Contact:
Sam Gerard, (202) 238-9088 ext. 105, sgerard@americanhumanist.org

(January 27, 2020, Washington, DC) – The American Humanist Association brings Rafida Bonya Ahmed, a Bangladeshi-American author and blogger to discuss House Resolution 512, which calls on the President and Secretary of State to stand up against blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws around the world and how these laws have personally affected her and her family.

The hearing, held jointly by the United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, And International Organizations and the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, highlights blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws and how they hinder religious freedom around the world.

Where: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

When: Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 2:00pm

Who: Rafida Bonya Ahmed, a Bangladeshi-American author and blogger. Ahmed and her husband, Avijit Roy, were attacked by Islamic extremists because of their secular blogs and writings, where she was gravely injured and Avijit was killed.

Why: Blasphemy laws are often used to silence religious and nonreligious minorities or political dissidents and to foster religious intolerance, discrimination, and violence within communities. They also prohibit or impede freedom of expression and restrict dialogue that is crucial to the health of a robust civil society, including critiques, skepticism, and satire. Over seventy-five countries still currently have blasphemy laws.

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The American Humanist Association (americanhumanist.org) advocates for the rights and viewpoints of humanists. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, DC, its work is extended through more than 175 local chapters and affiliates across the United States. Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms a responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity.