspects of the outcome. We are shocked that 38% of the members voted to keep this anachronistic reminder of the Ireland of Eamon ...
Atheist Ireland speeches about blasphemy at the Constitutional Convention
Michael Nugent, Prof David Nash and Jane Donnelly, on behalf of Atheist Ireland, made the following three speeches today at the Constitutional Convention meeting about blasphemy law. They run from 2:42 - 11:44 on the video. Speech by Michael Nugent, Chairperson Atheist Ireland (2:42 - 6:36 on video) You have ...
Atheist Ireland asks Constitutional Convention to remove blasphemy offence
Atheist Ireland has today made the following submission to the Irish Constitutional Convention, seeking the removal of the offence of blasphemy from the Irish Constitution. 1. Executive summary 1. Atheist Ireland is an advocacy group for atheism, reason and ethical secularism. We are participants in the dialogue process between the ...
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 ...