Robbie Yellon, the President of the UCL’s atheist and secular society has resigned – apparently due to stress following the controversy over the use of a ‘Jesus and Mo’ cartoon to advertise a social event on Facebook.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association is continuing to protest against the use of the cartoon.
“The principle is more important than who is being attacked – this time it is Muslims and Christians but in the future it could be atheists themselves.”
There is something surreal about this statement in the light of the very real threats made against atheists at Queen Mary on Tuesday, leading to the cancellation of a peaceful event. ‘Jesus and Mo’ may be offensive to some, but it is NOT an attack. Yet UCL’s atheists have been pressured by the Student Union to watch their step in future:
UCL Union (UCLU) said in a statement: “The atheist society has agreed they will take more consideration when drawing up publicity for future events.
It is outrageous that individuals and societies should be intimidated into this kind of self-censorship, particularly given the contrast between a satirical cartoon and the messages being promoted by speakers hosted by some Islamic societies. As Maryam Namazie points out, just yesterday QM hosted Abu Zabair, who calls for the death penalty for apostates – and secularist Muslims. She is calling for a demonstration to defend free expression on 11 February.
Clearly, the time has come to take a firm and uncompromising stand for free expression and against all forms of threats and censorship.
11 February is our chance to take that stand.
You need to be there.
Enough is enough.
Alan A adds:
It is particularly unimpressive that the charge against UCL’s secularists has been lead by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association.
The Ahmadiyya are regarded by pretty much all Muslim clerics as apostates. For that reason, as you’ll know, they are subjected to formal discrimination in a number of Muslim states, and are widely subjected to torture and execution for their beliefs. Some of you will have seen some very disturbing footage of an angry crowd kicking some Ahmadiyyas to death, that was circulating last year.
I may be wrong about this, but I believe that the Ahmadiyyas are the only group fussing about these cartoons. If so, I suspect that the reason that the ‘usual suspects’ have not joined in this campaign is that no Islamist group would be prepared to work alongside the heretical Ahmadiyyas.
The irony is this. The Ahmadiyya can only survive in a society which upholds secular values. The secularists are in fact their only allies.
Instead of directing their efforts at the hate preachers on campus, the likes of Abu Zabair – who would execute them – the Ahmadiyyas have instead decided to bully the only people who will support their freedom of worship.
Idiots. Nasty idiots.
