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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

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
Africa OP-ED Opinions 

Religion And Contempt For Humanity By Leo Igwe

Leo Igwe, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
While there has been so much emphasis on how religion is a resource for human nourishment and enrichment, there has been limited conversation on the harmful and deleterious effect of religion on human beings. Religion has notedly inspired acts of love, kindness, compassion, and fellow feeling. Religion has motivated people to do so much good and render selfless services to… Read More
OP-ED Opinions 

Blasphemy Is A Right, Not A Crime By Leo Igwe

Leo Igwe,
The arrest of Nigerian Humanist, Mubarak Bala, has generated heated debate on the issue of blasphemy on various platforms. Opinions are divided regarding the status of contempt of religion and how alleged blasphemers should be treated. In this piece, I draw attention to a perspective that analysts often overlook-that blasphemy is part of everyday discourse. People indulge in one form… Read More
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