Annual Report 2015 challenging religious privilege ABOUT THE Founded in 1866, we work towards a society in which all citizens, regardless of religious belief, or lack of religious belief, can live together fairly and cohesively. We campaign for a secular democracy with a separation of religion and state, where everyone’s Human Rights are respected equally. This report covers the period October 2014 – October 2015

THE SECULAR CHARTER Our campaigning and policy objectives are guided by our Secular Charter. The National Secular Society campaigns for a secular state, where: • There is no established state religion. • Everyone is equal before the law, regardless of religion, belief or non-belief. • The judicial process is not hindered or replaced by religious codes or processes. • Freedom of expression is not restricted by religious considerations. • Religion plays no role in state-funded education, whether through religious affiliation of schools, curriculum setting, organised worship, religious instruction, pupil selection or employment practices. • The state does not express religious beliefs or preferences and does not intervene in the setting of religious doctrine. • The state does not engage in, fund or promote religious activities or practices. • There is freedom of belief, non-belief and to renounce or change religion. • Public and publicly-funded service provision does not discriminate on grounds of religion, belief or non-belief. • Individuals and groups are neither accorded privilege nor disadvantaged because of their religion, belief or non-belief. 01

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Secularism’s role has You might have thought that the ‘Trojan Horse’ affair would have shaken the never been so important Government’s faith in faith schools, but This has been another significant year for once more Mr Cameron gives them a free the NSS, with the prospect of an even pass. He insists that we must be a cohesive more special one to come as our 150th society, but fails to challenge one of the anniversary approaches. You can read in major stumbling blocks to the integration this report about the campaigning that of children from minority communities. has been going on in that period. Our The NSS’s opposition to religious schools is staff have been diligent in challenging as firm as ever. We don’t just want publicly injustices caused by religious privilege. funded schools reformed, we want them I’m proud of how well they have assisted dismantling, and the rest regulated more the increasing number of people who call carefully. The abolition may have to be done us and write to us for advice and help. in stages, but it must be completed for all But, of course, we are not a public advisory our sakes. We can start by scrapping the service or helpline like the Citizen’s scandalously unfair entry requirements and Advice Bureau or the Samaritans. We the unforgivable employment discrimination. don’t have the benefits or the restrictions Whether the faith school madness continues that come with public money. But many or not, these particularly blatant affronts who feel they have been treated unfairly to human rights must be done away with. because of their religion or lack of it still As religious conflict spirals out of control come to us for assistance – whether it across the world, the time is coming for is about problems excusing their child democratic secularism to be recognised as from collective worship at school or the only way that these diverse societies discrimination in job provision we do our As religious conflict can peacefully live together. Many Muslims best to help – despite our limited resources. see the value of keeping the state and This is an aspect of our work that spirals out of control religion separate. And hopefully the doesn’t get a lot of public exposure but across the world, the millions fleeing sectarian wars will come to it does take up a fair amount of time. understand that they must learn to tolerate time is coming for and accept other religious points of view. Our new staff members, Ben and Alastair, They must not bring their wars with them. have settled in well and have risen to democratic secularism to the unique challenges of their jobs. Our job at the NSS is to promote as best With their input, our website continues be recognised as the only we can the idea that democracy and to grow in popularity and we have a secularism are not religion’s enemy, but significant social media presence. way that these diverse could be everyone’s very best friend. Of course, in a global context, the issue of societies can peacefully US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said secularism has never been so important. live together.” that his wish is for Syria one day to be As extremist religion and sectarian conflict secular. He knows as well as we do that spread, our efforts to oppose it are the only way for religions and beliefs to constantly undermined by apologists who live together, without any one of them should know better. Until recently those who a platform on grounds that they were having the opportunity to have power over misguidedly imagine that they are somehow “Islamophobic” or even “racist”. The people the others, is to embrace secularism. protecting ordinary, peace-loving Muslims who impose these bans don’t seem to The extremists must be isolated and by demanding that Islamism remains have grasped yet that they are supporting eventually overcome. Secularism beyond examination have been able to misogynistic, homophobic, totalitarian has a powerful role to play in the silence critics with claims of “racism” and forces that need to be challenged. rebuilding of the Islamic world. “Islamophobia”. Extremists have been able But there are signs that, at last, the to take control of state schools, jihadists Government is getting the message: our have been able to freely come and go to laissez faire attitude to “conservative” conflict hotspots and indoctrination centres religion has to change. The Prime going under the name of madrassas have Minister seems to have belatedly been allowed to operate with no oversight. realised that people who talk in extreme Our universities seem particularly prone ways may not be terrorists themselves, to this. Several more cases emerged this but those who listen to them might year of critics of Islamism being denied be on a journey to becoming so.

Our job at the NSS is to promote as best we can the idea that democracy and secularism are not religion’s enemy, but could be everyone’s very best friend.” National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 02 FREE SPEECH, BLASPHEMY AND COUNTERING EXTREMISM

Social cohesion and challenged Prime Minister David Cameron for the uncritical attitude to faith schools in free expression to his July speech on radicalisation, and the counter extremism aspects of his strategy which could threaten free expression. Challenging religious extremism should not mean undermining the freedoms or The state already uses its expansive democratic values essential to a free, powers to restrict the activities of extremist secular society. preachers. The proposed ‘Extremism Disruption Orders’ (EDOs) are unnecessary A stronger civil society, and a school system and draconian. We are teaming up with the which educates young people on their Christian Institute on a new campaign – shared rights and civic responsibilities Defend Free Speech – to oppose vague and in integrated, secular schools, is a ill-defined EDOs. Previous joint campaigns precondition for building a more cohesive Our joint campaign to challenge anti-free speech with them have been successful. society. Segregating children by family proposals religion in the school system is a terrible This year we’ve continued to maintain our way to start children off in a society already reputation of defending free expression – contending with deep religious divisions and Our contributions were personally welcomed even when we vehemently disagree with the rising tensions. by the European Commission’s First Vice- speaker. We’ve taken action to defend two President, Frans Timmermans, and have Christian preachers James McConnell and This year we’ve been involved in two led to our executive director being invited Michael Overd – both of whom faced legal events organised by the European Union’s to a third event as a keynote speaker on action for their sermons. Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) which education. We will report on this in the next have looked at challenging religious When former Prime Minister Tony Blair Annual Report. extremism and bigotry, including anti-Muslim proposed to the European Council on and anti-Semitic hatred. At the June meeting We also met with the Minister responsible Tolerance and Reconciliation “lowering the (a high-level roundtable discussion) we were at the Department for Communities barriers to what constitutes incitement the only UK organisation participating. and Local Government to discuss more to violence”, and criminalising holocaust sophisticated tracking of hate crime denial, we spoke out strongly in the media We urged the FRA to stress the importance statistics and trends, to better understand and at a Tony Blair Faith Foundation event. of human rights and civil society-based and reduce religiously motivated hate crime approaches which protect freedom of and identify its origin. The Government has speech. We have also spoken out against since announced this will form part of its the commonly used term ‘Islamophobia’ new counter extremism strategy. to describe what should properly be called ‘anti-Muslim bigotry’ – thus avoiding the We’ve welcomed the aspects of the strategy conflation between criticising religion and which focus on empowering civil society violence. groups to challenge extremism. However we European Commission

If someone said, “I don’t trust atheists”, there is not a chance in Pastor McConnell’s hell they would be prosecuted for it. Nor should they be.” BENJAMIN JONES, communications officer First Vice President Frans Timmermans meets Keith @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 03

