Category: Living on the Hill

Can Humanism Provide Answers to Global Inequities?

June 14, 2018 | by | 1 Comments
  A Time For Reflection This August, the International Humanist and Ethical Union’s conference in New Zealand presents an opportunity to assess the state of humanism in the world, to take stock of the progress the movement has made towards promoting the humanist outlook globally. This meeting is an occasion for reflection, especially by those […] Read more

Why Jihadists Strike During Ramadan

June 6, 2018 | by | 0 Comments
Violent acts of jihadist terrorism during Ramadan, though newly popularized by IS (ISIS), have deeper and older theological roots  The holy month of Ramadan has for decades in the West been seized upon as an opportunity to reject division and promote interfaith dialogue-a month of peace. Celebratory White House and Downing Street iftars are commonplace […] Read more

Mohamed Hisham, A Public Atheist In Egypt | Troy Garnaut

May 23, 2018 | by | 0 Comments
Mohamed Hisham, an Egyptian atheist incurred the wrath of Egypt’s conservative Muslim population when he spoke publicly about his atheism on live TV. by Troy Garnaut “I am Mohamed Hisham, and I am a public atheist in Egypt.” The weary but determined eyes of a young man look into the camera as the asylum plea […] Read more

France: The Inability of a Secular State to Protect Secularists

May 16, 2018 | by | 0 Comments
Despite living in one of the most secular countries worldwide, ex-Muslim secularists in France still face hate speech, death threats, and an idle government. Waleed Al-Husseini founded the Council of Ex-Muslims of France. He escaped the Palestinian Authority after torture and imprisonment in Palestine, fleeing to Jordan and then France. He is an ex-Muslim and […] Read more

We Must Support Britain’s Secular Muslims

May 2, 2018 | by | 1 Comments
Secular Muslims like Sajid Javid in prominent government posts are victories for the battle of hearts and minds. In tough times for Muslims in public life, a cohort of secular Britons hailing from Muslim communities are challenging assumptions and extremism on all sides. This week, as a result of the Home Office scandal on the treatment […] Read more

The Growing Tide of Violent Rhetoric Against Baha’is in Houthi Yemen

May 1, 2018 | by | 0 Comments
Yemen’s Houthis incite violence against Baha’is on social media.   On March 23, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdel-Malek Al-Houthi made a speech in which he called the Baha’i faith a “satanic” movement that wished to “wage war” against Islam. On the same day of Al-Houthi’s speech, Houthi activist Ahmed Ayed published a tweet stating “we will […] Read more

Sceptic Amardeo Sarma on Humanism and Rationalism in the West

April 25, 2018 | by | 0 Comments
German sceptic Amardeo Sarma discusses critically analysing entrenched belief systems, including religion and a shockingly fervent homeopathic movement. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Was there a family background in humanism or rationalism for you? Amardeo Sarma: No, because both my parents were moderately religious. In fact, to give you an example, when I grew up, my father […] Read more

Liberal Islam and Migrant Integration with Seyran Ateş

April 13, 2018 | by | 0 Comments
Seyran Ateş, a lawyer and feminist activist, speaks with Conatus News about law, faith, feminism, and integrating migrants in Western societies. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: To begin, what was your background in faith and feminism? Insofar as I know, you are of Kurdish descent. Seyran Ateş: My mother is Turkish. My father is Kurdish. He died in 2014. […] Read more