Are you a “lucky humanist”?

If you are reading this blog it means that most probably you are a “lucky humanist“. A lucky humanist is someone who can live openly and freely as a humanist. To understand if you are one of them, simply answer to these three questions:

• Can I say out and loud that I don’t believe in any God, without fearing for my personal security?
• Would it be OK to meet like-minded people in public, without the need to hide our identity?
• Would I definitely be able to keep my job if my boss found out that I am a humanist?

If you replied “yes” to any of three questions, congratulations: you are “lucky humanist”.

And yet, not everyone is so lucky

Take a look at this photo.

It comes from Pakistan.

Like many humanists around the world, the members of the Humanist Society Pakistan wanted to celebrate World Humanist Day on 21 June. But unlike many humanists around the world, they had to do it in secret.

Why? Because Pakistan has one of the harshest law against blasphemy, which might sentence you to death penalty for the slightest suspicion of atheism – and indeed there are around 50 people still in prison for blasphemy.

Here is another photo.

It comes from Sri Lanka.

Like many of our Member Organizations around the world, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka organized its annual General Assembly. But unlike organizations in more liberal countries, they had to meet it in secret.

Why? Because despite being formally a secular country, the situation for atheists in Sri Lanka is getting worst every passing day, with police investigating atheists groups after Easter attacks in Colombo.

Why are we telling you this?

Because we are all part of a global humanist community, where the luckier ones can help the less fortunate humanists around the world.

How? By supporting within your capacities our vital work to Protect Humanists at Risk.

That’s why we want to ask you to please donate £10 or equivalent to our Protect Humanists At Risk campaign.

We are crowd-funding on GoFundMe which accepts several major currencies.

If you can afford to donate more, please give more. And if you can’t, please donate what you can – even £5 makes a difference.

Our work relies on the contributions of our members and supporters, and as you can see from the list of donors all contributions matter.

You can make the difference. Make it right now.