DR. SHAIKH CONVICTED TO DEATH

YOUR SUPPORT NEEDED NOW!

Dr. Mohammed Younis Shaikh is convicted to death for blasphemy. The judgement was pronounced by a district court in Islamabad yesterday, 18 August (Saturday). Dr. Shaikh has been given one week's time to appeal in the high court. Usually the appeal time in similar cases is 30 days. He is kept in a narrow death cell in jail under primitive living conditions. (A photograph of Dr. Shaikh is attached to this bulletin).

Dr. Shaikh, British educated physician, Pakistani rationalist and founder of the first known rationalist organisation in Pakistan "The Enlightenment" was arrested on 4 October, 2000 by Islamabad police and booked under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code. Dr. Shaikh was accused to have defied the prophet Muhammed with his statement that Muhammed did not become a Muslim before the age of forty and that his parents were non-Muslims.

The web site of Rationalist International (www.rationalistinternational.net) has several pages about Dr. Shaikh and the case, with the full text of the Police First Information Report (FIR), the Pakistan Blasphemy Laws and reports of the several stages of the case. The site is being updated with all new details.

Rationalist International has set up a committee to build international public opinion to save the life of Dr. Shaikh. Sanal Edamaruku, President of Rationalist International, is the convenor of the DR.SHAIKH DEFENSE COMMITTEE.

The international campaign that we plan to launch in defense of Dr. Shaikh to save him from the Death Penalty needs your support. All readers of Rationalist International Bulletin are requested to donate generously to the fund being raised by the Dr. Shaikh Defense Committee. Please send your donations to the following account by Swift Bank Transfer as early as possible. We need to raise world public opinion in a big way to save the life of Dr. Shaikh. Every drop of money will help. We request you to act now.

Please send your donations to the following account by Swift Bank Transfer and inform us by e-mail (Dr.ShaikhDefense@rationalistinternational.net)

Account Number: 5314 938 226

Bank: Citibank N.A, Delhi, India

Swift Code: CITI INBX AIBD

Account Name: Sanal Edamaruku

Creative Rationalism

THIRD INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE

New Delhi, India: 8-12, February 2002

Registration Open Now

Registration for The Third International Rationalist Conference is open now.

Join Rationalists -- Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists, Secular Humanists and Skeptics -- from around the world. Meet rationalist thinkers and fighters who influence social change. Exchange ideas, views, experiences and visions. Identify the creative dimension of Rationalism. Discuss the potential of transforming societies. Set the course for the future of enlightenment and humanism. Witness history.

Creative Rationalism

THIRD INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE

At New Delhi from 8 to 12 February 2002

We need to keep setting high goals and achieving them.

An interesting, thought-provoking conference.

More details about the International Rationalist Conference, tentative schedule of events, flight information and all you want to know about the conference are available at our web site www.rationalistinternational.net. A downloadable registration form is also available at the web site.

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