We were able to attend one of the largest gatherings of atheists and freethinkers in the world, Celebrating Dissent, organised in Cologne by Maryam Namazie, co-founder of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, and by Freethought Lebanon (many of whose members reside in Germany). An event with a very special tone, Salman Rushdie’s aggression being in everyone’s heads. More than ever, these atheists wanted to show that they are more and more numerous and determined to win the battle against obscurantism. Surprisingly, Charlie was the only French newspaper to cover this demonstration.
Report.
“Machallah”, maliciously says Sami Abdallah, the president of Freethought Lebanon, as an introduction to the event, under the laughter of the audience. It means “Allah willed it”; “it is the will of God”. Obviously, in front of an assembly of atheists, many of whom are ex-Muslims, it can only make you laugh. This Celebrating Dissent was held in Cologne, Germany, after a first edition held in 2019 in Amsterdam. The demonstration brought together about fifty atheists and freethinkers from more than 30 countries. It’s quite incredible to meet so many atheists and freethinkers in the same place, each with stories each more upsetting than the other (read our portraits here). Many risk their lives because of their commitment, especially ex-Muslims: apostasy is punishable by the death penalty in 12 countries, and blasphemy also punished in many parts of the world. Most of the ex-Muslims present have refugee status because they had to flee their country of origin. This gathering allows them to support each other and make their voices heard.
Read Also: Portraits of atheists: “To live free, I had to flee my country”
Of course, the attack on Salman Rushdie is on everyone’s lips. “Unfortunately, we know that he is not the first and that he will not be the last to be assaulted,” says Maryam Namazie as an introduction (read our interview here). The assembly adopted a resolution to support him: “Celebrating Dissent condemns the violent attack on Salman Rushdie and provides unwavering support to the courageous writer. A resolution that also welcomes the fact that, this time, Rushdie is supported, “unlike the usual slanders that are heard against freethinkers when they are targeted by Islamists”. In the evening, participants embark on a march through the streets of Cologne, in support of Rushdie, behind the banner of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain displaying “Apostasy is not a crime”. Around an aperitif, in the hotel where all these atheists reside, some evoke with fun – as if to put it at a distance – the risk of an attack, although very real. In the previous edition, the fire alarm was triggered in the middle of the night, and some, terrorised, had believed in a terrorist attack.
“Is it improving a little in Morocco? “We try with Betty Lachgar, a Moroccan feminist activist and atheist who organises many actions on the ground. Betty reminds us of the sad reality: a woman has just been imprisoned for blasphemy. One of the conferences concerns precisely this issue of blasphemy and freedom of expression. Are the two still linked? “Any criticism of religion is mostly perceived as blasphemy,” explains Susanna McIntyre, a former American Catholic. Tunisian filmmaker and activist Nadia El Fani speaks: “I remind you that blasphemy only concerns people who believe in a religion. If I don’t believe, I’m not concerned about blasphemy. And to recall in passing that a blasphemy law still exists in Germany.
“Machallah”, maliciously says Sami Abdallah, the president of Freethought Lebanon, as an introduction to the event, under the laughter of the audience. It means “Allah willed it”; “it is the will of God”. Obviously, in front of an assembly of atheists, many of whom are ex-Muslims, it can only make you laugh. This Celebrating Dissent was held in Cologne, Germany, after a first edition held in 2019 in Amsterdam. The demonstration brought together about fifty atheists and freethinkers from more than 30 countries. It’s quite incredible to meet so many atheists and freethinkers in the same place, each with stories each more upsetting than the other (read our portraits here). Many risk their lives because of their commitment, especially ex-Muslims: apostasy is punishable by the death penalty in 12 countries, and blasphemy also punished in many parts of the world. Most of the ex-Muslims present have refugee status because they had to flee their country of origin. This gathering allows them to support each other and make their voices heard.
