Conscience magazine has offered to send a complimentary copy of its Winter 2007/08 issue to IHEU supporters. Conscience is a quarterly newsjournal published by Catholics for Choice and the issue is dedicated to an examination of church/state issues in the EU, the US and Latin America.

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.

Betty Nassaka is one of the founders of the women's Humanist organization in Uganda. This personal story tells how she developed her critical and independent mind in a country where women are not treated equally due to many religious and traditional practices.

I grew up in a family that worships both God and gods. My stepfather, who was a traditional healer, would go to church with my mother on Sundays (my father was killed during the liberation war). My parents were so rude to me that whenever I would ask any of them a question, I was answered with a question.

Trafficking in persons - the illegal and highly profitable recruitment, transport, or sale of human beings for the purpose of exploiting their labor - is a slavery-like practice that must be eliminated. The trafficking of women and children into bonded sweatshop labor, forced marriage, forced prostitution, domestic servitude, and other kinds of work is a global phenomenon. Traffickers use coercive tactics including deception, fraud, intimidation, isolation, threat and use of physical force, and/or debt bondage to control their victims. Women are typically recruited with promises of good jobs in other countries or provinces, and, lacking better options at home, agree to migrate. Through agents and brokers who arrange the travel and job placements, women are escorted to their destinations and delivered to the employers. Upon reaching their destinations, some women learn that they have been deceived about the nature of the work they will do; most have been lied to about the financial arrangements and conditions of their employment; and all find themselves in coercive and abusive situations from which escape is both difficult and dangerous.

Recent events in both France and England have again focused attention on the wearing of the veil, headscarf or hijab by women from Muslim communities. Is this, as Islamists claim, an issue of religious freedom? Or is it rather, as many women of Muslim origin would argue, about oppression?

The French government, who recently banned the wearing of headscarves in schools and public institutions are in no doubt. Nor was the judge in Luton, England, who decided that requiring a Muslim girl to wear a standard school uniform - and no veil - was not an infringement of her religious rights.

Suddenly the veil has become a major issue. Veiling the heads and bodies of little girls and adolescents has a devastating impact on their minds and lives. Those who care about children's rights should demand that this imposition be legally prevented.

November 15th and 16th 2003, London

18 August 2003
London

Dear Friend,

I am writing to tell you about the International Women's Conference IHEU is arranging for November 15th and 16th 2003. It will be held in the Library of Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, in Central London. I hope you will accept this invitation to participate.

Even if you have already sent in an e-mail previously expressing interest in response to the notice in International Humanist News, may I request you to please fill in the accompanying registration form to help us? Kindly can you also let others in your organisation know about this event by circulating this information?