"The institutionalised persecution of the non-religious"

[mr blur]

From this week's British Humanist Association Newsletter:

Washiqur Rahman becomes the third humanist to be cleavered to death in the streets of Dhaka

This morning, the humanist satirist and blogger Washiqur Rahman was hacked down not 500 yards from his house, because he criticised religious fundamentalism in a blog. Barely a month has passed since Avijit Roy, the Bangladeshi American founder of the Mukto-Mona blog, was killed in identical circumstances. Ahmed Rajib Haider met a similar end in 2013.

The institutionalised persecution of the non-religious is seen all over the world. In some places, as in Saudi Arabia, the state acts as persecutor. In others, like Bangladesh, a tradition of turning a blind eye to murders committed in the name of blasphemy has given confidence to well-coordinated thugs and terrorists. Following an international outcry over Avijit Roy's death, the man who promised to murder him was arrested for the crime, and afterwards Ahmed Haider's suspected killers were indicted for murder as well. But these late-in-the-day reactions did little to deter the man who killed Washiqur this morning.

-Snip-

More here: https://humanism.org.uk/2015/03/30/another-free-speech-murder-in-dhaka-writer-washiqur-rahman-is-hacked-to-death/

Yes, it's in Asia, not the US or the UK but how long before one of your "godly" politicians starts putting people in jail (or worse) for daring to not believe in gods?

[AtheistCrusader]

1. "Come and take them"

But they better eat their fucking Wheaties before they come for me.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Once upon a time we burned witches in both the US and UK...

but rather than worry about how some barbaric third-world practices might be revived here, why not come up with some ideas how to bring them into modern times.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. I know! We can meet them half way to help them along!

amirite?

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Silence!

Who are you to question God? And so it goes.

[rurallib]

4. there are many that would love to

and a fearful populace that would egg them on thinking it will get them to heaven.

[beam me up scottie]

5. Well since a former president once said we're neither patriots nor citizens,

and every Sunday hateful rhetoric about us is broadcast from pulpits around the country, let's just say I'm not exactly comfortable with leaving my fate in the hands of my countrymen.

Not paranoid, just awake and aware in the bible belt.

[Runningdawg]

6. Wasn't it here

that I recently read an article about someone who wanted to make church attendance mandatory? I don't think it mentioned a suggested punishment for disobeying such as law but I can guess... Flogging? Public shaming in the stocks? Televised execution? This is a seed that once planted will grow faster and larger than Jacks beanstalk.

[Htom Sirveaux]

7. Tragic and reprehensible.

Decent people of all faiths should rally around atheists, humanists (and others of similar views whatever their label) and their right to publicly proclaim their views, free of intimidation and violence. Not just in Bangladesh, but everywhere.

[okasha]

9. This is an atrocity.

The UN and our State Department need to lean on the Bangladeshi government and alleged security forces. Hard.