Atheist Alliance International

At Atheist Alliance International, we are taking direct action. We have secured a team of very experienced lawyers in Nigeria who will lodge an appeal on behalf of Mr. Sharif-Aminu. For safety reasons, the team is located outside of Kano state. The odds will be stacked against us. We will not be able to speak with the client in advance of preparing the appeal and, from previous experience in Nigeria, we cannot bank on obtaining certified proceedings of the court case before the appeal expiry date.

But the alternative is to do nothing and let Kano State hang Mr. Sharif-Aminu. We will not let that happen whilst we have the breath to fight.

Some people may wonder why we are intervening in this case. We are known for helping atheists at risk but Mr. Sharif-Aminu is a Muslim. The reason is simple, blasphemy laws are a foul stain on human-kind. They violate the human right to free expression and they give encouragement to fanatics who seek to use violence to protect their religious beliefs. They are a charter for mob rule. For as long as there are blasphemy laws no one is safe. On top of all that, blasphemy laws are entirely unnecessary—as shown by hundreds of countries that manage perfectly well without them. Until the world is free of these vile laws, AAI will do its best to stand up for the victims whatever their religious beliefs.

You know this appeal will cost money in fees and expenses. Please help us with this. We will do everything in our power to save Yahaya’s life, we have 22 days left to lodge our appeal.

Do not stand idly by and let this innocent man be put to death for a song, Let's show the world that atheists care about the human rights of every human  being, regardless of their beliefs.

Please donate now to save Yahaya!

If you cannot afford to donate, please share this important fundraiser and help Atheist Alliance International save a moderate Muslim whose only crime was offending radical Muslims. 


Sincerely,

Michael Sherlock
Executive Director of Atheist Alliance International 



Read more about Yahaya's case:


Sharif Yahya Aminu: ‘I’m ready to sign death warrant against singer for blasphemy’ – Ganduje

https://dailypost.ng/2020/08/27/sharif-yahya-aminu-im-ready-to-sign-death-warrant-against-singer-for-blasphemy-ganduje/?fbclid=IwAR2PwMSQrNYDQlsndakNSJpbLQhIfE0JACvxGU_X6Z8TGB6K5DWnE46E98c



BBC
Nigerian singer sentenced to death for blasphemy in Kano state:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53726256


WASHINGTON POST
Nigeria singer sentenced to death in north for blasphemy:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/nigeria-singer-sentenced-to-death-in-north-for-blasphemy/2020/08/11/deec2434-dbd2-11ea-b4f1-25b762cdbbf4_story.html

ABC 
Nigeria singer sentenced to death in north for blasphemy:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nigeria-singer-sentenced-death-north-blasphemy-72303843

Deutsche Welle News
Nigeria's blasphemy cases in focus:
https://www.dw.com/en/nigerias-blasphemy-cases-in-focus/a-54529075



More information about Atheist Alliance International: Atheist Alliance International works toward a secular world where public policy, scientific inquiry, and education are not influenced by religious beliefs, but based upon sound reasoning, rationality and evidence, and where individuals who lack religious beliefs enjoy free speech, freedom of association and freedom to participate openly in public life.

www.atheistalliance.org

Please help Hassan (Note: Hassan is an alias to ensure his safety).

Hassan has not merely been ostracized from his community for being an atheist but Hassan, who is a Somalian living in Kenya, is also receiving credible and imminent death threats and has survived an attempt on his life and is subsequently on the run. Over and above his dire situation, he is struggling financially and has several health issues that need attention.

Hassan's safety has been seriously compromised by local Islamic preachers who have campaigned against him as an apostate and his social media accounts have been hacked by people attempting to hunt him down for his atheism. Hassan has had to quietly and carefully stay on the move due to the attempts on his life. He has refugee status from the UN Human Rights Council, however, due to his financial situation he is still trapped in Kenya.
 
He has been reaching out to other atheist associations and NGOs to support him via letters and campaigns since he knows he can no longer safely afford to live in this dangerous situation. He is seeking asylum in Canada but this process will cost him $10,000 USD. He has already raised $7,500 USD, but we need another $2,500 USD to ensure his safe repatriation to Canada. 

I desperately call on you to donate to help Hassan escape this horrendous nightmare!