Blasphemy and free This year we’ve followed the story of the on-going targeting, murder and intimidation expression of secularist Bangladeshi bloggers. We I and many others will Clearly the defining event of 2015 for supported a protest at the Bangladesh remain anonymous, freedom of speech was the attack on High Commission in London and provided a Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The attempt to platform for British Bangladeshi secularists except for the few extra- enforce blasphemy laws through violence to speak out; one anonymous blogger told ordinarily brave ones, but is just one strand of attempts to restrict our readers that the terrorists could “never criticism and satire of religion all over the kill ideas”. you should know that you world. can never kill ideas or The aftermath prompted global debate over the protection of free expression. Led change what’s in people’s by NSS honorary associate and former contributor Caroline Fourest, Charlie Hebdo minds.” published a ‘survivors’ edition’ with an ANONYMOUS BRITISH BANGLADESHI editorial in support of free speech and SECULARIST, NSS website secularism – for which they were awarded the 2015 Secularist of the Year prize. Immediately after the attack we called on the BBC to abolish their restrictions on Through our informal relationships with depicting Mohammed and welcomed their international human rights/secular groups decision to do so. In contrast Sky News cut as well as formal partnerships with off a live interview with Caroline Fourest as international groups we affiliate to, we’ve she displayed the cover of Charlie Hebdo. done our part to raise awareness, support Our successful Reform Clause 5 (which international human rights efforts and outlawed insulting words or behaviour) pressure the UK Government to play a campaign led to us being invited to speak at positive role in protecting freedom of religion two seminars to senior Metropolitan police and belief and expression. officers on freedom of speech. In June we welcomed the International We’ve regularly reported on attempts to Humanist and Ethical Union (to whom outlaw ‘blasphemy’ around the world. we are affiliated) highlighting the global These included the UAE making it illegal persecution of non-religious and religious to ‘offend God’, a Saudi official claiming minorities through their annual Freedom free expression was an abuse of “religious of Thought Report and we’ve used and ideological rights” and even attempts every opportunity to urge the UK and EU in Quebec to introduce legislation to target governments to take this threat seriously. “people who would write against … the We attended a meeting of the All Party Islamic religion”. We’ve spoken out against Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion Saudi Arabia’s barbaric treatment of Supporting free speech protest at the Bangladesh High and Belief to discuss a report by Human Commission secularist writer Raif Badawi and called for Rights Without Frontiers International the UK Government to do the same. detailing country by country a list of We’ve continued to play a leading role prisoners who have been incarcerated on the advisory board of the European for manifesting their beliefs or breaking Parliament Platform for Secularism in ‘blasphemy’ laws. In a Parliamentary debate Politics. At their February meeting our NSS honorary associates including MPs executive director warned of de facto Kerry McCarthy and Jim Fitzpatrick spoke in blasphemy laws increasingly being used to support of secularism in Bangladesh. censor criticism of religion.

We will hope that as of this January 7, 2015, strongly defending secularism will be second nature for everyone. That we will finally stop posturing for electoral reasons or through cowardice, legitimizing or even tolerating community separatism and cultural relativism, which lead to but one thing: Religious totalitarianism.” CHARLIE HEBDO editorial, in its first edition following the attack National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 04

//FREE SPEECH, BLASPHEMY AND COUNTERING EXTREMISM

Standing up for free speech on campus This year we’ve criticised student unions and universities abusing the language of ‘health and safety’ and ‘safe spaces’ to stifle discussion of religion. We played a key role in drawing public attention to the ban on secular activist and NSS honorary associate Maryam Namazie put in place by Warwick Student Union on the spurious grounds that her critique of Islamism might ‘incite hatred’. We were quoted in the Independent calling for the decision to be reversed – which it was after widespread criticism in the national media, and on social media led by NSS honorary associate Richard Dawkins. Worryingly, while the ban was reversed, the Student Union’s policy on external speakers – which stipulates that speakers must “avoid insulting other faiths” – remains. The NSS has played a key role in exposing such regressive attitudes, and publicised another case from Bath University where a student comedy society was forced to Campaigns manager Stephen Evans visits Godalming College’s student secular society axe light-hearted material about Jesus and Mohammed after the chaplaincy which said “Please stop mocking Muslims In our bid to protect secularist and non- complained. The NSS was subsequently otherwise you will feel remorse.” We offered religious groups on campus, the NSS invited to give a talk to the Bath Atheist, the group our support and fortunately they also criticised the director of the LSE Humanist and Secularist Society on campus were able to restore the lost content of their who claimed – incredibly – that university censorship and blasphemy, and at the website very quickly. atheists were being “militant.” We challenged his mischaracterisation of events University of Exeter Debating Society we Meanwhile, as secularists and others face that took place at the LSE freshers’ fair won a debate on the right to satirise censorship, hard-line Islamists have still in 2013, and his strange focus on non- religious figures. been speaking regularly on many university religious groups. Sadly, cases of censorship are very campuses, largely unimpeded. The NSS common, as organisers of a conference attended an event with Student Rights, While this catalogue of encroachments may at Queen’s University Belfast found when a group that works to counter extremism be troubling there’s cause for hope. The trying to organise an event, featuring in universities, where the prevalence of significant backlash against student unions Maryam Namazie, on the fallout from the Islamist speakers (in London universities that do try their hand at censorship should attack on Charlie Hebdo in April. in particular) was revealed. We also hosted make other institutions think twice before a blog by the student founder of the Exeter unduly restricting free speech. The website of the Manchester Free Speech University Quilliam Society, on why it was so We are reinvigorating our relationships with and Secular Society was hacked and important for students to lead the way on student groups, in part by providing support deleted shortly after receiving an ominous countering extremism. message from an IP address in Saudi Arabia to students who do face campus censorship over religion.

Picture from UCL Atheist Free speech wins in campus debate Society’s freshers’ fair event @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 05

EDUCATION AND FAITH SCHOOLS

Challenging religious school that we had exposed censoring exam questions on human reproduction extremism in schools and evolution in 2013. In addition to promoting a positive vision for • Our efforts to prevent a Christian group secular and inclusive education, the NSS that associates child disobedience with scrutinises faith schools and exposes some witchcraft from opening a school have of the problems stemming from the undue been successful. In August the DfE influence of religion in education. confirmed to us that the organisation This year we’ve highlighted a number of behind the proposed school in Kent had cases of extremism with the Department for withdrawn its application to register as an Education (DfE) and other bodies involved in independent school. We had previously Students protest plans to close Weston Primary the regulation of schools. drawn the DfE’s attention to the Church’s teachings and to video footage of its • In May we called on the DfE to investigate leader, the preacher David Oyedepo, South Buckinghamshire 24 parents were two independent Orthodox Jewish schools slapping a young girl after accusing her of allocated places at another Sikh free school after we discovered school leaders had being a witch. without their requesting or wanting it. We imposed a ‘driving ban’ on mothers complained to the local authorities and We broadly welcomed the Government’s dropping off and picking up their children, assisted parents with successful appeals announcement that schools must from based on a rabbinical ruling. The Belz to ensure no child was forced to attend November 2014 promote ‘fundamental sect members run two large schools in a religious school against their parents’ British values’ – defined by the DfE as: north London for 444 boys and 135 girls. wishes. Our support ensured none did. Both schools are rated ‘good’ by Ofsted. democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty Jewish leaders joined us in condemning and mutual respect for and tolerance of We supported parents on the Isle of Wight the schools, calling the ban “at odds with those with different faiths and beliefs and when the proposed closure of a non- Jewish values”. The DfE swiftly launched for those without faith. religiously designated Academy school would leave many with no alternative but an investigation and declared the ban This at least sets out certain standards to send their children to one of three faith “completely unacceptable in modern for schools and provides a mechanism schools in West Wight. We’ve called on the Britain”. The driving ban was swiftly for secularists to challenge schools that Secretary of State for Education setting dropped, but this incident gives an insight undermine children’s rights, including their out the legal, human rights and equity into the kind of groups that are involved in right to a broad and balanced education. arguments for maintaining a diversity of running schools. However, until we move away from the provision and calling on her to reverse concept of faith schools entirely, this a decision to close the school – at least tension is sure to continue. until alternative secular provision can be arranged. Protecting parents’ rights In many areas, schools are the only practical option for parents, and Throughout the year our team has assisted in such cases children of all backgrounds many parents often angry and exasperated attend them, when not restricted by by schools imposing religious beliefs and discriminatory admissions. Such schools’ practices on children against their wishes. promotion of Christianity proves especially In some areas, the proliferation of faith problematic. This year we assisted a schools and the shortage of school places number of non-religious and Muslim parents • In August we contacted Ofsted and is making it difficult – even impossible – for who were obstructed by church schools the DfE about an independent Muslim parents to secure a secular state education. from withdrawing their children from RE school in Dewsbury when we learnt it and worship. In all cases the parents were had banned students from socialising We assisted parents with successful happy for their children to receive a broad with “outsiders” and instructed pupils appeals and complained to local authorities and balanced education about religions and not to watch TV, read newspapers or after over two-thirds of places offered beliefs but objected to efforts to inculcate listen to the radio. The Islamic Institute to parents at a Sikh ethos free school their children into the Christian faith through for Education had been rated “good” by in Leeds went to pupils whose parents biased presentation of RE or acts of Ofsted. We took our concerns to Ofsted did not choose the school. Similarly in worship. and the DfE is now investigating the school. • We also raised concerns with the DfE ”The best way of building mutual understanding, trust and and the Office of the Schools Adjudicator about a state-funded Jewish school’s the common values that we’re going to need in multifaith intrusion into pupils’ individual liberty after we discovered its admissions policy Britain, is to ensure that our publicly funded schools are stipulated that television and the internet secular spaces where children and young people of all is “absolutely forbidden” in pupils’ homes. Parents were also required to backgrounds are encouraged to learn and live together sign a statement that they will adhere to “the strictest laws” and “moral values” side-by-side.” of Charedi beliefs. This was the same STEPHEN EVANS, campaigns manager National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 06

