AAI Press Release 2015-01-12

PRESS RELEASE

Atheist Alliance International Condemns Brutal Attack in France

In light of the recent terrorist attack in which twelve French journalists were executed by a group of religious zealots, Atheist Alliance International (AAI) wishes to express its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased journalists and staff at Charlie Hébdo.

“These types of attacks are the most extreme expression of the global anti-blasphemy movement. They are trying to suppress criticism of religion by any means necessary,” said AAI president Christine Shellska. “Since they weren’t able to suppress the editorial staff at Charlie Hébdo’s right to free speech via legal harassment, they instead used violence.”

AAI will hold a special edition of its magazine, Secular World, in memory of the newest victims of Islam and to help raise awareness of the dangerous trend that seeks to suppress criticism of Islam by legal (or violent) means in the whole world.

“AAI will keep working against the current line of blasphemy laws that are promoted by different groups around the world that try to use the legal system to silence secular citizens, as is the case in most of the developing world”.

AAI stands in solidarity with Charlie Hebdo, and more broadly, with cartoonists, satirists, comedians, journalists and others who endorse freedom of expression – heroes who identify social injustices, uphold human rights via the power of words, and speak truth to power via their art. In the spirit of upholding the basic human right to freedom of speech, […] the Huffington Post has also published some heartbreaking responses from cartoonists, and we encourage you to view them here.

“Paraphrasing the words that the French people have taken as their banner,” says Shellska, “let me say, ‘We all are Charlie Hébdo’”.

Contact: Christine M. Shellska, President
president@atheistalliance.org
www.atheistalliance.org