Atheist Alliance International

Catholic Church Begins Ghoulish Tour of JPII Remains

Written by Stuart Bechman | 25 August 2011

The Associated Press has reported that the "relics" of Pope John Paul II have arrived in Mexico to begin a four-month tour through 100 Mexican cities.

For non-Catholics, this sounds almost quaint. Many of us think of "relics" as family heirlooms and trinkets kept by our grandmother in an old chest with mothballs. But that's not what "relics" means to the Catholic Church. For the Church, "relics" are the REMAINS of the actual dead relative!

Per the AP report: "Worshippers applauded, cried and prayed Thursday morning as a vial of the ex-pontiff's blood and a wax figure of the pope donning a papal robe arrived at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe."

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AAI launches appeal to support Alex Aan

25 January 2012


MEDIA RELEASE

25 January 2012

Indonesian authorities must support freedom of speech and conscience

Atheist Alliance International launches appeal to support Alexander Aan

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) demands that the Indonesian government support freedom of speech and freedom of conscience by immediately releasing Alexander Aan from custody and dropping all charges against him, pursuing the perpetrators of the physical attack against Aan and repealing the country’s oppressive anti-blasphemy legislation.

“Alexander simply expressed his view that there is no god.  In contrast, his attackers assaulted a real person and must be brought to justice,” said AAI President Tanya Smith.

“Indonesia’s anti-blasphemy laws are an appalling relic from the country’s period of dictatorship.  They should be repealed as an essential step towards the freedom of Indonesia's people and the country's participation in the modern world,” Smith said.

Karl Karnadi, an Indonesian atheist associated with AAI said "Any religious person would say that gods of other religions do not exist. Why should Alex be arrested for effectively saying the same? Just because he is an atheist doesn't mean that he should be jailed. Religious and non-religious people are going to disagree and that may offend some, but that's a natural outcome from people having different views. Such an absurd law should not exist in Indonesia or in any other place." 

Police in Dharmasraya, western Sumatra, on Friday (20 January) said that Aan had been charged with blasphemy for postings he made on a 1,200-member Facebook group.

Aan had initially been taken into ‘protective custody’ after he was beaten by a mob of religious zealots. There have been no indications that his assailants will face prosecution. Aan, a civil servant, has also been threatened with the loss of his job.

Muslim-majority Indonesia officially recognizes only six faith traditions: Islam, protestant Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. Citizens are forced to choose from one of these traditions when applying for identification cards.

Atheist Alliance International has launched an appeal for donations to help pay for Aan's legal costs and to support the Aan family's living expenses while he is in jail, at www.atheistalliance.org/support-aai/donate (Legal/Support Fund for Alex Aan).

 

UPDATE: Please sign the petition to support Alexander Aan here.

UPDATE: Please contact the Indonesian authorities to call for Alex Aan's release and express your concern about Indonesia's blasphemy laws.

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First national meeting of atheists in Brazil

Written by Alexandre F. Shimono | 06 February 2012

On February 12th, next Sunday (the anniversary of Charles Darwin's birthday), Brazil will have its first national atheist meeting in several State Capitals.  So far, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Pará, Amazonas, Rondônia, Acre, Amapá, Maranhão, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Sergipe e Bahia and the country capital Brasilia have confirmed the event.

The event was planned by Sociedade Racionalista (official website of the event) and it has support  from several atheist/humanist/agnostic organizations such as LiHS (an Affiliate Member of AAI), ATEA, Ateus do Brasil,  Ateísmo pelo mundo (NGO) and the blog from Paulo Lopes, a well known atheist journalist.

"Mobilization to arrange the meeting -  despite of results it may have - shows that Brazilian atheists, specially the young, are starting to organize all over the country using the internet. The idea of the meeting was conceived on Facebook." says Paulo Lopes in his blog.

Sources: Paulo Lopes Blog and Ateus do Brasil.

Thank you AAI supporters!

Written by Administrator | 05 February 2012

Thanks to generous donations from many AAI members and supporters renovations at the Kasese Humanist Primary School in Uganda are going very well!

AAI received a report from the school today noting that the kitchen and new toilets have been finished, and renovations are underway on a school dormitory so that children can board at the school - beds have been ordered and fencing of the area is in progress.  Also, 20 class desks have been purchased for the new P.7 class.

A school kitchen has been put in place.  As we extended, we were forced to demolish the old kitchen and put a fresh one.  It's made from bricks, roofed with iron sheets and next to our school dormitory. 


Ply-woods being fixed as partitions of the rooms. Bwambale Robert, the school Project Director is seen in the photo above supervising the renovations exercise.  

You can see more photos through the school's Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ kasesehumanistprimaryschool.

All donations to support the Kasese Humanist Primary School are greatly appreciated!  You can donate through AAI's Directed Donations option here.

11 February 2012: A day to defend free expression

Written by Council of Ex-Muslims | 07 February 2012

The One Law for All 11 February rally for Free Expression is being held in London from 14:00-16:00 hours at the Old Palace Yard opposite the House of Lords. The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain fully supports the action. Speakers are: Richard Dawkins (Scientist); A C Grayling (Philosopher); Alex Gabriel (Blogger); Anne Marie Waters (One Law for All); Caroline Cox (Peer); Derek Lennard (Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association); Faisal Gazi (Spittoon.org); Gita Sahgal, (Centre for Secular Space); Hasan Afzal (Stand for Peace); Jennifer Hardy (Queen Mary Atheism Humanism and Secularism Society); Jenny Bartle (National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies); Jim Fitzpatrick (MP); Kate Smurthwaite (Comedian); Kenan Malik (Writer); Lilith (Poet, Anti-Injustice Movement) ; Marco Tranchino (Central London Humanist Group); Mark Embleton (Atheism UK); Maryam Namazie (One Law for All and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain); Nick Cohen (Writer); Nick Doody (Comedian); Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters); Rashid Ali (Centri); Rhys Morgan (Student activist); Roy Brown (International Humanist and Ethical Union); Rupert Sutton (Student Rights); Sohaila Sharifi (Equal Rights Now); Sue Cox (Survivors Voice Europe); Sundas Hoorain (London School of Economics Atheist, Secularist, and Humanist Society); Susan Zhuang (University College London Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society); Terry Sanderson/Keith Porteous Wood (National Secular Society); and Yasmin Rehman (Campaigner). There will also be messages from Jesus and Mo creator and Richard Dawkins. Iranian Secular Society’s Fariborz Pooya will be the Master of Ceremonies.

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