- Rip it up and start again?
(report by Sarah McInerney in the Sunday Times: groups representing gay rights, children’s rights, civil rights, women’s rights, one-parent families, humanists and atheists are all demanding that referenda be held to amend the 72-year-old constitution, the better to reflect the needs of modern Irish society.)
June 28, 2009
In the News – Sunday June 28
June 23, 2009
Help Needed for Next Phase of Campaign
We have now completed our series of four public meetings (in Waterford, Dublin, Cork and Limerick) and we are moving on to the following four-stranded campaign:
- Lobbying of politicians, especially members of the Justice Committee
- Building a broader coalition against the proposed bill
- Examining legal challenges to the proposed law
- Continuing with public advocacy including further meetings, gigs etc.
Now that the Lisbon referendum has been announced, we will be seeking to have a referendum to drop the blasphemy reference from the Constutution on the same day (while also arguing that the new law not be enacted in any case).
Your help will be very important in this phase of the campaign. Which if any of the following activities can you help with?
June 17, 2009
Speeches from Limerick Meeting
Here are the speeches from the recent Limerick meeting against the proposed Irish blasphemy law, courtesy of Limerick Blogger.
Michael Nugent, Atheist Ireland, and Larry Maher, Midwest Humanists
Blasphemy is a Victimless Crime from Limerick Blogger on Vimeo.
June 15, 2009
Speeches from Cork Meeting
Here is the first of the speeches from the recent Cork meeting against the proposed Irish blasphemy law. We will upload more soon. Thanks to Tom for filming and uploading the videos.
Lothar Luken, Cork poet and member of Humanist Association of Ireland
June 12, 2009
Speeches from Dublin Meeting
Here are the speeches from the recent Dublin meeting against the proposed Irish blasphemy law, along with discussion from the floor and responses from the panelists. There are nine videos, covering 80 minutes of the meeting. Thanks to Paul for filming and uploading them.
Introduction by Michael Nugent, writer and chair of Atheist Ireland
(10 mins: introducing the blasphemy law and the Church of Dermotology)
Robbie Bonham, comedian and cartoonist, on artistic expression
(10 mins: includes end of Michael Nugent speech; Robbie Bonham introduced at 0:55)
June 10, 2009
Public Meeting next Tuesday in Limerick
PUBLIC MEETING – BLASPHEMY IS A VICTIMLESS CRIME
- VENUE: CARLTON CASTLETROY PARK HOTEL, LIMERICK
- DATE: TUESDAY 16th JUNE TIME: 7.30-9.30pm
The Limerick meeting is the fourth of several being held around the country, organised by Atheist Ireland, an advocacy group for an ethical and secular Ireland, and co-hosted in Limerick by the Mid-west Humanists. Speakers will include
- Michael Nugent, chair of Atheist Ireland and co-writer of I, Keano
- Larry Maher, chair of Mid-west Humanists
- Local politicians will be invited
Please circulate this information to anyone you know, particularly to people from Limerick and mid-west Ireland generally. Thanks.
June 7, 2009
Artists to Face Extradition for Blasphemy?
If Ireland revives its blasphemy laws, Irish artists and other citizens could face extradition to States like Greece or Turkey under the terms of the 2004 European Arrest Warrant. This allows one State to issue warrants for the arrest of citizens of another State, if the crime involved is a crime in both jurisdictions.
Already, in 2005, an Austrian cartoonist has faced extradition to Greece on blasphemy charges, when a book of his cartoons was published there. And Turkey, which may soon be a European Union member, is this month trying a novelist for blasphemy. This is yet another reason stop the proposed Irish blasphemy law.
June 6, 2009
Poetry by Lothar Luken
Lothar Luken, a poet and writer from Bantry, spoke eloquently at our Cork meeting about the impact of blasphemy laws on freedom of artistic expression. Lothar, who is a member of the Humanist Association of Ireland, also recited from his poetry, some of which is reproduced here.