Lettera aperta alle autorità del Bangladesh

Al Primo Ministro Sheikh Hasina e al Presidente Abdul Hamid,

Noi, membri preoccupati della comunità di blogger e attivisti del Bangladesh e degli altri paesi, insieme ai rappresentanti di organizzazioni per i diritti umani e di altre organizzazioni della società civile, oltre che dei rispettivi sostenitori, intendiamo protestare nella maniera più forte possibile contro l’attacco istituzionale ai cittadini del Bangladesh che professano umanismo, ateismo o una vistione laica della società.

Negli ultimi due anni cinque blogger (che si identificavano umanisti, razionalisti, atei, o che variamente scrivevano di scienza, valori umanisti, contro l’estremismo islamico, o in favore dei diritti umani e della giustizia) sono stati uccisi e fatti a pezzi da assassini che agiscono per i gruppi militanti fondamentalisti (stando alle loro stesse rivendicazioni). Queste vittime sono: Ahmed Rajib Haider, l’autore scientifico Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman Babu, Ananta Bijoy Das e Niladri Chatterjee (pseudonimo Niloy Neel). Quattro di questi omicidi si sono verificati dal febbraio di quest’anno ad oggi. In altri casi individui come Jafar Munshi e Anjali Devi sono stati uccisi per presunti, o percepiti tali, atti di ‘diffamazione della religione’ come ad esempio il rifiuto di imporre l’uso dell’hijab alle studentesse. Ed a partire dal 2013 i sostenitori del movimento Shahbag e del procedimento giudiziario contro i crimini di guerra (gli imputati essendo leader islamici) sono stati anch’essi brutalmente assassinati da enti islamici simili. Tra le vittime figurano: Ashraful Alam, Arif Raihan Deep, Nurul Islam Faruki, Jagat Jyoti Talukder, Jakaria Babu.

Gli assassini e i loro sostenitori ideologici devono naturalmente essere condannati e devono essere assicurati alla giustizia.

Invece di fornire aiuto nell’affrontare questa oltraggiosa ingiustizia, le istituzioni politiche e statali hanno iniziato ad incolpare le vittime stesse, facendo peggiorare le cose.

Dopo l’omicidio di Niladri Chatterjee il 7 agosto, l’Ispettore Generale della polizia ha addebitato le responsabilità alla vittima, suggerendo l’auto-censura, e minacciando i blogger — quelle stesse persone che vengono uccise — di azioni legali in base all’attuale legge riconducibile alla blasfemia. Nel frattempo, nonostante alcune operazioni antiterrorismo, la polizia ha largamente fallito nel distruggere le reti che hanno ordinato o attuato questi vili attacchi. Anche con due degli assassini catturati sul posto (dopo l’assassinio di Washiqur Rahman) e le rivendicazioni di responsabilità fatte apertamente sui social media e tramite agenzie di stampa, gli attacchi continuano e gli estremisti che stanno dietro le uccisioni sono ancora in libertà. Invece di chiedere ai cittadini vigilanza e aiuto nella raccolta delle prove contro gli assassini, la polizia li ha piuttosto incoraggiati a segnalare presunti scritti atei.

Di fronte alle nuove minacce di morte nei confronti di numerosi attivisti Shahbag e di altri marchiati come “nemici dell’Islam”, nella settimana dopo l’ultimo omicidio un portavoce della polizia ha semplicemente detto ai minacciati di “sporgere denunce alla polizia” qualora pensassero di essere seguiti! Si tratta di una risposta ampiamente inadeguata ed altamente negligente rispetto a ciò che è evidentemente una minaccia assai grave e potenzialmente fatale.

Un certo numero di gruppi islamici, tra cui l’Awami League Olama che è strettamente associata al vostro stesso partito Awami League, hanno fatto nuove richieste di pena di morte per tutti i blogger e gli attivisti atei, facendo eco alla retorica degli estremisti islamici in altri partiti. Ovviamente queste richieste rappresentano una grave violazione dei diritti delle persone non religiose alla libertà di pensiero, e contro la libertà di espressione in generale, e devono essere fermamente ed esplicitamente respinte.

