The International Association of Free Thought (IAFT) expresses its support for activists who have become victims of religious intolerance, and have been persecuted for expressing their views.
It supports in particular:
- The Turkish pianist Fazil Say, who will be judged in October for having “offended Islam” on Twitter, declared his atheism, and quoted lines of verse of the great 11th century Persian poet Omar Khayyám.
- The Indonesian atheist Alex Aan, who was given a two and a half year sentence in June and a huge fine for having stated on Facebook that God does not exist.
- Jaber El Majri and Ghazi El Beji, two Tunisian activists who were given a seven year sentence in March and a fine for atheism and criticism of Islam on Facebook and in a novel.
- The Russian rock band Pussy Riots, threatened with prison for an act of blasphemy, having sung in a church against the government.
- The case of Doda (Dorota Rabczewska), a Polish pop star, condemned for disparaging the Bible.
- Sanal Edamaruku, President of the Indian Rationalist Association, recently charged with outrage of feelings by insulting religion or religious beliefs for examining a supposed miracle at a local Catholic Church, and showing it to be anything but miraculous.
July 4th 2012, updated July 17th 2012