//EDUCATION AND FAITH SCHOOLS

With our help, all parents were able to Collective worship: the An academic evaluation of the law and assert their legal rights to withdraw, with policy surrounding collective worship in the schools backing down when challenged. beginning of the end? the UK is due to be published by Bangor But for many parents withdrawal isn’t a Our long-running campaign to end collective University in late 2015 and may prove satisfactory or practical solution, especially worship in schools received a boost this useful as we continue to work with others where “cross-curricula” teaching insinuates year when a Westminster Faith Debates to nurture the growing consensus to end religion into every subject. report called for the current requirement in compulsory worship in schools. In December we briefed peers ahead of a statute for an act of collective worship to be House of Lords debate on “religion in public abolished. life” in which a number of our honorary The report from the former Education Rethinking religious associate peers raised concerns over Secretary Charles Clark and Linda education religious influence in schools. Baroness Woodhead, professor of politics, philosophy We’ve continued to be a leading voice Falkner told peers that, whilst parents’ and religion at Lancaster University, on the religious and philosophical convictions calling for reform of religious education. In future of religion and RE in schools, said a series of consultation responses we’ve should be respected in state schools, the requirement on all schools to provide the demand for religious education that called for the transformation of RE into worship reflected an era of religious practice a new National Curriculum subject for all was wholly on parents’ terms was an and belief which is now long gone. “unreasonable and potentially divisive pupils which covers a broad spectrum demand which must be resisted”. The In the run up to this year’s general election of human ideas and thought, including Baroness said that “rather than facilitating almost 12,000 people signed our petition religious and non-religious worldviews. the segregation of pupils along religious calling on all parties to commit to removing In January Keith Porteous Wood and lines, we should be doing everything we can the legal obligation (in England) on schools campaigns manager Stephen Evans had a to ensure that children of all faiths and none to hold worship. Both the Liberal Democrats productive meeting with Welsh Education are educated together in a respectful and and the Greens made that pledge but other Minister Huw Lewis to discuss our concerns inclusive environment.” parties were less clear. about the existing relationship between religion and education. Mr Lewis has since announced proposals to reform RE and Academisation: the threat rename the subject “religion, philosophy and to secular education ethics”. This will hopefully form a blueprint for a similar overhaul of the subject across The Government has made clear its the UK. We look forward to the opportunity intention to turn every school in England to comment on the reforms in more detail in into an academy. This increases the risk an upcoming consultation. of religious organisations gaining greater In addition to calling for the abolition of control over publicly funded education and collective worship, a set of Westminster increasing the proportion of faith-based Faith Debates policy proposals co-authored schools. by Charles Clarke and Linda Woodhead also In July we submitted written evidence to proposed significant reforms to RE including the Education and Adoption Bill’s Public a proposed change to ‘religious and moral Bill Committee to highlight our concerns education’. that, without adequate safeguards, the However, the current Education Secretary proposals to require ‘coasting’ maintained Nicky Morgan has indicated her support schools to become academies could lead for the continuation of compulsory school to an increase in the proportion of formally worship – but it’s hard to see this position religious designated academies and ‘faith being sustainable in the long-term. ethos’ ones too. The volume of calls and enquiries received Schools eligible for intervention which by the NSS indicate that collective worship join faith academy chains could be at is causing unnecessary conflict and risk of acquiring a religious designation resentment amongst parents and pupils or a softer ‘faith ethos’ upon conversion, and difficulties for schools. In June over 300 or subsequently, with no opportunity for students at a Scottish high school signed parents and other stakeholders within the a petition against compulsory Christian wider community to be consulted. The Bill assemblies and in Strabane a Sixth Form is currently progressing through Parliament student started a campaign against and we are seeking amendments to protect collective worship in schools. Huw Lewis announces his plans for curriculum reform to the secular nature of community schools. the Welsh Assembly

Rather than facilitating the segregation of pupils along religious lines, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that children of all faiths and none are educated together in a respectful and inclusive environment.” NSS honorary associate BARONESS FALKNER opposing faith schools in Parliament @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 07

//EDUCATION AND FAITH SCHOOLS

NSS welcomes Government PSHE and sex education crackdown on religious We’ve reported cases of several faith supplementary schools schools teaching “abstinence” and “purity” in sex education. The Catholic Diocese of We’ve expressed disquiet about the Portsmouth published guidelines instructing prevalence of children being taken out their schools to stress the value of “purity” of mainstream education to attend a and the “virtue of chastity” in Sex and growing number of unregistered religious Relationships Education (SRE) and it says schools that lack proper regulation or that schools should emphasise “sexuality oversight – something we were pleased to as a gift from God”. At a RE consultation event we attended see David Cameron subsequently address in Birmingham in February, pupils, many in his speech to the Conservative Party The Diocesan guidance says that schools attending faith schools in England, made it conference. should teach a programme of sex education clear that they thought the subject should that distinguishes the “sinner from the sin” We welcomed the announcement that be broadened and focus less on one and that those who fail to meet “Christian madrassas and other supplementary particular faith. ideals” should be shown “mercy.” religious schools are to be regulated – This year we have also called for Ofsted to something the NSS has been asking the inspect RE in all schools. At present RE in Government to do for many years. faith schools isn’t inspected by the schools Prime Minister David Cameron expressed regulator but by religious groups sensitive concern that some supplementary schools to the school’s faith. Particularly given the are helping to “incubate divisions” within freedoms that faith-based schools and society and has announced that if a academies are granted to teach their own supplementary school is teaching children syllabus, our submission to the Education for more than eight hours a week then it will Select Committee emphasised that the be required to register with the Department subject be inspected by Oftsed to ensure for Education. that all faith schools are providing a broad and balanced education and adequately Around 250,000 students attend religious promoting fundamental values. supplementary schools in England alone, The Diocese is not alone: the King’s and there are thought to be up to 2,000 Academy in Middlesbrough teaches We welcomed the closing down of the Bridge madrassas. sex education in line with the “Maker’s Schools Inspectorate, an organisation Instructions” and its policy statement on set up to inspect the religious content sex education begins by stating that they of Christian and Muslim independent “believe that human beings are created schools. We’d called for the organisation Like the NSS, I believe to a Divine design”. These views should to be stripped of this role for years and not be promoted as objective facts in the were joined by Ministers and Sir Michael that external groups classroom. Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools, after we formally logged our concerns with (including religious) We welcomed Caroline Lucas MP’s bill to Ofsted about apparent links between BSI can make a legitimate make sex education and PSHE compulsory inspectors and religious fundamentalists. in all schools, including free schools and contribution visiting academies. The Green MP’s bill aims to reduce the sexual abuse of children by schools. But just as if making sure they have knowledge and education about the meaning of consent. a political group were She points out that poor SRE in some visiting I’d expect there schools left students unaware of their rights. to be appropriate boundaries on their behaviour and proselytization.” PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE, NSS website National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 08