Inoltre, il vostro Cabinet Committee for Law and Order, guidato dal ministro dell’Industria Amir Hossain Amu, nella riunione del 9 agosto 2015 ha deciso “di dichiarare gli autori atei dei criminali”, rendendoli oggetto di procedimento penale, e alle agenzie di intelligence è stato chiesto di monitorare i blog per trovare tali scrittori atei. Anche stando alla legge attuale, un tale arresto di massa di persone che professano opinioni non religiose nella loro comunicazione online rappresenterebbe una grave violazione degli obblighi internazionali sui diritti umani verso cui il Bangladesh si è impegnato. Il ministro dell’Interno, in un discorso distinto, è stato visto ripetere lo stesso messaggio di avviso.

Queste istituzioni e questi funzionari dello Stato attraverso le loro posizioni attuali — demonizzare la libera espressione, e allo stesso tempo strizzare l’occhio a estremisti assassini — stanno distruggendo la pretesa del Bangladesh di essere uno stato democratico che difende i diritti umani di tutti i cittadini. Criminalizzare l’espressione di “tutto ciò che può ferire i sentimenti o le convinzioni religiose di alcuno” (per dirla con le parole dell’Ispettore Generale della Polizia) significa in pratica che i fondamentalisti ed estremisti possono dire e fare quello che vogliono, mentre chi lotta per la democrazia, la libertà di espressione, il razionalismo, la giustizia e i diritti umani viene ridotto al silenzio.

Questa è una ricetta per uno stato teocratico in balia di membri più estremisti della società. Le persone devono essere in grado di discutere e dibattere religione e politica, credenze e pratiche. Se non possono, ingiustizia, paura e violenza regneranno.

Non riuscire ad affrontare e confutare queste tendenze oppressive e illiberali ora, segnerà l’inizio della fine del Bangladesh come paese libero e democratico.

Vi supplichiamo di:

• garantire la sicurezza degli individui le cui vite sono minacciate da estremisti islamici, inclusi i testimoni e i familiari;
• dare istruzioni alla polizia di trovare gli assassini, e non di molestare o dare la colpa alle vittime;
• dissociarvi pubblicamente da coloro che chiedono condanne a morte nei confronti dei non credenti del Bangladesh, e assicurarvi, attraverso il vostro potere esecutivo, che gli individui all’interno del vostro partito mantengano lo stesso standard di rispetto della libertà di coscienza e di espressione;
• lavorare in modo deciso per una riforma del diritto, al fine di abrogare la sezione 295A del Codice penale e la sezione 57 della legge ICT del 2006, in modo da portare il sistema giuridico del Bangladesh in linea con lo spirito ed i valori della libertà di espressione e ‘di coscienza’ come sancito nella Costituzione del Bangladesh, e come da obblighi derivanti dagli strumenti internazionali sui diritti umani di cui il Bangladesh far parte.

L’originale della lettera (in inglese e bengalese) è stato pubblicato sul sito dell’Iheu, da cui riprendiamo integralmente anche l’elenco dei firmatari. Traduzione a cura di Massimo Redaelli.

