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.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is calling for the removal of the automatic right of Church of England bishops to sit in Parliament. The call has come in advance of an event being held this evening, Jan. 27, 2010, by Labour Humanists which asks, “Should the bishops be evicted from the House of Lords?” The event, chaired by David Aaronovitch and including speakers Polly Toynbee and The Rt Revd Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, has attracted a capacity audience, indicating a renewed public interest in this issue.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has joined an appeal to the UN to help the situation of Christians in Iraq. The Christmas Day appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, drew her attention to acts of terror against Christians in Iraq that include the bombing of 59 churches and the killings of bishops, priests and other Christians. These acts of terror, combined with kidnappings, death threats, and anti-Christian social discrimination, have prompted nearly half of Iraq's one million Christians to flee the country.

IHEU has followed up its presentation to the Council of Europe’s San Marino conference “The religious dimension of intercultural dialogue” with a massive written submission containing 40 specific recommendations. The paper was prepared in conjunction with the UK National Secular Society. It is also available in the original form, complete with contents and footnotes, as a PDF file for download below.

In the wake of the ad hominem attacks on its spokesman on July 26th, IHEU has called on the United Nations Sub-Commission on Human Rights to unequivocally condemn any call to kill, to terrorise, or to use violence in the name of God, or of any religion.

In a joint statement with the Association for World Education, Representative David G Littman spoke at the UN Commission on Human Rights on 15 April 2005. He gave the results of a survey of 51 female slaves over the age of 11.

IHEU sends letter to European Court of Human Rights in Support of Norwegian Complaint

To: The Registrar
European Court of Human Rights
Council of Europe
F-67075 STRASBOURG CEDEX
France

28 November 2002 , London

ECHR-LE1.1R
SCP/kh
Application no.15472/02
Folgera et.alt v.Norway

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT TO NORWEGIAN COMPLAINT