DR. SHAIKH ASYLUM:
Sanal Edamaruku, president of Rationalist International, and convenor of the Dr. Shaikh Defense Committee has started discussions and negotiations with selected diplomatic missions at New Delhi to identify a country offering asylum or resident visa to Dr. Shaikh if he is released. Meantime over a thousand letters are already sent to the President of Pakistan (CE@pak.gov.pk) by e-mail, pleading for the release of Dr. Shaikh, from all over the world with copies to the Dr. Shaikh Defense Committee (Dr.ShaikhDefense@rationalistinternational.net). These include writers, scientists, intellectuals, activists, leaders of rationalist-humanist-atheist-freethinker-skeptic groups, and concerned individuals from all walks of life. If you are yet to write a letter to the President of Pakistan, please do it as early as possible with copies to the Dr.Shaikh Defense Committee. For more details, please visit www.rationalistinternational.net
PAKISTAN: NEWSWEEK BANNED FOR ARTICLE ON DR. SHAIKH Pakistan's customs have blocked the distribution of the latest issue of Newsweek. The US magazine carries in its edition of 3 September an article by Zahid Hussain on the blasphemy case of Dr. Shaikh, who has been sentenced to death last month (for more details, please visit www.rationalistinternational.net). This article, titled "Talking is dangerous", has to be removed before copies of the magazine can be circulated in Pakistan, Newsweek's local distributor Liberty Books was ordered by the press department of the customs authority. "Directly or indirectly, Pakistan's blasphemy laws are increasingly used to curb the press", said the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York. "By censoring an article that spotlights threats to free speech in Pakistan, authorities only bolster their country's reputation for intolerance." To read the banned article in Newsweek, please visit http://www.msnbc.com/news/619603.asp?cp1=1#BODY
UK: NON-DEMOCRATIC PAKISTAN REMAINS SUSPENDED FROM COMMONWEALTH Pakistan will continue to be suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth, as it did not fulfill the condition of the Millbroke Plan to restore democracy within two years of the coup. Ignoring this condition, Pakistan has delayed the return to democracy and seems to follow the time plan of its own Supreme Court instead, which has granted the government three years' time. The present self-appointed President of Pakistan, General Musharraf, is an army general who overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a military coup in November 1999. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group decided to propose that the process of restoration of democracy be monitored more actively by the Commonwealth secretary general. It also announced to deploy observers for the forthcoming national and provincial elections.
NEPAL: "UNTOUCHABLES" MARCH TO EQUALITY About 400 low caste Hindus entered under high security arrangements the Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Gujheshowri, which are considered to be the holiest Hindu temples in Nepal in over thousand years. In a peaceful march, accompanied by social organizations, human rights activists and members of various political parties, the erstwhile "untouchables" entered the shrines for the first time and offered mass worship. In the past, the priests used to strictly prevent them from coming near the gates of the temples, which were exclusively reserved for believers from higher castes. The right of unhindered and unrestricted access to all religious sites in the country for everybody regardless of his caste origin is part of a bold eight-point social reforms program, announced by Nepal's new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Caste-based discrimination, which is rampant in the world's only Hindu Kingdom, has become a punishable act.
GREECE: POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN STATE CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT The Greek Orthodox Church does not want to accept the decision of the government that identity cards should stop recording religion. Church leader Archbishop Christodoulos claims that such a question has to be decided by the people and demands a nationwide referendum. During the last year, he led a great signature campaign to support of the referendum demand. But the government bluntly refused to enter into any discussion. Under Greek law, the government only can call a referendum. And the removal of the religion entry from identity cards is not a matter of negotiation or majorities, but of the constitution. According to the ruling of Greece's highest administrative court in last March, it is unconstitutional to record religion on a mandatory state identity card. As an additional reason for the changes, Greece is under pressure to fulfill the standards of the European Union on civil rights and privacy protection. But the Orthodox Church does not want to stop here. More is at stake than the identity card changes. Greece could one fine day shake off its official state religion. Archbishop Christodoulos tries to use the dynamic of the hour to mobilize a mass movement against what he attacks as the socialist government's secular efforts to change the "Christian Orthodox character of the nation". According to the claims of the church, 27 per cent of the 11 million citizens have supported last year's referendum campaign. With more than 97 per cent of the native-born population being baptized as orthodox Christians, this result is not overwhelming. Observers are also doubtful if the Archbishop can keep the enthusiasm of his lambs for a long time in high pitch. On the other hand there is a broad support base for the government. Many people resent the church intervening too much in political and private life. The clergy in distress may keep on putting its fingers in any political pie and try to put street pressure on the government as long as it fails to consequently do the next step and vote in Parliament on the formal separation of church and state. Once you have started something, you have got to follow through.
IRELAND: EURO IS BAD FOR ALMSBAG The Roman Catholic Church of Ireland is worried. With the forthcoming switch to Euro coins in January, their collection may suffer a considerable shortfall. The Irish pound (or punt) is the only currency in the Euro zone, which has a greater base value than the Euro. At current rate, one pound is 1.27 Euro. One Euro coin will be not more than 0.78 pounds. If churchgoers' Sunday generosity shrinks with the common coin value, the almsbag may face a slim down of more than 20 per cent.
Creative Rationalism THIRD INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE New Delhi, India: 8-12, February 2002 Registration Open Now Registration for The Third International Rationalist Conference is open now. Join Rationalists -- Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists, Secular Humanists and Skeptics -- from around the world. Meet rationalist thinkers and fighters who influence social change. Exchange ideas, views, experiences and visions. Identify the creative dimension of Rationalism. Discuss the potential of transforming societies. Set the course for the future of enlightenment and humanism. Witness history. Creative Rationalism THIRD INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE At New Delhi from 8 to 12 February 2002 We need to keep setting high goals and achieving them. An interesting, thought-provoking conference. More details about the International Rationalist Conference, tentative schedule of events, flight information and all you want to know about the conference are available at our web site www.rationalistinternational.net. A downloadable registration form is also available at the web site.
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