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Secularism
Religion is a matter of private conscience—it has no place anywhere near the levers of government.
Secularism

Some of the most egregious violations of human rights, including prosecutions for “blasphemy” and restrictions on women’s autonomy, occur in Islamic theocracies and Islamic republics. In these countries, secular reason defers to religious orthodoxy.

Under a philosophy that does not acknowledge the existence of universal human rights and instead classifies people’s worth by whether they belong to a religious tribe, this is deliberate. It leads to an atmosphere in which meaningful dissent is stifled, oppression based on religious doctrine is mandated, and truth is hidden from view. At their core, theocracies usurp the right of a country’s people to self-rule, instead placing that power with religious authorities.

The judgment of the world and the domain of government should be determined by empirical reality, rational deliberation, and the common good. Our vision is a world where religion is firmly a matter of private conscience and never involved in government.

what you need to know
27
Number of countries where Islam the state religion
43
Number of countries with any state religion
72
Number of countries where secularism is enshrined in the constitution
how we address this issue
what we advocate for
Ex-Muslims of North America advocates for the following policy actions in defense of the right to blaspheme:
Countries with laws against blasphemy and apostasy should repeal those laws.
Countries which do not guarantee the rights of religious minorities or otherwise prevent discrimination against religious minorities should codify such protections.
Countries with “state religions” should renounce that religion’s status of supremacy.
Countries which do not explicitly guarantee a separation of religion and state in law should codify that guarantee.
If you want to help us continue this work toward a world free of religious oppression, please donate today—as it’s only with the aid of people like you that we can continue to do what we do.
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