Read Also: Portraits of atheists: “To live free, I had to flee my country”
Of course, the attack on Salman Rushdie is on everyone’s lips. “Unfortunately, we know that he is not the first and that he will not be the last to be assaulted,” says Maryam Namazie as an introduction (read our interview here). The assembly adopted a resolution to support him: “Celebrating Dissent condemns the violent attack on Salman Rushdie and provides unwavering support to the courageous writer. A resolution that also welcomes the fact that, this time, Rushdie is supported, “unlike the usual slanders that are heard against freethinkers when they are targeted by Islamists”. In the evening, participants embark on a march through the streets of Cologne, in support of Rushdie, behind the banner of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain displaying “Apostasy is not a crime”. Around an aperitif, in the hotel where all these atheists reside, some evoke with fun – as if to put it at a distance – the risk of an attack, although very real. In the previous edition, the fire alarm was triggered in the middle of the night, and some, terrorised, had believed in a terrorist attack.
“Is it improving a little in Morocco? “We try with Betty Lachgar, a Moroccan feminist activist and atheist who organises many actions on the ground. Betty reminds us of the sad reality: a woman has just been imprisoned for blasphemy. One of the conferences concerns precisely this issue of blasphemy and freedom of expression. Are the two still linked? “Any criticism of religion is mostly perceived as blasphemy,” explains Susanna McIntyre, a former American Catholic. Tunisian filmmaker and activist Nadia El Fani speaks: “I remind you that blasphemy only concerns people who believe in a religion. If I don’t believe, I’m not concerned about blasphemy. And to recall in passing that a blasphemy law still exists in Germany.
Read Also: Maryam Namazie: “Islamists are afraid of us”
Do not talk about “Islamophobia” to these ex-Muslims. “It’s a word that is made to prevent us from criticising Islam,” says Halima Salat, a native of Kenya. Islam is an ideology, and as such, it must always be able to be criticised. Sami Abdallah emphasises the difference “between criticising Muslims as people and criticising an idea”. But he does not hesitate to go even further: “Islamophobia” refers to the fear of Islam, but, personally, I think that indeed there are things that scare in the Koran. When the speakers address the issue of the limits of freedom of expression on social networks, to the host who believes that Trump has been rightly banned from Twitter, Jimmy Bangash, a former Muslim and gay, from Pakistan, replies: “Trump is banned, but what about Iranian mullahs, who can continue to call for the killing of gays or Salman Rushdie? They are always present on the social network. ”
During these two days, other conferences were organised: on the difficulties that there are sometimes being recognised as a refugee when you are an ex-Muslim; on the issue of the hijab and women’s bodies (it goes without saying, none of the ex-Muslims wears the veil anymore). At a conference on identity policies, ex-Muslims emphasised how the left sometimes abandons them. Zara Kay, an atheist from Tanzania, a refugee in Sweden, denounces: “The left has betrayed us. It is normally on the side of emancipation, but it abandons dissident Muslim women. In Sweden, I am considered to be right-wing, because I speak as an ex-Muslim. They do not understand that Islamism is of the extreme right. Applause in the room. Halimat Salat (see her portrait), shows that she was “disinvited” from a Women’s march conference in the Netherlands, because she was preparing to criticise the wearing of Hijab.
This rally was also taking place as the war in Ukraine continues. The absence of Inna Shevchenko, who was to speak at one of the conferences, sadly recalled this. She read a text, explaining her “disillusionment with the democratic world”. “You will notice that many of my liberal comrades, including many left-wing, who have often hesitated to condemn acts of violence committed by religious extremists […] have also hesitated to condemn Putin’s criminal regime and its atrocious attack on the Ukrainian people. ”
Read Also: Poland: atheists and feminists against the dictatorship of the Church
Throughout these two days, art has occupied an important place, because it is on this ground, too, that contestation is located. Between conferences, we could see a YouTuber singing Music is haram, a former evangelical pastor turned atheist playing the piano and singing in a loop “beware of dogmas”, or also Afghan artist Sara Nabil offering a performance where she cuts her hair. At the end of the day, it’s time for guest star Richard Dawkins, a British scientist and atheist activist. He arrives under a standing ovation (if you dared, it looks like he’s the only guru they follow here). He praises science for their independence from any culture: “There is no Japanese or American physics, it’s just physics. And advocates the scientific method: “The only important thing is the evidence. Never believe in anything if there is no evidence. If we say “it was revealed to me”, it’s no reason to believe it! ”
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain had already launched Apostasy Day on August 22. This time, at the end of the event, they called for the creation of an International Secularism Day on December 10, to promote secularism throughout the world. We are told that the next edition of Celebrating Dissent could take place… in France. “We would like to do the next edition in Paris,” confirms Maryam Namazie. To do this, we would need to obtain the support of French secular associations and groups. I hope that will be the case. We hope too, but it’s not won.