Abdul Muttalib — Retired Principal, Bangladesh
Abir Shomudro — Student, Shahid Abdur Rab Serniabat Textile Engineering College, Barisal
Abul Hasnat — Humanist; London, UK
Adam Lagerqvist — Humanisterna, Sweden
Adam Reakes — Producer and host, The Herd Mentality Podcast
Aditi Kabir — Interpreter; Independent Translator
Administrators of the Bangla Community Blog Alliance – BCBA
Afrina Akhter Jesmin — Activist; Program Secretary, Bangladesh Short Film Forum
Ahmedur Rashid Tutul — Publisher, Shuddhoshor
Ajanta Deb Roy — Gonojahoron Moncho, UK
Ajit Kumar Ray — Professor, North bengal University, West Bengal, India
Ajoy Roy — Author; Academic; Human rights campaigner; Professor of Physics, retired, Dhaka University; editor, Muktanwesa; advisor, Mukto-Mona
Alain Davis — Secularist Campaigner and Migrants Rights Activist, UK
Alex Zakreski — Member, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression – CJFE
Alice Carr — President, Progressive Atheists Inc.
Alice Klein — President, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, CJFE
Amanor B. Apenkro — President, Humanist Association of Ghana
AmarBlog, amarblog.com
Anders Stedtlund — Software Designer
Andrew Copson — Chief Executive, British Humanist Association; President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Andrew Hobson — Blogger, Cyber Atheist
Ani Zonneveld — Founder, President, Muslims for Progressive Values
Anne-France Ketelaer — Vice-President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Ansar Ahmed Ullah — Secular Activist & Campaigner, UK
Anu Muhammad — Chief editor, Sarbojonkotha; Member secretary, National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Port; Professor, Jahangirnagar University
Anupam Shaikat Shanto — Sarbojokotha Editor; General Secretary, Bangladesh Short Film Forum
April Jones — Freethinker, USA
Argentine Humanist Association, Deodoro Roca
Arifur Rahman — Blogger, arif.eu; Activist
Arik Platzek — Editor, diesseits (The Humanist Magazine) Berlin, Germany
Arman Rashid — Columnist; Member, International Crimes Strategy Forum-ICSF
Arne Mobrand — Humanist Stockholm
Arpita Bhowmik — Activist; Atheist and Humanist; Pharmaceutical Microbiologist, Japan
Ashfaque Anup — Blogger; Member, International Crimes Strategy Forum
Ashim Chakraborty — Journalist, Blogger
Ashis Saha — PhD Researcher in Johns Hopkins University
Ashley Davidson — Writer, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
Ashoke Mukhopadhyay — General Secretary, Centre for Studies in Science and Society, Kolkata, India
Ashraful Alam — member of Progressive Atheists Inc, Melbourne, Australia
Ashraful Kabir — Research Coordinator
Asif Islam Khan — Activist; Academic, University of California, Berkeley
Asma Sultana — Visual Artist, Writer
Atheist Alliance International
Atheist Republic — atheistrepublic.com
Austin Dacey — Philosopher; Human rights activist
Ayella Collins — Humanist Empowerment of Livelihoods in Uganda
Baidik Bhattacharya — Academic, Delhi University
Barun P Mondol — IT professional
Benjamin Ismaïl — Head of Asia-Pacific Desk, Reporters Without Borders
Bo Borg — Humanisterna Sweden
Bob Churchill — Director of Communications, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Brendan de Caires — Programs & Communications Coordinator, PEN Canada
Brian D. Engler — Author and Humanist, Virginia
Carolina Josefsson — Local chairman, Swedish Humanist Association
Centre d’Action Laïque
Chitralekha Saha — Consulate of France in Calcutta
Christophe Deloire — Secretary-General, Reporters Without Borders
Crispy Sea — Blogger; Author
Cristina Iacob — Romanian Humanist Association
David Curry — Prophetcast
David Rand — President, Libres penseurs athées – Atheist Freethinkers, Canada
Deana M Naraparaju — Blogger; Online Activist
