Humanists call for clear commitment to renounce violence

“We are very concerned about the safety of Hamed Abdel-Samad.” In view of the lecture tour planned for July by political scientist and author Hamed Abdel-Samad, Helmut Fink, Vice President of the Humanist Association of Germany, has called on the Coordination Council of Muslims to contradict the calls for murder made by Egyptian Muslims three weeks ago. After a lecture critical of Islam in Cairo, Hamed Abdel-Samad was declared an “infidel” by Muslim believers in a television program, and websites showed a picture of Abdel-Samad with a call to kill him. “Even if he regrets what he said, he must be killed,” Mahmud Shaaban, a professor at Azhar University in Cairo, told the al-Hafez radio station. In an initial reaction, some members of the German Islamic Conference condemned the death threats and emphasized that freedom of opinion and freedom of expression are cornerstones of democracy that must be protected and defended. Hamed Abdel-Samad is a member of the German Islam Conference. Helmut Fink reminded the audience that there is also a growing number of radical believers in the Federal Republic of Germany. “We very much appreciate the immediate reaction of some members of the German Islam Conference, but we also see the continued silence on the part of the Coordination Council of Muslims. Hamed Abdel-Samad is a citizen of our country and should therefore be supported by all Muslims in our country who reject violence in the name of religious beliefs.” In view of Hamed Abdel-Samad’s visit to Germany, it is now long overdue “for organized Muslims to join together in calling for the renunciation of all violence in the name of their faith and to make a visible effort to ensure that Hamed Abdel-Samad’s life and health are not endangered by calls from fellow Egyptians.” Helmut Fink emphasized that they could also send a signal against the persecution of non-religious people and people of other faiths in many countries of the Arab world, where atheists, Christians and members of other religious minorities are repeatedly confronted with violence, imprisonment and death because of their religious beliefs. Further information:
IHEU: Report “Freedom of Thought 2012”