COUNCIL PRAYERS

Our long-running campaign to keep councils We helped our honorary associates speak secular and prevent religious councillors out against the Bill during its passage It is no triumph for from imposing prayers on all during through the House of Lords, including meetings suffered a setback this year, but Liberal Democrat peer Lord Avebury, who democracy if local we have seen many local victories. warned it would result in some councils imposing “something which is bound to authorities and other In 2012 the High Court ruled in the NSS’s divide members from one another according favour that councils had no power to to their religion” and crossbencher the bodies covered by this Bill hold prayers during meetings. This year, Earl of Clancarty who cautioned that the are given power to impose however the Government backed a Bill passing of the Bill would be a “recipe for reversing this by permitting a wide range divisiveness”. something which is bound of local authorities to hold prayers during their meetings. It was notionally a Private Though councils may now hold prayers to divide members from Member’s Bill but the Department of during meetings, a great many are choosing Communities and Local Government under not to. In September Wymondham council one another according to then Secretary of State Eric Pickles played a voted against the practice in a crushing leading role in drafting it. 10–2 vote, in a debate which saw members their religion or belief.” stand up for secularism. Whitchurch council NSS honorary associate LORD AVEBURY, The legislation was passed in an almost made a similar decision in May. empty House of Commons in January, but opposing the Local Government during the debate Conservative MP James A Westminster councillor was branded an (Religious etc. Observances) Arbuthnot made extensive use of an NSS “absolute disgrace” – simply for saying it Bill in the House of Lords briefing to voice his opposition, arguing that was “inappropriate” to begin a meeting with the Bill was “out of touch with the majority religious observances. In April a Northern of the people we represent, because only Ireland council was left in bitter division a tiny proportion of our constituents go to over holding prayers, hardly conducive to church”. He announced that he was an reducing sectarian tension. atheist, and said that there was tremendous We continue to receive regular contact pressure on politicians – particularly in the from councillors opposed to prayers who Conservative Party – to keep quiet about are working to keep their local authorities not being religious. secular and welcoming to all.

Secularist peers did well to ensure the provisions in this Bill were scrutinised and debated – but even after the Bill becomes law, it will remain our secular civic duty to resist the imposition of worship where it doesn’t belong. In the public sphere, in local government, in civic life, adherence to particular religions or beliefs is not and cannot be the price of admission.” ALASTAIR LICHTEN, campaigns officer @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 09

EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS

Championing equality Defending LGBT rights In July the House of Lords debated caste discrimination. NSS honorary associate We’ve continued to work with the Equality in Northern Ireland Baroness Flather, was adamant that the and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on In December we warned about a new majority of Hindu and Sikh organisations religion and belief issues, particularly when Bill being tabled in the Northern Ireland should not be able to veto protection of the attending “Friends of the Chair” roundtable Assembly by DUP backbencher Paul Givan minority, and that the strength of the fight meetings. that would undermine equality legislation. against the legislation belied the claims of opponents of legislation that there Despite the UK having some of the most The ‘Conscience is no discrimination. The Baroness was comprehensive equality laws in the world, Bill’ could allow supported by fellow honorary associate the Commission is currently investigating religious business Lords Avebury, Cashman and Desai. the adequacy of owners to decline to the laws protecting serve customers, During the general election the National religion or belief. A if the service Council of Hindu Temples – a registered public consultation would “promote or charity – was rebuked by the Charity carried out by the facilitate” a same- Commission for appearing to endorse the Commission this year sex union. Conservative Party, over their opposition to found “widespread Along with LGBT rights groups we helped outlawing caste discrimination. public confusion promote opposition to the Bill and used a The Government now claims that a recent and misunderstanding” about the laws consultation in February to strongly criticise protecting freedom of religion or belief. We employment tribunal decision, Tirkey v. its ill-thought-out provisions. We’d received Chandok, (that only says that caste “might believe this is largely a result of the false legal advice from an eminent academic grievance narrative perpetuated by Christian be capable of” protection under the Equality lawyer that the proposed legislation is so Act), obviates the need for legislation. Even lobby groups, often through high profile yet widely drafted that it could be used to justify hopeless legal cases. the vague intention of introducing legislation discrimination in any service and lead to has now been dropped. Some religious figures, including the former widespread discrimination. Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, are Only with unambiguous legislation will legal The strength of opposition and use of claims be straightforward and inexpensive – pressing for a new ‘duty of reasonable a Petition of Concern (a parliamentary accommodation’ for religion or belief, similar especially important to those labelled “low mechanism requiring controversial motions caste” who are likely to be impecunious. to the ‘duty of reasonable adjustment’ which to gain cross-community support) lodged by requires employers to make workplace Having to rely on quirky case law is the all the other major Stormont parties blocked opposite. That, however, is exactly what adjustments to mitigate disadvantages the Bill. faced by disabled people. the Government told Lord Avebury and the The Bill’s supporters sought to advance NSS it was proposing, in response to a joint The law already provides for ‘reasonable the myth that Christians are discriminated letter to the Prime Minister. accommodation’ – but we fear any new against by equality legislation (particularly duty would privilege religion or belief by that protecting LGBT people) and that placing it at the top of a hierarchy over other they need extra legal protection. This is Religious ‘marriages’ protected characteristics. becoming a common strategy by religious and women’s rights We have strongly urged the EHRC to resist groups seeking to write religious privilege changes to current laws which adequately into law. We’re continuing to consult with Muslim protect everyone’s right to be treated with women’s groups and other human rights fairness, dignity and respect. campaigners over what can be done Tackling caste discrimination to protect women left vulnerable by In June our campaigns manager Stephen ‘religious-only’ marriages that have no Evans stressed the importance of equality A report commissioned by the Government legal standing. in public service delivery at a briefing event before the 2010 Election found that there for local authority managers and public was discrimination on grounds of caste in In December, we welcomed a report by service providers. With public services the UK. Since then we have been fighting to AURAT, a charity which supports victims increasingly being subcontracted out to faith have such discrimination made unlawful. We of honour-based violence, which showed based organisations, Stephen stressed that played a role in the House of Lords, when many Muslim women are unsure of their where religious organisations are contracted Parliament instructed the Government to legal rights and assumed that ‘marriage’ to deliver public services they should do introduce legislation. ceremonies were legally valid simply so without discriminating against their because they had taken place in the UK. employees, withholding services from users Despite assuring the UN that anti- Educating young people about their legal on grounds of religion or sexual orientation discrimination law was being introduced rights is crucial, so that in later life they are and without proselytizing. as it had recommended, the Government not victims of religious ‘marriages’ in which continues to argue against it and seemingly they have no legal protection. intends to delay it indefinitely.