Debdas Anamoul — Blogger
Dilshana Parul — Activist, Save the Children
Dinky Daruvala — Associate professor , Karlstad University, Sweden
Dipen Bhattacharya — Physicist, Riverside College District, California, USA
Donna Van Toen — Author; East Hamilton Spiritual Church
Douglas Bernard Wallis — Atheist, Humanist – Isle of Man, Great Britain
Dr Jim Walsh — CEO, Conway Hall Ethical Society
Dr Mahmudul Sumon — Associate Professor, Jahangirnagar University, Savar Dhaka Bangladesh
Dr Meredith Doig — President, Rationalist Society of Australia
Ekush Tapader — News Editor, Sylhettoday24.com
Emily Newman — Communications Coordinator, American Ethical Union
Eric Eriksson — Humanist, Sweden
Erwin Kress — Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands, HVD
Erwin Kress — Vice-president, Humanist Association of Germany
Esa Ylikoski — General Secretary, Union of Freethinkers of Finland
Esha Karim — Swedish Institute Scholar
Fahmidul Haq — Writer; Blogger; Academic, Factulty at Dhaka University
Farid Ahmed — Author and Editor of Mukto-mona
Farzana Kabir Khan — Blogger; Activist
Felipe Galicia — Biologist
Ferdaush Ahmed — Activist; Founder, Organisation for War Heroines, London
Fran Kurth — Executive Director, Capital District Humanist Society, New York, USA
Fredrik Idevall, — President Humanisterna Orebro, Sweden
Garga Chatterjee — Columnist and Cognitive Scientist
George Broadhead — Pink Triangle Trust
Gitiara Nasreen — University of Dhaka
Göran Björk — Humanisterna, Sweden
Gordon MacRae — Chief Executive, Humanist Society Scotland
Greg Epstein — Humanist Chaplain, Harvard University
Gulalai Ismail — Chairperson, Aware Girls, Pakistan
Gustaf Andersson — Humanist, Sweden
Hana Shams Ahmed — Columnist, Activist
Hans Kleine — Local chairman, Swedish Humanist Association
Hasan Mahmud — Advisory Board Member, World Muslim Congress; General Secretary, Muslims Facing Tomorrow, Canada
Hemant Mehta — Editor, Friendly Atheist
Heriberto ‘’Pito’’ Rosario — Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture
Hidde Gaastra — Atheist/Secular Activist, Master in Political Science
Hironmoy Golder — Student, ASA University
Hritohri Islam — Humanist; Activist; Student
Humanist Society of New Zealand
Humanist Union of Greece
Ian Bushfield — Executive Director British Columbia Humanist Association
Imad Iddine Habib — Atheist and Secularist Activist; Founder, Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco
Imran H Sarkar — Spokesperson, Gonojagoron Moncho
Imtiaz Mahmood — Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
International Crimes Strategy Forum
Iqbal Nouyed — West Virginia University
Irtishad Ahmad — Professor, Florida International University
Jacques Rousseau — Chair: Free Society Institute, South Africa
James Croft — Leader in Training, Ethical Society of St. Louis
Jane Donnelly — Human Rights Officer, Atheist Ireland
Jaseeb Ara Siddiqui — Creative writer; Painter
Jawshan Ara — Ph.D. Researcher in Neuroscience, University of Maryland; writer, Mukto-mona
Jay Grime — Atheist Blogger
Jesmin Chowdhury — Teacher and Writer
Jillian Hsieh — Humanist, Florida
Jin-oh Choi — President, Launceston Skeptics Inc.
Joakim Ströberg — local chairman, Swedish Humanist Association
Joann Robertson — President, British Columbia Humanist Association
Jodie Ginsberg — CEO, Index on Censorship
John Hamill — Secretary, Atheist Alliance International and Atheist Ireland
Jonas Nordström — Boardmember, Swedish Humanist Organisation
Josh Kutchinsky — Membership Organiser, Central London Humanists
Julia Julstrom-Agoyo — Secretary, Americas Working Group, IHEYO; Liaison to FES, Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago
Julie Begum — Chair, Swadhinata Trust, UK
Juyel Raj — Journalist, Blogger