Do not talk about “Islamophobia” to these ex-Muslims. “It’s a word that is made to prevent us from criticising Islam,” says Halima Salat, a native of Kenya. Islam is an ideology, and as such, it must always be able to be criticised. Sami Abdallah emphasises the difference “between criticising Muslims as people and criticising an idea”. But he does not hesitate to go even further: “Islamophobia” refers to the fear of Islam, but, personally, I think that indeed there are things that scare in the Koran. When the speakers address the issue of the limits of freedom of expression on social networks, to the host who believes that Trump has been rightly banned from Twitter, Jimmy Bangash, a former Muslim and gay, from Pakistan, replies: “Trump is banned, but what about Iranian mullahs, who can continue to call for the killing of gays or Salman Rushdie? They are always present on the social network. ”
During these two days, other conferences were organised: on the difficulties that there are sometimes being recognised as a refugee when you are an ex-Muslim; on the issue of the hijab and women’s bodies (it goes without saying, none of the ex-Muslims wears the veil anymore). At a conference on identity policies, ex-Muslims emphasised how the left sometimes abandons them. Zara Kay, an atheist from Tanzania, a refugee in Sweden, denounces: “The left has betrayed us. It is normally on the side of emancipation, but it abandons dissident Muslim women. In Sweden, I am considered to be right-wing, because I speak as an ex-Muslim. They do not understand that Islamism is of the extreme right. Applause in the room. Halimat Salat (see her portrait), shows that she was “disinvited” from a Women’s march conference in the Netherlands, because she was preparing to criticise the wearing of Hijab.
This rally was also taking place as the war in Ukraine continues. The absence of Inna Shevchenko, who was to speak at one of the conferences, sadly recalled this. She read a text, explaining her “disillusionment with the democratic world”. “You will notice that many of my liberal comrades, including many left-wing, who have often hesitated to condemn acts of violence committed by religious extremists […] have also hesitated to condemn Putin’s criminal regime and its atrocious attack on the Ukrainian people. ”
Read Also: Poland: atheists and feminists against the dictatorship of the Church
Throughout these two days, art has occupied an important place, because it is on this ground, too, that contestation is located. Between conferences, we could see a YouTuber singing Music is haram, a former evangelical pastor turned atheist playing the piano and singing in a loop “beware of dogmas”, or also Afghan artist Sara Nabil offering a performance where she cuts her hair. At the end of the day, it’s time for guest star Richard Dawkins, a British scientist and atheist activist. He arrives under a standing ovation (if you dared, it looks like he’s the only guru they follow here). He praises science for their independence from any culture: “There is no Japanese or American physics, it’s just physics. And advocates the scientific method: “The only important thing is the evidence. Never believe in anything if there is no evidence. If we say “it was revealed to me”, it’s no reason to believe it! ”
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain had already launched Apostasy Day on August 22. This time, at the end of the event, they called for the creation of an International Secularism Day on December 10, to promote secularism throughout the world. We are told that the next edition of Celebrating Dissent could take place… in France. “We would like to do the next edition in Paris,” confirms Maryam Namazie. To do this, we would need to obtain the support of French secular associations and groups. I hope that will be the case. We hope too, but it’s not won.
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| Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born activist and Spokesperson of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All. |
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