Saudi Arabia Executes Women Convicted of Sorcery

Written by Associated Press | 12 December 2011

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi authorities have executed a woman convicted of practicing magic and sorcery.

The Saudi Interior Ministry says in a statement the execution took place Monday, but gave no details on the woman's crime.

The London-based al-Hayat daily, however, quoted Abdullah al-Mohsen, chief of the religious police who arrested the woman, as saying she had tricked people into thinking she could treat illnesses, charging them $800 per session.

The paper said a female investigator followed up, and the woman was arrested in April, 2009, and later convicted in a Saudi court.

It did not give the woman's name, but said she was in her 60s.

The execution brings the total to 76 this year in Saudi Arabia, according to an Associated Press count. At least three have been women.

Debt-Stricken Italy Asks Vatican to Pay Taxes

Written by The Telegraph (UK) | 12 December 2011

The Roman Catholic Church in Italy is under growing pressure to start paying taxes on its massive property portfolio, in a move that could raise up to 800 million euros (£680 million) a year and help bail the country out of its economic crisis.

As the new technocrat government of Mario Monti seeks to slash the nation’s 1.9 trillion euro debt, attention is turning to the estimated 65,000 buildings owned by the Church. According to an estate agency, Gruppo RE, a fifth of publicly owned properties in Italy are directly or indirectly controlled by the Church. They include around 50,000 cathedrals, churches and chapels — which would retain their tax-free status — but 11,000 schools, universities and libraries as well as nearly 5,000 hospitals, clinics and other commercial properties would face the tax. All church properties, including those having a commercial element, have been exempt from taxes since 1982, with an extension put in place in 2006. But critics say the proposed law contains loopholes which can easily be exploited. If a Church-owned property such as a hotel contains a chapel, for instance, it is spared the tax.

The Church has long argued that it should be exempt from paying the property tax because it provides important social services through its schools, hospitals and community centres. “The Church supports the weakest of society and performs an activity in favour of society,” said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state.

What does an atheist do on 25 December?

09 December 2011

Well, frankly that's up to you!

Far from the grumpy and miserable sentiments sometimes attributed to atheists at this time of year, we see AAI's members happily celebrating with family and friends.

"It's simple, we celebrate Santa Claus!”
Barbara

"Open presents, eat, visit family - what humans have been doing for thousands of years to celebrate the return of longer days!”
Paul [presumably in the northern hemisphere!]

"Isaac Newton, the founder of western civilization, was born Dec 25, 1642. At our house we celebrate "Newtonmass" on Dec 25. In the morning we do optics experiments, in the afternoon we do differentials and integrals, and in the evening we scoff at alchemy and biblical chronology. It makes for an interesting day."
Peter

Whatever you do or don't do to celebrate the holiday season let us know at info [at] atheistalliance [dot] org!

Libya should provide genuine freedom to all its citizens

Written by Administrator | 27 October 2011

MEDIA RELEASE

Versión en español a continuación

Atheist Alliance international (AAI) calls on the National Transitional Council (NTC) to establish Libya as a secular state that respects the rights of atheists, freethinkers and other non-religious citizens.

The official declaration of the liberation of Libya on 23 October 2011 is welcomed by AAI as an important symbolic step towards a democratic, free society in the country. Libya's NTC will prepare a new constitution for the country within the next few months.

Tanya Smith, President of Atheist Alliance International, said "While the underlying motivation for the Libyan people to fight against Gadhafi's forces was a desire for freedom, the NTC has ignored a crucial aspect of freedom: the draft new constitution states that "Islam is the state religion" and "the Islamic Sharia law is its principal source of legislation."

Consistent with the draft constitution, the head of the NTC, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, has stated that Sharia law would be the “fundamental source” of authority in Libya and that any existing laws that contravened Sharia law would be immediately revoked. During his speech in Benghazi on 23 October, Mustafa Abdel Jalil stated that “We are an Islamic country,” and that “We take the Islamic religion as the core of our new government. The constitution will be based on our Islamic religion.”

Catholic Church in India Says Have More Children

11 October 2011

NEW DELHI (AP) -- Worried about its dwindling numbers, the Roman Catholic church in southern India is exhorting its flock to have more children, with some parishes offering free schooling, medical care and even cash bonuses for large families, church officials said Tuesday.

