Upprop för yttrande- och tankefrihet i Bangladesh
tisdag 23 april 2013
I Bangladesh har fyra ateister/fritänkare/sekulära bloggare arresterats för att de förolämpat islam. Våldsamma demonstrationer i landet kräver dödsstraff för blasfemi. På torsdag den 25:e april genomförs stödaktioner och demonstrationer för yttrande- och tankefrihet i Bangladesh, på flera platser i Europa och USA. Hjälp till att uppmärksamma värdet av yttrande- och tankefrihet, via bloggar och andra sociala medier under torsdagen.
Open letter to Embassy of Bangladesh
In January, 29 year old blogger Asif Mohiuddin was stabbed. In February, 35 year old atheist blogger involved in the Shahbag protests, Ahmed Rajib, was brutally killed. Islamists continue to threaten prominent bloggers and have called for the “execution of 84 atheist bloggers for insulting religion”.
Bangladesh is a non-religious parliamentary democracy that protects the right to free expression in its constitution. Hence, if a person claims to be an atheist, he or she has the same rights as other citizens. Rather than defend freedom of expression and protect freethinkers, the Bangladeshi government has arrested several bloggers, promised to pursue others, and shut down websites and blogs.
Freedom of expression, including to criticize religions, is a basic human right. Furthermore, Freedom of religion is not only the principle that supports the freedom of an individual to manifest religion but also the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion.
We, the undersigned, condemn the attacks on and threats against atheist, secularist and freethinking bloggers and call on the Bangladeshi government to guarantee their safety, respect free expression and prosecute Islamists who threaten, attack and harm critics.
/ Swedish Humanist Association
