MEDIA ADVISORY
June 2, 2015
Contact:
Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org
The American Humanist Association, with the Center for Inquiry and the Secular Coalition for America, is sponsoring briefings in the United States Senate and House about international religious freedom and the persecution of humanists in Bangladesh and of religious minorities around the world.
WHEN: June 9, 2015. Senate briefing begins at 11:00 am ET. House briefing begins at 12:45 pm ET.
WHERE: Senate briefing to be in the Russell Senate Office Building, Room 485. House briefing to be in the Longworth House Office Building, Room 1310.
WHO: Speakers for the briefing include: Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Deputy Director for Policy and Research, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; Tina Ramirez, Founder and Executive Director of Hardwired, former International and Government Relations Director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; Mahmood Ahmad, Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA; and Michael De Dora, Director of Public Policy for the Center for Inquiry, President of the United Nations NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Maggie Ardiente, Development and Communications Director of the American Humanist Association, will moderate the briefings, and Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association, will also be in attendance.
WHY: The human rights of atheists and minority religious groups are being threatened around the world, as exemplified by the brutal murders of three humanist bloggers in Bangladesh in the past three months. Religious minority groups such as Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan, Christians in Syria, and Jews in France also face severe discrimination. These briefings will educate policymakers about the current state of international religious freedom and actions they can take to ensure that the right to believe or not believe in respected worldwide.
MORE INFORMATION: Members of the press seeking further information or who are interested in attending should contact Merrill Miller, Communications Associate at the American Humanist Association, at merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org.
###
Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Humanist Association works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists and other non-religious Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.