The government has been directed to introduce anti-discrimination legislation by Parliament (twice) and the UN. For it to defy both can only be explained by conflict with a strong vested interest.” KEITH PORTEOUS WOOD, executive director on the Government’s refusal to outlaw caste-discrimination National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 10

//EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS

One law for all, religious The NSS had worked with a wide range is paramount. A poll by the Bar Council this of campaign groups to have the guidance year found support for our position with law and Sharia withdrawn, and the Law Society thanked us 91% of barristers saying they would insist November 2014 saw a major campaign for raising concerns and said they hoped witnesses remove a face veil while giving success after the Law Society withdrew the NSS would “continue to engage with evidence in court. its practice note on sharia compliant the Society and its work in the future”. NSS wills, issuing an apology after widespread executive director Keith Porteous Wood met criticism for gender discrimination and other with the Law Society again in February and concerns. thanked them for withdrawing the guidance. The note had advised solicitors that We also welcomed the Government’s pledge “illegitimate and adopted children are not to review sharia ‘courts’ in the UK, having sharia heirs” and that “male heirs in most raised this with parliamentarians. cases receive double the amount inherited One recurrent issue related to religion by a female heir.” The guidance also stated and law is the wearing of the face veil. We that “non-Muslims may not inherit at all” believe face veils should not be permitted in and that “a divorced spouse is no longer a courts or in settings where communication sharia heir.”

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

Clerical child abuse: RC The Pope’s commission to examine child Briefing UN committee on abuse is a cynical attempt to deflect Church at the UN attention from the Committee’s damning state of children’s rights The Society has been instrumental over conclusions. The Tribunal to examine The NSS made a submission to the United a number of years in having the United bishops’ conduct over abuse provides an Nations Committee on the Rights of the Nations hold the Roman Catholic Church to illegitimate alternative to the secular justice Child urging the Committee to recommend account over clerical child abuse. to which many of these bishops should be to the UK Government that: subjected. A detailed statement we prepared was • Children and young people’s access to referred to and summarised in a verbal Manfredi La Manna, an NSS member and local schools is never determined by their intervention at the Human Rights Council’s lecturer at St Andrews University, called for religious beliefs or activities, or those of plenary session in Geneva in September. shamed Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien to their parents. These were made through our affiliates, be stripped by the University of his honorary • All new publicly funded schools are the International Humanist and Ethical degree over his sexual abuse. It refused secular in character and truly inclusive Union and European Humanist Federation and outrageously criticised Mr La Manna for and equally welcoming to children of all – to both we express our thanks. The having made his call public. religion and belief backgrounds. intervention was made by NSS member and volunteer Josephine Macintosh, currently • Legislation is changed to remove any undertaking postgraduate studies in Law. Clerical child abuse: UK requirement on children to “take part” in worship and make attendance at Establishment cover-ups were also evident collective worship voluntary in all schools. on a spectacular scale over the former Anglican Bishop of Gloucester, jailed in • Legislation is passed requiring all state- 2015 for a string of sexual offences over 20 funded schools, including faith based years. When initially exposed in the 1990s schools, to provide age-appropriate and he was forced to resign and accept a trivial objective sex education. caution, leniency having been urged by many prominent members of the establishment (said to include a member of the Royal family). The Church, police and CPS, which has admitted this was mishandled, have been involved in an unpardonable perversion of the course of justice. The NSS is making a detailed submission relating to this case to Justice Lowell Goddard who heads the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Josephine Macintosh @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 11

HEALTHCARE

Rethinking hospital Safeguarding abortion Religion in hospitals chaplaincy access and reproductive We remain vigilant about the imposition We’ve continued to campaign for a root and healthcare rights of religion in hospitals and by healthcare providers. We have reported cases this year branch reform of chaplaincy in the NHS and In December we welcomed a Supreme cautiously welcomed new guidance from where a psychiatrist admitted distributing Court ruling which clarified the limits “highly inappropriate” unsolicited religious NHS England which discusses the pastoral of conscientious objection in abortion needs of non-religious patients, having material and one instance where a GP treatment. The Greater Glasgow Health performed an exorcism on a mentally ill previously responded to a consultation on Board had (as we urged) appealed against the draft guidance. patient and told her to stop taking her anti- an earlier decision in favour of two nurses depressants for “religious reasons”. We raised concerns that a multi-faith who had claimed the right not to “delegate, approach to chaplaincy will never provide supervise and support” staff who were There have been numerous cases of total coverage to all patients’ religious involved in abortions. evangelising by healthcare workers in recent beliefs, and would be prohibitively years, and the NSS is active in revealing expensive. Indeed research revealed that crucial details omitted by the media, as NHS Trusts have spent over £23 million on we did in the case of Victoria Wasteney, an religious chaplaincy in the last financial year, occupational therapist who claimed religious equivalent to employing 1,000 new nurses. discrimination after she was dismissed for We questioned whether this was money seriously inappropriate proselytisation at well-spent. work. No taxpayer-funded post in the NHS should The NSS has also offered support to be reserved for people of a particular NHS workers affected by evangelising in religious faith. In June the NSS and the Secular Medical hospitals, and we work closely with the Forum warned that the Conscientious Secular Medical Forum to offer advice and Objection (Medical Activities) Bill, we are very grateful indeed for their advice introduced in the House of Lords, would to us and for advice received from secular greatly expand the number of staff able lawyers. to opt-out of peripheral involvement in procedures such as the termination of a pregnancy, significantly compromising the provision of patient care and upsetting the delicate balance between legitimate conscientious objection and the need for safe, comprehensive healthcare. We are continuing to monitoring the private member’s Bill to see if it makes progress. In July we were co-signatories to an open letter urging the Government to protect abortion service providers and patients’ right to access healthcare without harassment, after a clinic was reportedly forced to close following intimidation by religious groups. The letter argued “It is not acceptable for any part of our National Health Service to be held hostage by a small number of protesters who are preventing women accessing, or getting information about, services.”

We fear that this Bill, if it gets through the significant parliamentary hurdles in its way, would upset that balance drastically, and allow for an inappropriately wide exemption – covering people who are at the very periphery of these services. This would clearly have a damaging effect on patients’ access to healthcare.”  NSS campaigns manager STEPHEN EVANS raises objections to the Conscientious Objection (Medical Activities) Private Member’s Bill sponsored by crossbench peer Baroness O’Loan National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 12