 

Sincerely,

 

Michael Sherlock

Executive Director, Atheist Alliance International



Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Atheist Alliance International, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

Emergency Fundraiser for Mahdi!

#SaveMahdi

Mahdi is a young Saudi atheist living in South Korea who is in URGENT need of
help. Mahdi saved money to go to school in Japan, where he became an atheist in
2015.

He went to S. Korea because he has a strong affinity to Eastern Asian countries
and culture. He returned to Saudi Arabia after leaving Japan a few years later,
thinking that he could keep his non-belief to himself, but this did not work out.
Once in Saudi Arabia he had to flee abroad in fear of his life. He chose to claim
asylum in S. Korea since it was the fastest and easiest way out.

Unfortunately, when Mahdi first applied for asylum in S. Korea, he had no lawyer, no atheist organization to support him, no letters, nothing. He didn't know how the process works, and his application was denied, most probably because he
wasn't able to persuade officials that he is an atheist. He appealed the decision
but again with no lawyer and no support. His appeal was rejected in just
TWO days—appeals usually take several months for a decision.

Now Mahdi must retain a lawyer to start his 2nd and FINAL appeal, just under the wire from the expiration of his visitor's visa. Atheist Alliance International can help him now but, without a lawyer, his chances of success are close to zero.
He will be deported back to Saudi Arabia and be charged with being an atheist,
which carries the death penalty in that country.

He has almost used up his savings and living on the small amount remaining.
He cannot afford lawyer's fees. He's depressed and, at times, feels hopeless.
He's terrified of going back to Saudi Arabia. Mahdi has received death threats on Twitter. His father holds a high religious position in Saudi and is angry because he feels Mahdi has brought shame on the family.

Mahdi has applied for several jobs, but all have been denied due to not having
citizenship or a work visa. We need to raise $3,000 urgently to engage a lawyer
for Mahdi's final appeal. Obtaining asylum will save his life.  Please help.

Save Aisha (Note: Aisha is an alias to protect her identity)

Aisha is a 32-year-old Algerian mother of two. She and her husband are ex-Muslim atheists suffocated by an Islamic society that is extremely intolerant of apostates and atheists. Under immense social pressure and in protest against the patriarchal and oppressive nature of the Islam, Aisha shot a video of herself burning a Quran which was uploaded to Tik Tok and Facebook. Death threats have already started being launched at her and her family.  Aisha MUST escape from Algeria with her husband and two children immediately! Algeria’s blasphemy law is enshrined in its penal code and the act of insulting Islam carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 5 years. So, the best case for Aisha if she stays in Algeria is a possible 5-year prison sentence away from her husband and two young children. The worst case for Aisha is her and/or her family’s death at the hands of savage Islamic fundamentalists.

The money AAI raises will go toward helping Aisha and her family escape from Algeria as soon as possible. Atheist Alliance International’s ASN (Atheist Support Network) Team have estimated relocation costs at $3000 USD for Aisha and her family. Aisha needs our help urgently! Please help us save Aisha and her family. Freedom of expression should never be accompanied by a prison sentence, nor a death penalty.

"I talked to Aisha yesterday. I could hear the fear in her voice as she talked about being in hiding. I heard the anger as she talked about being forced to be in a religion that she no longer believes in. In 2015, she became an atheist, she has been shunned or harassed by her family since the time she revealed her non-belief. She went to university and is well educated.. Her husband has been an ex-Muslim for longer and has had to pretend to believe. Their children are forced to study Islam in the schools. She does not want this for her children but has no choice in Algeria.
She burnt the Quran out of anger and solidarity for the young Tunisia woman who was recently sentenced to prison for blasphemy (she made a song to one of the passages in the Quran - yes, that was her only crime). Now she has death threats and fears arrest. I'm thankful for one of our Arabic speaking volunteers who provides emotional support to her daily. She doesn't ask for money, she just wants to get out and be safe. However, we all know it takes money to get to safety. Please help if you can."

~Khara Tina Hamilton, Atheist Alliance International's Regional Director of North America and Director of AAI's Atheist Support Network Team

 

#SaveAisha




More information about Atheist Alliance International : Atheist Alliance International works toward a secular world where public policy, scientific inquiry, and education are not influenced by religious beliefs, but based upon sound reasoning, rationality and evidence, and where individuals who lack religious beliefs enjoy free speech, freedom of association and freedom to participate openly in public life.