Matt Cherry, IHEU representative at the UN New York, and chair of the UN NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion and Belief has called on Pakistan to release immediately from detention Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

In the August 2007 International Humanist News, Taner Edis wrote about creationism in the Islamic world and in particular "Harun Yahya". Now we hear that the man behind the Yahya franchise has obtained a legal block on Internet access to all Wordpress blogs from Turkey. (However, a number of technical workarounds have been suggested.)

Bangladeshi writer-in-exile Taslima Nasreen was attacked at the Hyderabad Press Club today (Babu Gogineni reports), where she was launching the Telegu translation of her book Shodh ("Getting Even"). The attackers were members of the radical political group Majlis Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM), led by three elected members of the Legislative Assembly. She responded, "Come what may, I will never be silenced."

Both missiles and obscene threats were launched against Taslima, but fortunately she was not injured as the attackers were unable to get very close to her. The Humanist activist Dr Innaiah was injured on the face by objects thrown by the protesters: they were throwing whatever they could lay their hands on, including flower bouquets, handbags and other items. They were even picking up chairs to threaten Taslima.

As was widely expected, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is using the current six-month German presidency of the EU to revive the project for a European constitution – with God included. The Churches have been quick to climb on the bandwagon, urging that references to God and “our Judeo-Christian heritage” be included in any new draft. But while welcoming the Churches’ involvement, German Foreign Minister Frans-Walter Steinmeier has told MEPs to stay out of the constitutional process. Now the secularists are fighting back. In an unprecedented collaboration between politicians, academics, writers and community leaders from across the continent, Europe’s secularists have drafted The Brussels Declaration, a restatement of the common values on which modern European civilisation is based. The Brussels Declaration is due to be launched at the European Parliament on 27th February. The campaign has a web site at www.visionforeurope.org

IHEU's International Representative Babu Gogineni has written to President Musharraf asking him to review the case of British Muslim Mirza Taher Hussain. Mirza Hussain has been in detention for 18 years and on the death row for 16 years on murder charges which Pakistani courts too have rejected. Mirza Hussain is scheduled to be executed next month.

IHEU has also asked President Musharraf to revoke the Qisas and Diyat Ordinances, which allow justly-convicted murderers to escape punishment by payment of 'blood money' to the victim's families.

Please write to President Musharraf at http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx

We are pleased to be able to report that the the most extreme demand from the OIC -- that would have inhibited all discussion of human rights abuse in Islamic states -- has been removed from the resolution. However, the preamble (item PP7) leaves the door open for the OIC to try to prevent NGOs discussing human rights abuse by OIC states on the grounds of "failure to respect" religion. Commenting on the latest developments, IHEU's President Roy Brown said, "They did this at the Human Rights Commission even without the protection of PP7 and they will certainly do so at the Human Rights Council with this new weapon in their hands."

The latest documents are available on this web site.

IHEU has called on its member organisations to oppose the proposed ban on blasphemy in UN Human Rights Council charter. Together with other NGOs represented at the UN, it has issued the following statement:

Last week, during the negotiations to establish a new Human Rights Council to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Organization of the Islamic Conference tabled an amendment that would extend to the global level the prohibition against blasphemy that already exists in certain countries.

Humanists in the US have launched urgent appeals to raise help for victims of the disastrous Hurricane Katrina which devastated the Gulf Coast. Read on for details.

In July 2005, Mumbai suffered severe flooding, affecting many people and damaging the M.N. Roy Human Development Campus.

The American Humanist Association is routing the help raised through the American Red Cross. Donations can be made securely via AHA's website https://www.americanhumanist.org/secure/humanistcharities.php. The Center for Inquiry has asked for contributions to be made through SHARE, the Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort. You may donate securely at https://secure.ga3.org/05/donate_to_help_katrina_victims

Field Report from ASM in Andhra Pradesh

January 26, 2005 marked the one-month anniversary of the Tsunami, which had devastated lives, livestock, and livelihood of scores of coastal communities. The disaster knew no boundaries as it spread from Sumatra to India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, the Maldives and so on. Even the word Tsunami was unknown in the Bay of Bengal, so people were caught off-guard. But in some places, December 26th being a Sunday saved their lives but not their livelihood. One such place is Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh, India.

IHEU Tsunami Disaster Appeal
On behalf of Arthik Samata Mandal of Atheist Centre, India
Update: UK taxpayers can donate via Gift Aid
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New: give by credit card with no deductions through IHEU member American Humanist Association -- click here