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Leo Igwe is a Nigerian human rights advocate and humanist. Igwe is a former Western and Southern African representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, and has specialized in campaigning

Northern Nigeria religion Opinions West Africa 

Discrimination Against Non-Muslim Students in Northern Nigeria

Leo Igwe, , ,
By Leo Igwe Students who do not profess Islam suffer discrimination in Muslim-dominated communities in Northern Nigeria. Unlike their Muslim counterparts, non-Muslims are, in some cases, denied places for worship, leadership positions, and the option to study other religious or non-religious subjects. Incidentally, not much is heard about these deprivations and prejudicial treatments. Many people fear speaking out against these… Read More
Africa's Youth Africa Lifestyle Opinions 

Critical Thinking Workshops: Preparing African School Children for Future Jobs

Leo Igwe
By Leo Igwe After decades of planning and setbacks, the project to introduce critical reasoning to primary schools took off in Ibadan in southwest Nigeria. The event, held on June 23, was not marked by any fun fare as we know it. But it was historic in every respect. Funmade Nursery and primary school, a little-known elementary school, located off… Read More
Opinions West Africa 

Witchcraft Persecution and Land Disputes in Amuda Isuochi, Abia State

Leo Igwe, ,
By Leo IgweThere is a link between disputes over land and allegations of perpetrating occult harm in Abia state in Southern Nigeria. This connection, reinforced whenever some misfortune befalls any of the parties, has amply been illustrated by the case of Obioma Ubani from Amuda Isuochi, a village in the northern central part of Abia state. In May, an advocate… Read More
Africa Opinions 

Religions and Persecution of Nonbelievers in Africa

Leo Igwe,
By Leo Igwe The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has, in a recent document, highlighted a critical aspect of humanism and religion in Africa-conditions of nonbelievers in the region. The document outlines challenges that Africans who do not identify with any religion face on the continent. It shows that while the number of those who identify as atheist,… Read More
Africa Opinions 

Humanism and Stigma of Non-Religiosity in Africa

Leo Igwe,
By Leo Igwe June is a special month for humanists and those who espouse a non-religious life stance around the globe. Put differently, June is the Humanist History Month. June 21 is world humanist day. On this day, humanists celebrate humanist ideals and values. Incidentally, the celebration of world humanist day happens mainly in the West because western countries have… Read More
Nigeria News and Headlines 

Freedom of Religion or Belief and Non-Religious Persecution in Nigeria

Leo Igwe,
All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group Chair, Baroness Bakewell, Other distinguished parliamentarians, Fellow Humanists, Ladies and Gentlemen. When our forebears enshrined in article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the right to freedom of religion or belief, they acknowledged the inalienability of the right to think and believe freely. They recognized that for societies to prosper and flourish, and for human beings… Read More
Fake News by Pastors Nigeria News and Headlines Opinions 

Sanction Okotie, Suleman, Oyakhilome for Spreading Misinformation About COVID-19 in Nigeria

Leo Igwe, , , ,
By Leo Igwe The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) urges the Nigerian government to sanction clerics who are spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. This call has become necessary following declarations by pastors discouraging the public from taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church International Ministries has described the vaccine as “satanic”. For him, to… Read More
Human Rights Human Rights Nigeria News and Headlines 

Religion and Human Rights Abuses: Combating Islamic Extremism and Witch Persecution in Africa

Leo Igwe, ,
Events in the past few months have compelled a rethink of the link between religion and human rights. Protests across the Muslim world over the republication of the cartoons of Prophet, Muhammad and the attendant bloodletting in France have underscored the mortal threat of Islamic extremism. It is particularly worrying that at one of the protests in Pakistan, a Muslim… Read More
Africa OP-ED Opinions 

Atheism And Virus Of Taqiyyah In Muslim Communities By Leo Igwe

Leo Igwe, , ,
Since the arrest and detention of Mubarak Bala, the atheist community in Nigeria has been afflicted by a more virulent form of Taqiyyah. Some Muslim individuals, who are seeking to fulfill imagined protective duties, have reached out to atheist and humanist organizations. These questers for this-worldly and otherworldly gains, desirers of Ummah capital, and transcendental mileage have been the prowl.… Read More
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