OTHER CAMPAIGN WORK

BBC and the media Chancel Repair Liability Separation of church The Society scored a success with the BBC NSS executive director Keith Porteous and state in January, after the BBC Trust upheld a Wood, Lord Avebury and specialist lawyer A welcome development came during Tim complaint over the way in which the BBC Michael Hall met with the Secretary General Farron’s campaign for the leadership of the Asian Network framed a story concerning of the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Liberal Democrats, when he called for a the allocation of places at a Sikh faith Council in October 2014 and made the case secular state and for the disestablishment school as a ‘race issue’, rather than as an for abolition, and for mitigating the hardship of the Church of England. issue of religious freedom. The BBC Trust Chancel Repair Liability (CRL) causes. The accepted that describing non-Sikh parents Society is also working with senior figures in And a YouGov poll of Anglican clergy found opposed to sending their children to a Sikh the Law Society investigating all avenues of that one-in-seven clerics would support full school as “white parents” was inappropriate resolving this. disestablishment of the Church and three-in- and that it wrongly “implied that parents’ ten favoured some reforms, with the Church Our honorary associates made a strong objections to faith education were on the retaining only “some aspects” of its current case for ending CRL in a House of Lords grounds of race.” formal ties to the state. 54% said the debate held in January, and peers described Church should retain its established status, In December 2014 we asked our supporters the ancient duty as a “medieval anomaly”. leaving a significant minority in favour of in December to challenge Thought for the Thousands of properties have had their modest changes. Day in a consultation on the BBC’s radio value and saleability damaged by CRL in output. It was revealed in August that As long as the UK retains an established the past, but the Church is demanding religious radio programmes are the “least Church, the NSS is keen to make sure that compensation before abolition, despite not popular” and “least well received” of all BBC it does not interfere with secular matters recovering any significant amount of money speech radio output, but the Corporation and also to seek to limit it exercising its from CRL in the past century. refuses to change the nature of its output. privilege, for example in the House of Lords. Lord Avebury, who initiated the debate and In September we urged our supporters In November 2014 the NSS called for an who has worked tirelessly on this issue, to vote for making Thought for the Day a inclusive national day of remembrance, said the “only fair solution is abolition”. “philosophy slot” open to all, non-believers instead of a religious ceremony dominated and religious contributors alike. Philosopher by a single Christian denomination. Nigel Warburton proposed the concept on The area of the greatest privileged religious Open Democracy’s Our Beeb website, a Religious exemptions interference in public life is in education. platform for debating the future of public and non-stun slaughter A House of Lords debate in November service broadcasting. With the support of 2014 saw this religious influence strongly our members, his idea became by far the The past year has seen significant criticised by honorary associates of the most popular. developments concerning non-stun animal slaughter. Before the election a public NSS. Our executive director Keith Porteous Wood petition calling for an end to religious While Christian peers including bishops wrote in August that the BBC was failing exemptions to animal welfare laws, which argued religion and politics cannot be kept to respond to fair criticism of its religious we helped promote through Newsline and separate, the NSS responded that the output, particularly in light of its long- social media, attracted well over 100,000 Church was out of touch with public opinion running failure to seriously review Thought signatures. Despite widespread public and and spoke from a privileged position, for the Day. expert support for changing the law, the something that was inappropriate if they Government said it respected “the rights wished to speak out on politics. If the of the Jewish and Muslim communities to Church wants to play a role in politics, it eat meat prepared in accordance with their should not do so from a place of special religious beliefs” and refused to take action. institutional power, but on a level playing In February 2015 MPs debated the issue field. and cited the “overwhelming” public support A particularly egregious example of ending the religious exemption. In light of religious privilege this year was a £400,000 I knew of the NSS from the Government’s refusal to act, some MPs handout from the DCLG, then Eric called for better labelling of food products Pickles’ department, to “strengthen” faith its campaigns and its to give consumers choice over whether they organisations in the UK. buy non-stun meat. public statements and The former Secretary of State had also A poll by the RSPCA found that 80% of served as Minister for Faith after the contributions long before I Britons want an end to non-stun slaughter departure of Baroness Warsi from the and a survey by the European Commission Government, and the NSS is very pleased joined. For me, it remains found clear support for labelling of meat to report that the Minister for Faith title has to specify whether it is from a pre-stunned since been effectively abolished. the most important UK animal. organisation seeking In the meantime, given that there is little to promote democratic likelihood of Government action to remove the exemption for religious slaughter, the secular values throughout NSS has backed calls for clearer labelling. society.” STEPHEN, new member from Kent @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 13

//OTHER CAMPAIGN WORK

Easter trading A written constitution In April we wrote to the Prime Minister for Britain? SCOTLAND urging him to use powers contained in the In December we hosted an event with NSS In 2014 the agenda in Scotland Easter Act 1928 to fix the date of Easter honorary associate Graham Allan MP, chair was somewhat dominated by the and relax restrictions on Easter Sunday of the (since disbanded) Parliamentary independence referendum, and we were trading. Political and Constitutional Reform Select appalled to see an SNP Minister try The date of Easter currently varies by over Committee, and Bob Morris, from the to secure the Catholic vote with a last a month and the proposal to fix the date UCL Constitution Unit, to discuss whether minute promise to give discriminatory has been backed by the Local Government the UK needed a codified constitution – a state-funded Catholic schools Association and the Family and Childcare “New ”. The NSS takes no ‘constitutional protection.’ This would Trust. Religious organisations, including the position on whether the UK should have a have enshrined sectarian schooling Second Vatican Council, have supported a codified constitution and we used the Select in a modern independent Scotland – fixed date in principle. Committee’s consultation to call for secular meanwhile football fans continue to constitutional principles and raise concerns be jailed for singing sectarian songs at While the NSS supports the rights of about the existing unwritten constitution. football matches. anyone to celebrate Easter as they wish, the degree of restriction on Easter Sunday As ever, education was the primary trading is unwarranted and inconvenient battleground this year with our for many families and businesses. For spokesperson for Scotland, Alistair example, garden centres and DIY stores McBay, assisting a number of parents being completely closed is a significant challenging the imposition of religion disadvantage to the populace on what is the on their children in Scotland’s longest Spring bank holiday. schools. A successful petition to the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish In September, we submitted evidence to a Secular Society to ban the teaching of consultation on devolving the regulation of creationism in school science classes Sunday trading to local authorities. Although Graham Allen MP (left) and Bob Morris at the “New Magna flushed out a cabal of creationists traditionally motivated by religious privilege, Carta” event in Holyrood, with John Mason MSP there are legitimate arguments for and lodging a Motion to the effect that against restricting trading on Sunday, and The consultation provided a good creationism was a valid viewpoint and the decisions of Government (whether local opportunity to advance the Secular Charter, should be taught because no creationist or central) should be religiously neutral. and to consider how secular principles might position “can be proved or disproved by be applied to foster a fairer, freer system science”. of government, regardless of whether that We also raised awareness of a is done within our existing constitutional Meeting with the manipulative ‘education resource’ system or through a written one. French embassy to called ‘The God Question’ which was a discuss secularism clear attempt to get Intelligent Design into science classrooms. Meanwhile, We were pleased to be invited to meet there was no success for the Edinburgh a top French judge and the social affairs Secular Society with its petition to team at the French Embassy in London to end the anti-democratic practice of discuss secularism. They wished to discover three religious voting nominees being our perspective on the operation of, and appointed to Scottish local council challenges to, secularism in the UK and education committees. our impression of these in France. We envy secularism being institutionally embedded Most significant perhaps beyond in France and the popular support for it, the independence referendum was but also see that it is also coming under the passing of Scotland’s same sex- growing threat and that over some issues marriage law, and the corresponding rigid adherence to the principle may even failure of a prolonged, vitriolic and be counter-productive. They were very deeply homophobic campaign against it complimentary about our work. from the Church of Scotland, the Free Church of Scotland and of course the Scottish Catholic Church.

I felt more than ever the necessity and importance of the vigilance that the NSS maintains in the face of those who would seek to gain and maintain special privileges for ‘faith’ ideologies and undermine our hard-won rights and freedoms. Hence my decision to sign up and make a small contribution to the continuance of assertive secularism.” TERRY, new member from Norwich National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 14

SECULARIST OF THE YEAR

This year we awarded our annual Secularist The £5,000 prize money awarded to Charlie As for all previous Secularist of the Year of the Year prize to Charlie Hebdo, for the Hebdo was donated to the fund supporting events, the president masterminded this magazine’s courageous response to the the families of the murdered cartoonists. year’s event, backed up by all the staff. terror attack on their Paris office. Terry Sanderson told the audience that, Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson “Since the events of 7 January in Paris, Just one week after the attack, the accepted the award on behalf of Charlie Charlie Hebdo has become more than remaining staff of Charlie Hebdo published Hebdo’s staff at an event in central London. a magazine – it has become an ideal, a an edition of the magazine featuring an It was widely agreed to have been one of symbol of democracy, a rallying cry to those editorial making a passionate defence of the most moving ceremonies yet. who value freedom and openness in public secularism and the right to free expression. debate”.

