The appalling lack of human rights in even the most liberal of Islamic States was highlighted this week when Qatar rejected the following recommendations made by member states of the Human Rights Council. Those not entitled to the full enjoyment of their human rights in Qatar include women, the children of mixed marriages, and–of course–homosexuals.

Nigerian Humanists have won the latest round in an ongoing battle with witch hunters. Today, 4 Feb. 2010, the Federal High Court in Calabar struck out the case brought against Leo Igwe, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) Representative in West Africa, by Helen Ukpabio of the Liberty Gospel Church.

Leo Igwe, IHEU’s West African representative, is working to combat widespread human rights abuses caused by belief in sorcery and the consequent persecution of alleged witches. On Nov. 12, 2009, he raised the issue of witch hunts at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, with the statement below.

The IHEU policy paper, Speaking Freely About Religion: Religious Freedom, Defamation and Blasphemy, is available for download at the bottom of this page.

Speaking Freely About Religion:
Religious Freedom, Defamation and Blasphemy

Executive Summary

IHEU international representative Keith Porteous Wood has been reappointed (in a personal capacity) to the Panel of nine civil society representatives assisting the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna. The Agency advises the European Commission on discrimination and equality matters and has a formal obligation to engage with and receive feedback from civil society.

The Durban Review Conference on Racism has just finished in Geneva. Roy Brown reviews the results – good, bad and indifferent.

See http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/navigate/alpha.htm for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in over 300 languages. The Declaration is the statement of fundamental human rights that apply to every individual and has been widely ratified by states around the world.