May 2 has been declared a day for human rights supporters around the world to stand in solidarity with atheist bloggers and activists who are facing increasing persecution in Bangladesh.
You can read the full letter on Maryam Namazie’s blog, which I’m happy to add my name to.
Bangladesh has been a secular democracy since 1971 but a growing fundamentalist Islamic community is increasingly pushing on the government to pass anti-blasphemy laws and protests in the street are calling for the arrest and punishment of atheists.
To my knowledge, there’s no Bangladesh embassy in Vancouver, so no formal events are planned here. I do encourage you to speak up online and to write to Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom to call for the condemnation of anti-blasphemy laws. You can also add your voices in the comments below.