August 31, 2015
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a flashpoint for almost all of the issues we work on at the Center for Inquiry. In Pakistan, blasphemy is a crime, and
a charge regularly invoked to persecute atheists, secularists, and political and religious dissidents. It is a deeply religious country, with extremist
forms of Islam holding enormous sway over the public and the government. At the same time, pseudoscientific medical practices are common, as is belief in
things like witchcraft and anti-vaccination conspiracies. It is a country that badly needs an infusion of reason, science, and humanist values.
But such an effort is a dangerous one. Fortunately, a new flag has been planted for critical thinking and free expression in Pakistan.
We are delighted to announce the formation of CFI-Pakistan
, a new international branch of the Center for Inquiry-Transnational. Its founder, Emanuel Enoch (a pseudonym) has already established an
online presence, and will begin to carry the mission of CFI to his country. It is a courageous step, and we are delighted to have him in the CFI family.
“The establishment of a Center for Inquiry branch in Pakistan is a watershed moment in the global struggles for free expression, and against the harmful
and often violent state impositions of religion and magical thinking,” said Ronald A. Lindsay, president and CEO of CFI. “We have high
hopes for CFI-Pakistan, that as it grows and strengthens, it will educate and advocate on issues ranging from the rights to free expression and belief, to
the dangers of superstition and theocracy.”
“Emanuel Enoch is remarkably brave to take on this task. Pakistan is notorious for its hostility to secularism and minority beliefs, both from the state as
well as the general public,” added Lindsay. “He has our support, as well as our admiration for his courage.”
You can visit CFI-Pakistan’s Facebook page, and we
will keep you updated as to its progress as it embarks on its mission.
CFI maintains branches in several countries around the world, including CFI-UK, led by philosopher Stephen Law; CFI-Uganda, which emphasizes education and interfaith dialogue; CFI-Poland, which is fighting the country’s blasphemy
law; and CFI-Kenya, which recently launched a
Humanist Orphans Project
to educate, clothe and protect children abandoned due to belief in witchcraft. CFI’s international programs are coordinated by Bill Cooke.
A full list of CFI chapters and branches in the U.S. and around the world is available here.
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The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a nonprofit educational, advocacy, and research organization headquartered in Amherst, New York, with executive offices in Washington, D.C. It is also home to both the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism. The mission of CFI is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. CFI‘s web address is https://centerforinquiry.org.