Aliya Saleem (secular education campaigner), Gita Sahgal (the Centre for Secular Space) and Tehmina Kazi (British Muslims for Secular Democracy) Martin Rowson’s speech was well received

Keith with Nikita Malik, of the Quilliam Foundation

Lord Avebury with Safak Pavey (last year’s winner and recently re-elected Turkish MP

NSS President Terry Sanderson

Professors Atkins, Dawkins and Grayling Turkish MP, human rights campaigner, Safak Pavey

One of the things we laugh at, and we mock, with such beautiful precision as a species is those people who place themselves or their opinions in authority over us.” MARTIN ROWSON @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 15

COMMUNICATIONS

Throughout the year we’ve continued Around 250 news stories and nearly 100 On Facebook, our page grew from just over to provide a secular voice in the media, opinion pieces were published in the last 11,000 likes to just over 13,200 over the challenging religious privilege and defending year. last year. On the average day almost 700 freedom and equality as a counterbalance people engage with the page, with more Almost 160,000 people read our daily to the powerful religious lobby. We’ve than 8,000 people seeing our content. media round-up on the website, where we been widely quoted by news outlets, made shared over 5,000 news stories of interest On Twitter, our follows grew from 17,900 to numerous television appearances and have to secularists. Many more people discussed 23,800 and on the average day our tweets given radio interviews on a wide range of these articles via our Facebook page or are seen 36,500 times. topics on stations up and down the country. Twitter account. Our website secularism.org.uk received Newsline, our email newsletter, which keeps almost 1.1 million visitors this year and over 23,500 subscribers up to date on a continues to keep our supporters informed weekly basis, saw over 5,000 people sign with breaking news analysis and resources. up in the last year.

Executive director, Keith Porteous Wood

Article by communications offi cer Benjamin Jones Joey Barton

challenging religious privilege Campaigns manager, Stephen Evans

BulletinSpring 2015 Issue 59

Issue 61

Issue 60 Summer 2015 Autumn 2015 Article 9 challenging religious privilege Is this the best way to build RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF Article 10 THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE RIGHT TO FREE a more cohesive society? AND RELIGION EXPRESSION

challenging religious privilege

Page 1: NSS president Terry Sanderson on Following the atrocity Page 4: Challenging de-facto blasphemy laws Page 4: equality laws and freedom of religion or belief Challenging de-facto and censorship on campus blasphemy laws in Paris millionsPage 3: marchedStanding up for non-believers’ freedom Page 5: Secularist of the Year awarded to for secularismof belief and around free the world. Secularist of the Year awarded to Charlie Hebdo and the role of free expression expression. NSS president in challenging bigotry Terry SandersonArticle 14 on the need to reconsider our own restrictionsRIGHT on free NOT speech TO BE Article 2 of Protocol 1 DISCRIMINATED RIGHT TO AGAINSTPage 3: The NSS calls EDUCATION for a rethink in RE, Islamist terror plots, anti-Semitism Page 2: Challenging provokes examination of controversial fuelled by Islamists and the far- HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUALITY the Government’s right, attacks on mosques by rival latest bid to bring religious school and advocates secular sects and other extremists and back prayers at violent disruptions of inter-faith local government education FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION weddings by Sikh fundamentalists meetings all point to a creeping sectarianism Politicians are at last openly discussing the causes of in Britain. extremism and how to respond to it. Unfortunately, SECULAR EDUCATION their response does not yet include an end to the proliferation of religious schools. A secular state with a truly inclusive and secular education system, where Page 2: Defending one secular law for all children of all faith backgrounds are educated together, DEMOCRACY offers the best hope for a society in which all its Page 3: ChallengingBook before 20 calls March for additional Page 6: Supporting parents’ right to a Also inside: citizens, regardless of religious belief, or lack of religious religious exemptions to equality laws Supporting parents’ right to a secular education and campaigning to director reviews the belief, can live together fairly and cohesively. With your help, that’s the message we intend to get across. SOCIAL COHESION end compulsory worship in schools. Prime Minister’sOur recent executive With the future of equality and Human Rights laws up for debate, speech on ‘non-violent this issue focuses on their importance to our work and the role of extremism’. FREEDOM OF RELIGION secularism in protecting Human Rights and equality SECULARISMfor all.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Page 3: FREEDOM FROM RELIGION Annual General Meeting Vatican continues to 2015 Secularist of the Year How the Saturday 28 November 2016 Secularism 2016: past, present, future 2016 put public relations Saturday 26 March – our 150th anniversary conference before justice on Saturday 3 September SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBERchild abuse. 2016 Central London

Tickets on sale November 2015 SECULARISM PROTECTS

New NSS leafl et National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 16

2014 AGM

At our November 2014 Annual General “The National Secular Society upholds the Meeting members approved this new policy statement on Human Rights. The National universality of individual Human Rights, which Secular Society often works on a wide range of Human Rights issues, which are should never be overridden on the grounds of not directly secular, but which have secular religion, tradition or culture.” implications.

LOOKING AHEAD – 150th ANNIVERSARY

The National Secular Society was founded Bradlaugh was elected Member of In 1886 a new government finally allowed in 1866 and 2016 marks our 150th Parliament for Northampton in 1880 but Bradlaugh to be sworn in, and he was anniversary. We’re lining up a number of was denied his seat in Parliament because instrumental in bringing about a change events to celebrate this special occasion, he was not allowed as an atheist to take giving all MPs the right to affirm – a right not least an anniversary conference on the religious Oath, precipitating four by- they enjoy to this day. Saturday 3rd September 2016. Tickets will elections, each of which he won and the Bradlaugh was a campaigner of courage go on sale in January. issue became a cause celebre. On one and integrity and we hope you will give occasion he was literally thrown out of the A new educational charity we are generously to ensure that the bust, a fitting Palace of Westminster, on another he was establishing to promote the public tribute to the Society’s founder, takes imprisoned in a cell in the famous Clock understanding of secularism will begin its place in the Palace of Westminster Tower under Big Ben, the last person to be fundraising in the New Year for the alongside other prominent parliamentarians. held there. commissioning of a bust of NSS founder Charles Bradlaugh – which is to be sited permanently in the Houses of Parliament.

NORMAN BONNEY 1944 – 2015

In February we were sad to report the death of Prof. Norman Bonney after a long illness, which caused him to resign last year from the NSS Council after four years’ service. He was Emeritus Professor at Edinburgh Napier University and the founder and leading voice of the Edinburgh Secular Society. He did more in recent years than anyone to raise the profile of secularism in Scotland. This will be his enduring legacy, as will the fruits of his distinguished academic career. Shortly before he died he published Monarchy, Religion and the State: Civil Religion in the , Canada, Australia and the Commonwealth and The Cenotaph: A consensual and contested monument of remembrance. He will be greatly missed. @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 17

HONORARY ASSOCIATES

Graham Allen MP Virginia Ironside Prof Peter Atkins Dr Michael Irwin Lord Avebury Asma Jahangir Joey Barton* Prof Steve Jones Baroness Blackstone Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead Prof Colin Blakemore Prof Lawrence Krauss Edward Bond Stewart Lee Julia Hartley-Brewer* Graham Linehan Joey Barton Nick Brown MP Baroness Massey of Darwen Prof Ted Cantle CBE Kerry McCarthy MP Lord Cashman of Limehouse Jonathan Meades Nick Cohen Sir Jonathan Miller Prof Richard Dawkins Baroness Murphy Prof Lord Desai Maryam Namazie Angela Eagle MP Taslima Nasrin Baroness Falkner of Margravine Maajid Nawaz Jim Fitzpatrick MP Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan Julia Hartley Brewer

