A Disconcerting Act - Bangladesh Government Files Charges Against Publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik
It is with utmost consternation that we observe that recently Bangladesh Government has filed charges under the infamous Article 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act against publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik. the 73-year old owner of the Bod-dip publishing house. Mr. Manik, was arrested by police on February 15, 2016 at the annual Dhaka Ekushey book fair for publishing and selling books that were deemed offensive to Islam. Since then he was consistently denied bail thus violating the rights guaranteed by the Bangladesh constitution with respect to freedom of expression. We worry about Mr. Manik's failing health during his prolonged detention; our hope is that the authorities would drop the charges against him in view of his deteriorating health. Below we reproduce the statement from PEN America that was issued on June 20, 2016 regarding Mr. Manik.
Bonya Receives Freedom From Religion Foundation's 'Forward' Award 2016
Thanks to Freedom from Religion Foundation for the Forward Award. Thanks for being a partner at this critical time, helping the freethinkers in Bangladesh from half the world away. Let me introduce myself first and then I will come to the situation in Bangladesh.
The Wall of Separation
On January the first, 1802 the president of the United States Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut " Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."