The UN Special Rapporteur notes that 13 countries execute people for being atheist

[rug]

A Special Rapporteur for the United Nations (UN) has used his last report to highlight the fact that being atheist is punishable by death in thirteen countries



The UN Special Rapporteur notes that 13 countries execute people for being atheist

Joseph Patrick McCormick
29th July 2016, 10:43 PM

Maina Kias, the Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association, highlighted that it is illegal to be atheist in 19 states.

He said: “Atheism is effectively illegal in 19 States and punishable by death in 13 of those.”

In a presentation of his report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Kiai said the world is experiencing “a struggle between tolerance and intolerance”.

He said the issue was undermining countries’ democratic stability.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/07/29/un-rapporteur-expresses-concern-that-atheists-can-be-put-to-death-in-13-countries/

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/AssemblyAssociation/Pages/SRFreedomAssemblyAssociationIndex.aspx

[anoNY42]

1. Cue the people saying it isn't religion making them do it... nt

[rug]

2. The UN report is about freedom of assembly and association globally. It is not specific to atheism.

Here's the report:

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G16/124/22/PDF/G1612422.pdf?OpenElement

Read it before pigeonholing it. I suggest you start on page 44.

[anoNY42]

3. SO

it's not religious nuts outlawing atheism, it's radical anti-assemblists?

[rug]

4. In every case, it's the government.

[anoNY42]

5. Ok

but its not like the government didn't have some sort of official religious policy, no? I mean, banning "nonbelief" is the same thing as trying to force everyone to believe in some sort of religious deity.

Governments are made up of individual people, not robots. Obviously, the folks in those governments must have some sort of religious reason to ban atheism, else why bother?

[rug]

6. Some do, such as Saudia Arabia. But that's not the case with others, like China.

Control of ideology, including religious and political ideology, is the common denominator. It is a powerful means of enforcing national unity, loyalty and obedience. The more authoritarian the government, the less tolerance for dissent, any dissent. The particular ideology employed varies by location and time.

[anoNY42]

7. Bible or Little Red Book

it's all religion, really.

[rug]

8. Or flag pins.

[anoNY42]

9. True, except for Honduran flag pins...