Gay Humanists welcome support from brave human rights activist

GALHA News Release
8 January 2006

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Assocation (GALHA) is pleased to announce that the author, feminist, physician, human rights activist and Humanist, Taslima Nasreen, has demonstrated her support for the group by joining its panel of vice-presidents.

Like her fellow author Salman Rushdie, Ms Nasreen fell foul of Islamic extremists. After the publication of her novel Ljja (Shame) in 1993, she received death threats and was forced to flee her native Bangladesh. Since then she has lived in exile in Sweden, but travelled extensively giving lectures in many different countries and taking part in demonstrations.

Among the awards she has received are the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thoughts from the European Parliament, a Human Rights Award from the French Government, the UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, and a Distinguished Humanist Award from the International Humanist & Ethical Union.

GALHA members were delighted when she showed her support for lesbian and gay rights by attending a dinner which the group arranged at the Congress of the International Humanist & Ethical Union held in the Netherlands in 1996.

GALHA's secretary, George Broadhead, said: "We are very grateful to have the endorsement of this brave, internationally recognised human rights campaigner and it is a great boost to our morale. It is gratifying to receive a message of welcome for her support from Michael Cashman MEP who is already on our VP panel."

More information about Taslima Nasreen can be found on herwebsite http://www.taslimanasrin.com/index2.html.