Kaberi Gayen — Professor, Dept of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka
Kajalie Shehreen Islam — Assistant Professor, University of Dhaka/Doctoral Candidate, SOAS, London
Kaji Tamanna Keya — Activist; Student, Brandeis University, USA
Kallol Mahalanabis — Mumbai,India
Kallol Mustafa — Activist; Executive editor, Sarbojonkotha; Member, National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Port; Professor
Kamrul Hasan Tushar — Gonojagoron Moncho, UK
Kamrus Salam Shangshad — Former Vice President, Bangladesh Students’ Union
Kaveh Moussavi — Academic, University of Oxford
Kazi A. Mamun — Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Business Programs, School of Business Administration, University of California
Kazi Mahboob Hassan — Medical Researcher; Writer; Member, CFI
Khan Muhammad Bin Asad — PhD researcher, Astrophysics
Khorshed Azam — Writer
Khushi Kabir — Activist, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Kristina Ekman — Humanisterna, Sweden
Law’nence Miller — Trustee, New York Society for Ethical Culture
Lawrence M. Krauss — Foundation Professor, Arizona State University, School of Earth And Space Exploration, Physics Department; Director, The Origins Project
Leesa Gazi — Cultural Activist
Leicester Secular Society
Leon Korteweg — Board Member, Dutch Freethinkers Association, De Vrije Gedachte
Magnus Kvist — Humanisterna, Sweden
Magnus Timmerby — Board member, Swedish Humanist Association
Mahbub Azad — Blogger; Moderator, Sachalayatan.com
Mahbub Rubaiyat — Sarbojonkotha editor, Activist, Teacher
Mahmud Hussein — Founder and CEO, L.E.A.D.; Associate Professor, San Francisco State University
Mahmud Hussein — Founder, Global Secular Humanist Movement
Mahmudul Haque Munshi — Blogger; Organizer, Shahbag protest
Mahmuduzzaman Babu — Columnist, Singer, Activist
Maidul Islam — Asst Professor in Political Science, Presidency University, Calcutta
Mallarika Sinha Roy — Jawaharlal Nehru University, Centre for Women’s Studies, Delhi, India
Manisha Chakravarty — Student, Dhaka
Maria Greene — Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association
Marie Alena Castle — Communications Director, Atheists For Human Rights
Maruf Rosul — Blogger; Activist, Gonojagoron Monch
Mary Bergin — member, Humanist Society of Victoria, Australia
Maryam Namazie — One Law for All, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, and Fitnah – Movement for Women’s Liberation
Masuda khan — Student, USA
Mats Linde — Teacher and humanist, Sweden
Max Farrar — Emeritus Professor, Leeds Beckett University, UK
Mazidur Rahman — Civil Servant and Unionist
Md Habibur Rahman Salman — PhD Student
Md Ibrahim Faisal — Computer Engineer, Chandler, Arizona, USA
Mervyn Thomas — Chief Executive, Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Michael De Dora — Director of Public Policy, Center for Inquiry
Michael Nugent — Chairperson, Atheist Ireland
Miraj Ul Islam — Physician, Columnist
Mohammad Haroon — Secretary, Coalition on Rights & Responsibilities of youth , Peshawar, Pakistan
Mohammad Jawed Iqbal — Activist
Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan — Sarbojonkotha editor, Associate Professor, Dhaka University, Bangladesh
Mohonlal Siddiquee — (Pen name) Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Moinul Hossain — Secular activist
Moira Clarke — President, Reason Road Inc.
Mostafa Farook — Activist, London, UK
Mozibul Hoque Moni — Vice-President, JASOD-UK
Muhammad Golam Sarowar — Blogger; Activist
Muhammad Syed — President, Ex-Muslims of North America
Muktangon Blog, nirmanblog.com
Mukto-Mona
Muntakim Haque — Blogger; Activist
Mynga Futrell — Bright; Civic Pluralism Activist
Nabeel Ashraf Ali — International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
