Please join us the Round Table discussion on Rising Secularism, Challenging Islamism in six confirmed countries for March 8th (IWD) The International Women’s Day.
On 8 March (IWD) 2022, women’s rights group are organising online seminars, round table discussions and meetings to highlight the vast secular movement challenging Islamism globally.
Women’s rights activists will speak about the situation of women’s rights, Islamism’s misogyny, and the urgent need to support secular and women’s liberation movements particularly in the Middle East and across the globe.
Title: Rising Secularism, Challenging Islamism
These round table discussions are held in:
· Canada -Toronto at 18-20, Toronto time Moderator: Susanna McIntyre
· England-London at 7-8:00 pm (19-20), London time
· Germany at 11AM -1PM Kolon-time
· France at 9-11 AM Paris
· Sweden at 7-8 PM Stockholm
· Australia (time is not known yet)
Where: Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID:
853 3934 9360
Passcode: IWD
Confirmed Speakers in Canada:
Homa Arjomand
Born in Iran, Former educator, Founder of The Culture Bridges Association. The
Coordinator of International Campaign Against Sharia Court in Canada, and The
International Campaign for One Secular School System. Spoke person of Women’s
Liberation in Canada.
Dr Richard G L Thain
Founding board member, Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) and presently on CFIC
Advisory Council.
Fika Taillon
Born in Kabul -Afghanistan.
Agnostict! , Former educator, activist, public speaker, published poet/author,
artist.Founder/orgonizer of Minds &Hearts Without Borders, INT
Esam Shoukry
Esam Shoukrry is an Iraqi secularist and social activist. He is the Coordinator of the
Organization for Secularism and the Defense of Civil Rights in Iraq, and anchor of the
TV program "Secular Lights" broadcasted from Kanal Jadid satalite TV. Esam wrote
hundreds of articles defending full equality between women and men and calling for
full separation of religion from state and the full secularization of Iraqi society. Esam is
an active participant in International Women's Day on March 8 and holds the banner of
equality for all women in the world.
Tamina Sadeghi,
Women and Children’s rights activists.
Munawara Mahboobi
from Afghanistan women’s Right Activist, Nurse
Tarak Fatah: /
From Pakistani, lives in Canadian, journalist and author, advocator of LGBT rights and
separation of religion and state, opposition to sharia law and for a "liberal, progressive
form" of Islam.
Susanna Mclntyre Moderator: Moderator
president and CEO of Atheist Republic
Where: Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID:
853 3934 9360
Passcode: IWD
When: March 8th 6-8PM (18-20) Toronto time
Homa Arjomand
Dr. Richard Thain
Fika Tailon
Esam Shoukry
Tarek Fatah
Munawara Mahboobi
Tamina Sadeghi
Susanna Mclntyre
Confirm Speaker in Germany
- Rebecca Schonenbach
The author is chairwoman of Women for Freedom e. V. The association campaigns against violence against women. Schönenbach is a graduate economist, certified in Sharia issues relating to Islamic finance and a specialist in Islamic extremism
- Hourvash Pour Kiandi
She was a member of the integration advisory board of the Hamburg Senate until 2011,
is the founder and chairwoman of the Kulturbrücke Hamburg e.V. association and
initiated the multiple award-winning Switch projects.
-Mina Ahadi
Mina Ahadi is an Austrian political activist of Iranian descent. Her focus is the defense of
human rights against political Islam. Since 2007 she has chaired the Central Council of
Ex-Muslims, which she co-founded.
-Nila Chikhi
Naïla Chikhi is a cultural scientist and works as an independent consultant on the topics
of integration and women's politics. She is involved in various committees, runs training
courses for teachers and discussion groups for young female refugees and migrants.
She is a founding member of the Initiative Migrants for Secularity and Self-
Determination
Where: Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID:
853 3934 9360
Passcode: IWD
when: Germany at 11AM -1PM Kolon-time
Rebecca Schonenbach
Hourvash Pour Kian
Mina Ahadi
Nila Chikhi
confirm speakers in France and program
-1. La laïcité en France et sa relation avec droit des femmes, Laure Caille, présidente de Libres Mariannes.
2. L’obsession des obscurantistes religieux et politique : contrôler le corps des femmes, Michèle Vianès, présidente de Regards de Femmes.
3. Le voilement des fillettes, Nadia Benmissi, présidente-fondatrice du Collectif Femmes sans voile d’Aubervilliers
4. Le Voile, bien plus qu'un tissu, mais l'instrument visible du patriarcat, Mahyar Monshipour Kermani, Conseiller Technique National du Ministère des sports, placé auprès de la Fédération Française de Boxe, président de J’aime la France J’aime ma Ville)
5. Vidéo Interview de Mahyar Monshipour Kermani https://urlz.fr/hzd0
6. Défendons la règle de neutralité dans le sport, Annie Sugier, présidente de la Ligue du Droit International des Femmes
Where: Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID:
853 3934 9360
Passcode: IWD
When: March 8th 9-11AM Paris-Time
Michèle Vianès,
Marianne Sugier
Nadia Benmissi
Laure Caille
Mahyar Monshipour Kerman
Confirm Speakers in UK
-Jenny Wenhammer,
Jenny Wenhammar: Artist and Activist. Behavioural Scientist with focus on
environmental psychology. Leader in FEMEN International.
-Maryam Namazie,
Iranian-born Activist and Writer and Spokesperson of Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
and One Law for All.
-Victoria Gugenheim,
Body Artist. Passionate about the necessity of and is merging, art with science
-Rahila Gupta,
Journalist, Writer, Poet. Acting Director of Southall Black Sisters, an advocacy and
campaigning group for women escaping domestic violence.
Jenny Wenhammer,
Maryam Namazie,
Victoria Gugenheim,
Rahila Gupta
Confirm speakers in Sweden
- Mahin Alipour
Born in Iran, children’s rights activists, in charge of Women’s Rights Association -Sweden
-Zara Kay
Tanzanian Australian, Based in Sweden.
Human rights ExMuslim activist, and founder of Faithless Hijabi
-Nicklas Kelemen
activists
Mahin Alipour
Zara Kay
Nicklas Kelemen
joined the Male Network against Violence 1993 which was established then by the
Swedish Save the Children. He conducted a specific kind of field work in order to create
discussions among traditional male groups about the importance of male responsibility
for male violence, gender equality and the culture of violence that is negatively
influencing young boys - worldwide. Until 2011 he was responsible for Save the
Children’s Dialogue Program that involved hundreds of different male dominated ethnic
organisations, Syrian Orthodox and Muslim congregations in the suburbs of big cities
where the Swedish feministic gender equality policy is strongly condemned for being
regarded as form of “cultural colonialism”. Together with his two colleges the
Dialogue-team also conducted seminars for male groups of police, military and
politicians in countries like Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and
initiated several nonviolence projects in these countries though mainly among male
dominated emigrant communities in Sweden.
Nicklas is an ethnologist and today as a board member of the Swedish Network Against
Honour Related Violence works with putting forward proposals aiming to prevent the
increasing gender segregation and honour related oppression in many suburbs. These
proposals are usually considered to be important yet different governments (since 2001)
avoid to confront large groups of traditionalists - in practice acknowledging higher priority to religious and cultural collective rights instead of securing individual human rights - and so they consequently decline to implement these proposed measures. Thus, decades of efforts for equal rights for all - regardless ethnicity and religious background – appears to be similar to the Labours of Sisyphus.