MPs challenge persecution of Nigerian humanists

Humanists UK welcomes a debate held in the House of Commons this week on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria. MPs raised concerns about the persecution of humanists and religious minorities, and challenged the ongoing use of blasphemy and apostasy laws in Nigeria.

David Smith MP, the UK Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), led the debate. He said:

‘The FoRB crisis in Nigeria is persistent and entrenched, with violence in the north and the middle belt a way of life for Christians, Hausa Muslims, those of traditional belief systems, humanists and others. Meanwhile, some federal state legal systems have been manipulated by some politicians and other public officials in order to impose so-called blasphemy and apostasy offences, despite section 38 of the Nigerian federal constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion and of conscience.’

Lizzi Collinge MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanists Group (APPHG), raised the case of Humanist Association of Nigeria President Mubarak Bala who was jailed for ‘blasphemous’ posts on Facebook and left Nigeria after his release from prison amid concerns for his safety. Recalling his speech to the APPHG at a meeting last year, she said:

‘After he left Islam, he was sent to a psychiatric hospital, forced to leave his home and state and arrested. He calls on the UK and western Governments to repeal their own blasphemy laws. He has explained that when he was arrested, he was told, “Even the British have blasphemy laws.” Today, blasphemy and blasphemous libel is a criminal offence under common law in Northern Ireland. It is not used in Northern Ireland; it is a dead letter law. However, other countries that do use their blasphemy laws in extreme ways often point to these dead letter laws in other countries to justify their own behaviour.’

Responding on behalf of the Government, FCDO Minister Stephen Doughty MP said that addressing the root causes of instability is essential to protect people’s rights, ‘whether they come from Christian communities or Muslim communities, or whether they are humanists, have different beliefs or, indeed, have no beliefs’. He also thanked Ms Collinge for highlighting the case of Mubarak Bala, having raised it himself on many occasions in the past.

Humanists UK Policy and Campaigns Manager Laura Newlyn said:

‘We would like to say thank you to the Special Envoy on FoRB for bringing this important debate on Nigeria to the Commons, and to the MPs for recognising the appalling situation for humanists, as the case of Mubarak Bala clearly demonstrates, and for religious minorities.

‘We remain particularly concerned that Nigeria is one of the 12 countries that retains the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy, contrary to international human rights standards. We continue to campaign for their repeal worldwide.’