Nafisa Asif — Humanist; Researcher, University of Sydney
Nagorik Blog, nagorikblog.com
Nancy Drew — Atheist activist; Blogger, Question With Boldness
Nani Jansen — Legal Director, Media Legal Defence Initiative
Nasreen Rahim — President, Bangladesh-American Democratic Coalition, BADC
Naushaba Rashid — Activist; Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo
Nazmul Ahmed — Physician & Political Activist
Nicola Young Jackson — President, International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation
Nijhoom Majumdar — Lawyer and Blogger, Member ICR Foundation
Nina Sheth — Law Student NYU Law
Nira Yuval-Davis — Professor and Director, Centre for Research on Migration, Refugees and Belonging, University of East London, UK
Nowrin Tamanna — Academic, University of Reading; justice activist
Olof Stroh — local chairman, Swedish Humanist Association
Ontario Humanist Society
Ophelia Benson — Blogger; Columnist
Oscar Ekman — Humanisterna, Sweden
P Das Babu — Activist
Paul Chiariello — Educator, Managing Editor Applied Sentience
Paul Sating — Creator and Host of Quranify Me Podcast & Atheist Apocalypse Podcast
Paul V Dudman — Archivist and Refugee and Migrants Rights Activist, University of East London, UK
Peter Harrison — President, New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists
Peter Tatchell — Human rights campaigner; Peter Tatchell Foundation
Petri Karisma — Chairman, Union of Freethinkers of Finland; Co-founder, eroakirkosta.fi
PG Petzen — Swedish Humanist Association
Pierre Galand — President, European Humanist Federation
Pradip Deb — Melbourne, Australia
Predrag Stojadinović — Vice-president, ‘Atheists of Serbia’
Probir Kumar Sarkar — Senior Sub editor, Dhaka Tribune
Prof. Dr. Frieder Otto Wolf — Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands, HVD
Prof. Udo Schuklenk — Ontario Research Chair, Queen’s University
Pushpita Gupta — Activist, Secular Bangladesh Movement
PZ Myers — Blogger; Biologist, University of Minnesota Morris
Rafee Shams — Social Worker, Mrittika
Rafida Bonya Ahmed — Author; Mukto-Mona Editor
Raihan Abir — Editor, Mukto-Mona
Rajarshi Debnath — Financial Consultant
Rajib Halder — Student, Mathematics Department, Govt. BM College, Barisal
Rajib Sarkar — Humanist, USA
Rakibul Hasan — Filmmaker, Activist & Blogger
Rana Yasmin — Blogger; Member, International Crimes Strategy Forum-ICSF
Rashad Ullah — Academic, Mukto-Mona Member, Washington, DC
Rasheda Khan — Social Scientist, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
Ratan Kumar Samadder — ICORN Guest Writer
Rayhan Rashid — Academic, Rights Activist; Blogger; Member, International Crimes Strategy Forum-ICSF, Bangla Community Blogs’ Alliance-BCBA
Rayhana Sultan — Activist, Council of Ex-Muslims UK
Rebecca Hale — President, American Humanist Association
Rebecca Jane Prescott — Atheist, Blogger, Isle of Man, Great Britain
Rein Zunderdorp — First Vice-President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Renate Bauer — President, Dachverband Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften e.V., Germany
Riaz Osmani — IT Professional, LGBT and ex-muslim activist
Richard Carrier — Historian and Philosopher, FreethoughtBlogs
Roar Johnsen — Treasurer, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Robyn Pennacchia — Atheist, Blogger at The Frisky
Roger Moody — Nostromo Research
Rolf Söderlund — Retired, IT Professional
Romanian Secular-Humanist Association
Ron Soloman — Vice-President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Roy Brown — Past President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Roy Speckhardt — Executive Director, American Humanist Association
Rumana Hashem — Activist-Sociologist and Post-doctoral Researcher, University of East London