Baroness Flather Pragna Patel Fondation pour l’innovation politique (Creative Commons) Caroline Fourest* Lord Peston Michael Frayn Philip Pullman Lord Tristan Garel-Jones* Geoffrey Robertson QC Ricky Gervais Martin Rowson Lord Goodhart Gita Sahgal Prof Anthony Grayling Joan Smith Nia Griffith MP Dan Snow Caroline Fourest Dr Evan Harris Dr David Starkey Lord Harrison of Chester Peter Tatchell Patrick Harvie, MSP Lord Taverne QC Prof Ted Honderich Baroness Tonge Mary Honeyball MEP Polly Toynbee Kelvin Hopkins MP Baroness Turner of Camden Dr Julian Huppert Lord Warner of Brockley Sophie in ’t Veld MEP Baroness Young of Hornsey

Lord Tristan Garel-Jones

*Honorary Associates we have been pleased to welcome over the last year On 12 March we were sad to note the death of honorary associate Sir Terry Pratchett. National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 18

YOUR COUNCIL as of 1 October 2015

President Vice Presidents Council Executive director Terry Sanderson Alistair McBay Judy Audaer (co-opted) Keith Porteous Wood FCCA Gerard Phillips Ray Newton Sadikur Rahman Campaigns manager Treasurer Afonso Reis e Sousa Stephen Evans Clare Wadd Peter Revell Dorothy Smith (co-opted) Robert Stovold Adrian Tippetts Peter Vlachos

Clare Coghill resigned during the year.

Terry Sanderson Alistair McBay Gerard Phillips Clare Wadd Judy Audaer

Ray Newton Sadikur Rahman Afonso Reis e Sousa Peter Revell Dorothy Smith

Robert Stovold Adrian Tippetts Peter Vlachos @NatSecSoc facebook.com/NationalSecularSociety 19

AFFILIATED GROUPS

National Groups Local groups Student groups Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats Bedfordshire Humanists AHS Society – University of Leicester Secular Medical Forum Belfast Humanist Group Birmingham Atheist, Secular & Humanist Society UK Society of Celebrants Birmingham Humanists Bradford Atheist & Humanist Society Brighton Secular Humanists Cambridge University Atheist and Agnostic Bristol Secular Society Society Cambridge Humanist Group Durham University Humanist and Secularist Chester Humanists Society Chiltern Humanists Kings College AHS Society Cornwall Humanists Kings College London Secular Society Coventry & Warwickshire Humanists Leeds Atheist Society Devon Humanists LSE SU ASH Society Dorset Humanists NU-Think (Newcastle University Skeptics East Kent Humanists Society) Edinburgh Secular Society Oxford Atheists, Secularists & Humanists Essex Humanists Queen Mary Atheism Secularism and Society Farnham Humanists Reading Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Gloucestershire Humanists Society Greater Manchester Humanists St. Andrews University Atheist Society Hampstead Humanist Society UCL Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Havering & District Humanist Society Society Humanist Society of West Yorkshire University of Bristol Atheist Agnostic Secular Society Freethinkers University of Lincoln Secular Society Isle of Wight Secular and Humanist Society University of Nottingham Secular Society Lancashire Secular Humanists Leicester Secular Society Liverpool Humanist Group Milton Keynes Humanists Norfolk Secular and Humanist Group North East Humanists North Kent Humanists North London Humanist Group Nottingham Secular Society Oxford Humanists Plymouth Humanists Sheffield Humanist Society South East London Humanist Group South Hampshire Humanists South Somerset Humanists Stoke Humanist Group Suffolk Humanists and Secularists Sutton Humanist Group West Glamorgan Humanist Group West London Humanists and Secularists National Secular Society Annual Report www.secularism.org.uk 2015 20

THANKS

As an organisation solely focused on We are particularly grateful to those who A massive thank you goes to Claudine campaigning, the NSS is not eligible for have provided legal advice and support over Baxter, who regularly assists us with charitable status – and we neither seek nor the last year; particular thanks go to James membership administration in the receive funding from publicly-funded bodies. Chegwidden, Gráinne Mellon, David Wolfe office. Thanks also to Sven Klinge for We are therefore reliant on members’ QC and Michael Hall, a solicitor who has photographing our events. subscriptions, donations and legacies greatly assisted our work on Chancel Repair Special thanks also to Guardian cartoonist to fund our campaigning work. We are Liability. Martin Rowson for his magnificent speech immensely grateful for this support. You are Thanks also to Dr Antony Lempert, Chair in accepting our Secularist of the Year award the NSS. of the Secular Medical Forum, who has on behalf of Charlie Hebdo. We would like to express our sincere provided valuable assistance to the NSS We also thank the many members and gratitude to everyone who has donated throughout the year. supporters for sharing their experiences money in the last year or remembered us Throughout the year Barry Thorpe has given and assisting our research and campaigning in their wills. If you would like to take out his time to assist with research and his work. Particular thanks to David Boothroyd a direct debit, please contact the office. work is very much appreciated. We are also who assisted us in opposing the Local If you would like to leave a legacy to the grateful to Bob Baxter, Stephen Knight, Government (Religious etc. Observances) NSS to help secure secularism for future Paul Lopez, Tony Loraine, Alison Meek, Paul Bill. generations, the executive director will be Orton, Matt Smith, Alice Suttle, and Patricia pleased to assist: he can be contacted Thanks also to all those who ran stalls at Tricker for volunteering their time to help the through the office. freshers’ fairs and local events and got NSS with events and campaign work over involved with campaigning locally. We also thank the many people who the last year. generously donate their time, expertise and advice to the NSS.

NOT A MEMBER? The most tangible way of supporting our work is by becoming a member and contributing funds to enable us to work; the more funds we have, the more we can do. If you believe, as we do, that a secular Britain is the best way to achieve true equality for all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, then please join us and become part of what is possibly the most important causes of the 21st century. Together we can create a fairer and more equal society. You can join us online at secularism.org.uk/join or by contacting the office at [email protected] or by calling 020 7404 3126. WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY:

I have long been convinced that the only way to fight religious extremism of all origins, and to protect the basic liberties of all citizens, is to work towards a properly secular and democratic society, in which freedom of religious practice and expression (within the law) is safeguarded, but where the state takes no sides in religion save to ensure that it has no special privileges and cannot be forced on anyone. — Stephen, Kent

The NSS is important because there are too few organisations in this country that can act as a voice for secularists and make a difference, especially when disproportionately influential groups with the support of their friends in high places continue to try to impose their brand of religious dogma on people like me. — Diane, Chester

I decided to join the National Secular Society as I feel it’s necessary to promote the equal status of religions on a platform that does not privilege one over the other. I find it unfortunate that the influence of religion in education is so often to promote the importance of faith over the choice to follow such beliefs. In a society where diversity and religious freedom is flourishing, the time for a monotheistic state is passing, and I believe the promotion of secularism is the only way. — Edward, Wiltshire

I find the privilege provided to religion within our society to be intolerable. It is tiresome to repeatedly hear and see the straw man view of secularism being cynically attacked by those who wish only to preserve the status quo, and who see anything but religious privilege as them being persecuted. I found the NSS to be one of the major organisations effectively working to address these inequalities, and that is why I support the NSS. — Dalis, Bucks

I decided to join the NSS, whose campaigning against religious privilege wherever it reared its malignant head I had long admired. The NSS goes about its business with intelligence, reason, sincerity and courtesy in marked contrast to most of the organisations whose views and actions it challenges and I am proud to be a member. — Geoffrey, Gloucestershire

I originally joined the NSS because in my area a significant number of our secondary schools only admit children whose families attend church – although these schools are largely state funded and are seen as a key part of the local provision. I feel extremely strongly that faith is a personal matter and do not want children segregated according to their parents’ beliefs (or their parents’ willingness to lie about their beliefs) — Sarah, Kent Design by WhiteLight: www.wlight.com

FREEDOM OF & FROM RELIGION

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