The strategy comes as India's population tops 1.2 billion, making it the second most populous country in the world after China, and runs counter to a national government policy of limiting family size.

."The Christian community in Kerala is dwindling. We realized that if the numbers decreased further, it would have a negative impact on the community," said Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India in New Delhi. So Kerala's Catholic parishes have launched a variety of programs, from free education to free medical care, said the Rev. Jose Kottayil of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council.

Jewish Ladies: Step Aside For The Men

11 October 2011

Yet another example of entrenched sexism within religion....and a failure to understand what "freedom of speech" actually means. Originally published in the New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2011/10/11/2011-10-11_city_in_signoff_removal_of_posts_irks_hasid_nabe.html

City workers have removed signs warning women in a Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn to step aside for men.

But the Parks Department says the teardowns in South Williamsburg had nothing to do with the message itself; it's just illegal to post signs on street trees.

"We do not know who put up the signs," said Parks spokeswoman Trish Bertuccio.

The large signs started popping up in the neighborhood more than a week ago. They had a Yiddish message that translates as: "Precious Jewish daughter, please move to the side when a man approaches."

Israeli Wins Right to be Classed as 'No Religion'

02 October 2011

AFP, Oct. 2 - An Israeli writer has won a historic court victory granting his request to be officially registered as "without religion" rather than "Jewish," Israeli newspaperHaaretz reported on Sunday.

Yoram Kaniuk turned to the courts in May after the interior ministry refused to alter his official religious status from Jewish to "without religion," Haaretz said.

And last week, a Tel Aviv court sided with his demand, ruling that Israeli law allows citizens to be officially registered as having no religion.

"Freedom from religion is a freedom derived from the right to human dignity, which is protected by the Basic Law on Human Dignity and Freedom," Haaretz quoted the ruling as saying.

Israel registers its citizens according to both their religion and their ethnicity, although it does not include an "Israeli" ethnicity, labelling its Jewish citizens as of "Jewish" ethnicity. That has raised the ire of secular groups who have petitioned the interior ministry for years to replace the Jewish ethnicity label with an Israeli one.

So Many Atheist Conventions!

Written by Tanya Smith | 01 October 2011

April/May 2012 is is packed with atheist conventions - AAI is involved with four different events on four different continents!

First there's the 2012 Global Atheist Convention A Celebration of Reason hosted by the Atheist Foundation of Australia in Melbourne (13-15 April) - which features "The Four Horsemen", Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and HItchens, and plenty of other fantastic speakers, including Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Peter Singer, Eugenie Scott, Lawrence Krauss....and (maybe a little less fantastic) me! It's an honour just to have my name in that list.

After Melbourne I'll be heading to Manila for the 1st Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Convention (21 April). This is the first atheist convention in South East Asia - kudos to PATAS for arranging the event - and it will be great to represent Atheist Alliance International there.

Canada next! In May the Kamloops Centre for Rational Thought is hosting Imagine No Religion 2 in Kamloops, BC (18-20 May), a follow-up to the successful Imagine No Religion conference in May this year.

Finally, AAI's 2012 European atheist convention will be in Cologne, Germany on 25-27 May. Perspectives of Atheism - local, regional, national will be hosted by IBKA and features an excellent line-up including PZ Myers, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Barker, Taslima Nasrin and Rebecca Watson.

Atheist conventions are a huge amount of fun - a chance to hear world-class speakers, discuss global atheist/secular issues and enjoy the company of lots of rational people. Don't miss out!

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Saudi Arabia Executes Women Convicted of Sorcery

Debt-Stricken Italy Asks Vatican to Pay Taxes

The Roman Catholic Church in Italy is under growing pressure to start paying taxes on its massive property portfolio, in a move that could raise up to 800 million euros (£680 million) a year and help bail the country out of its economic crisis.

What does an atheist do on 25 December?

Libya should provide genuine freedom to all its citizens

Catholic Church in India Says Have More Children

Jewish Ladies: Step Aside For The Men

Israeli Wins Right to be Classed as 'No Religion'

So Many Atheist Conventions!

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