Rumman Mahmud — Justice Activist; Software Engineer, Cisco Systems
Russell Blackford — philosopher and author, University of Newcastle, Australia
Ryan Croom — Student, USA
Ryan Evans — Student, USA
S D Mistree — Poet
Sabbir Hossain — Coordinator, Bangladesh Liberation War Library and Research Centre; Convenor Member, Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971
Sabine Remling — MSc Marketing Manager, Sweden
Sachalayatan, sachalayatan.com
Saki Chowdhury — Activist
Sakti Das MD — Blogger; Member, Foundation for Freedom
Saleh Mustafa Jamil — Teacher and Human Rights Activist
Salmin Sultana — Justice Activist; Archivist; Member, International Crimes Strategy Forum
Samina Luthfa — Teacher, Dhaka University
Samira Rahman — Civil Servant and Community Worker
Samira Shackle — Assistant Editor, New Humanist Magazine
Sangita Ghosh — Journalist, Bangladesh
Sara Hosain — Barrister
Sarah Haider — Co-founder, Ex-Muslims of North America
Sarto Blouin — President, Humanist Foundation of Quebec
Sazedul Waheed — Student
Scott Sharrad — President, Council of Australian Humanist Societies inc.
Sean Jones — Humanist, USA
Sean McGuire — Blogger, My Secret Atheist Blog
Semanti Ghosh — Associate Editor, Anandabazar Patrika, India
Shabnam Nadiya — Writer
Shaheen Sultana — Community worker
Shahid Khan — Vice-Chairperson, Global Minorities Alliance, UK
Shaista Erum — Secretary, Global Minorities Alliance, Glasgow, UK
Shamim Ahmed — Development Economist
Shamim Ahmed Lasker — Blogger; Online Activist; Assam, India
Shane Squires — Physicist, USA
Shawan Mahmud — Member Secretary, Martyr Altaf Mahmud Foundation
Sheila Ayala — Secular Ontario
Shelby Perez — Human Rights Activist, USA
Shimon Sharmin — Blogger; Translator
Shohini Ghosh — Sajjad Zaheer Professor, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Shuvo Shaha — Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Sidmennt, The Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association
Smrity Azad — Chair, Docklands Light Theatre, UK
Sohail Chowdhury — Blogger; Writer
Sonia Dattaray — Atheist, USA
Sonja Eggerickx — Past President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Sotiris Angel — Entrepreneur, UK
Soumen Halder — Businessman, India
Stephen Stuart — Secretary, Humanist Society of Victoria
Steve Hayes — Prophetcast
Stewart Henderson — Blogger; Treasurer, Council of Australian Humanist Societies
Suhana Zaman — Humanist, London
Sumon Nath — Blogger
Suraiya Rahman — Student, Dhaka
Suranjit Das — Activist; Business man
Susan Sackett — Vice-President, International Humanist and Ethical Union
Sushanta Das Gupta — Blogger
Swakkhar Shatabda — Teacher
Swami Manavatavadi, Sadhvi Asha Manav, and Dr. Sabita Mishra — Manavatavadi Vishwa Sansthan, The International School of Humanitarian Thoughts and Practice, Kurukshetra India
Syeda Najnin Sultana Shikha — Women’s Right Activist, Nari Chetona
Tahsin Tabbassum Kotha — Student, Govt. College of Commerce, Chittagong
Tanuja Bhattacharjee — Poet; Blogger; Engineer
Tarek Fatah — Author
Taslima Nasreen — Author; Physician; Blogger
Tasnim Hossain — Software Engineer
Tejmur Šihmamedov — President, The Secular Circle’
The Board of Directors of Humanist Canada
Trisha Ahmed — Student, USA
Ulf Gustafsson — Blogger, Swedish Humanist Association
Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti — NGO, Italy
Uttam Niraula — Executive Director, (Society for Humanism) SOCH Nepal
Valter Eriksson — Physiotherapist, Sweden
Veronica Abbass — Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Atheist
Vidya Bhushan Rawat — Social Development Foundation, Delhi
Vishwajeet Samuel Gain — Student, La Martiniere Calcutta, India
Yamen Hoque — Blogger; Humanist; State College, PA, USA
Zoe Hamilton — Atheist, USA