Overview
A not-to-be-missed conference
Women’s rights, secular and ex-Muslim campaigners will gather in central London on Saturday 26 September for a one-day conference examining freedom of conscience, women’s resistance to religious authoritarianism, and recovery from religious trauma.
The conference, organised by Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the National Secular Society (NSS), will bring together speakers to address the urgent challenges facing those who leave religion, challenge blasphemy laws, and defend freedom of expression.
Contributors include: Ana González, Partner and Head of Immigration Law, Willson’s Solicitors; Esma, Ex-Muslim and Ex-Hijabi; Ghizlane Mamouni, Ibtissame Betty Lachgar’s Lawyer; Ex-Muslim artist Haram Doodles; CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie; NSS Head of Campaigns Megan Manson; Southall Black Sisters Chair Rahila Gupta; Counselling Psychologist Savin Bapir-Tardy; Shelly Segal, Singer/Songwriter; Siham Lachgar, Sister of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar and Women’s Rights Campaigner Yasmin Rehman.
The event will mark the official launch of Savin Bapir-Tardy’s new book, Leaving to Live: A Psychoeducational Guide for Ex-Muslims. This timely publication is the culmination of years of therapeutic work, research, and support group sessions led by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB). Drawing on established therapeutic approaches, Savin has adapted them to address the unique psychological, social, and emotional realities faced by those leaving Islam.
Drawing on themes raised in the book, conference discussions will examine religious trauma, social exclusion, identity reconstruction after leaving religion, and the vital role of support networks in helping former believers rebuild their lives. The event will also explore the wider significance of the ex-Muslim movement as a struggle for freedom of conscience, self-determination, and the right to leave inherited beliefs and identities without fear, coercion, or punishment.
A particular focus of the conference will be women’s blasphemy, apostasy, and transgression as acts of resistance against systems that seek to regulate belief, speech, sexuality, and personal autonomy. Discussions will examine why women who challenge religious authority often face the harshest forms of social and political control, and how their acts of defiance can become catalysts for wider struggles for equality, secularism, and freedom.
The conference will honour Moroccan feminist activist Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, whose courageous challenges to religious taboos and restrictions on freedom of conscience have made her a leading voice for women’s rights, secularism, and freedom of expression. Her work exemplifies the transformative role that women’s acts of blasphemy and dissent can play in advancing social change.
The conference comes at a time when attacks on freedom of expression, growing religious authoritarianism, and backlash against women’s rights are placing renewed pressure on freedom of conscience and dissent. It will provide a platform to discuss the importance of defending secularism, protecting those who leave religion, confronting religious trauma, and recognising women’s blasphemy and transgression as essential components of struggles for equality and human freedom.
BIOGRAPHIES
Ana Gonzalez is a partner and Head of Immigration Law at Wilson Solicitors LLP, with more than two decades of experience in asylum, immigration and human rights law. Originally from Spain, she qualified as a solicitor in the UK in 2003 and has become an internationally recognised expert in gender and sexuality-based asylum claims. Her work has focused on representing refugees and other vulnerable groups, including survivors of trafficking, apostates, LGBTQ+ individuals and transgender asylum seekers. Ana has appeared in cases before the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union, and is widely recognised for her expertise, commitment to her clients and contributions to refugee and asylum law.
Esme is an ex-Muslim and ex-hijabi woman who has been on a long journey of self-discovery since her first significant transgression: moving away from home and living as an autonomous woman without family “surveillance”. Esme has been attending the women’s support group over the last few months, which is helping her navigate her journey transition with more self-compassion and patience.
Ghizlane Mamouni is a Moroccan lawyer, women’s rights advocate and President of Kif Mama Kif Baba, a movement campaigning for equality and individual freedoms in Morocco. Alongside her legal practice, she is an outspoken campaigner for women’s rights, family law reform and freedom of conscience. She has been actively involved in defending activists and speaking publicly on issues including gender equality, personal freedoms and the impact of blasphemy and morality laws. Ghizlane currently represents Moroccan feminist and free expression activist Ibtissame Betty Lachgar and has become a prominent voice for human rights in Morocco.
Haram Doodles is creator of a popular art and storytelling project that uses illustration to amplify the voices and experiences of ex-Muslims around the world. A Pakistani-American ex-Muslim activist, artist and writer, she combines humour, personal narrative and social commentary to explore themes of freedom of conscience, identity, religious trauma and life after Islam. Through her widely shared artwork and advocacy, she has helped bring greater visibility to the diverse experiences of those who leave Islam.
Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born writer, broadcaster and multi-award-winning rights activist. She is the spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All. Over four decades, she has campaigned for the rights of refugees, women, apostates and against stoning, executions, compulsory veiling and religious fundamentalism. She has organised Celebrating Dissent, the largest gatherings of ex-Muslims in history. A frequent commentator on Iran, secularism, freedom of expression and rights, she currently co-hosts Bread and Roses TV, a weekly television programme broadcast in Persian and English. Her work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the National Secular Society’s Secularist of the Year Award and the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Henry H. Zumach Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism Award.
Megan Manson is Head of Campaigns at the National Secular Society, where she leads campaigns promoting secularism, freedom of belief and equal treatment regardless of religion or non-religious belief. An advocate for the separation of religion and state, she has written and spoken extensively on issues including women’s rights, religious privilege, freedom of expression and social cohesion.
Rahila Gupta is an award-winning writer, journalist and feminist activist, and Trustee of Southall Black Sisters, one of the UK’s leading organisations supporting Black and minority women facing violence and abuse. For more than three decades, she has campaigned on issues including women’s rights, secularism, immigration, disability rights and freedom from religious fundamentalism. She is the author and editor of several books, including Enslaved, From Homebreakers to Jailbreakers: Southall Black Sisters, and Planet Patriarchy, and co-wrote the screenplay for Provoked, the acclaimed film based on the story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Guardian, New Humanist, New Internationalist and openDemocracy.
Savin Bapir-Tardy is a Counselling Psychologist, therapist and author specialising in the psychological impact of religious trauma, identity change and leaving high-control belief systems. Drawing on established therapeutic approaches and years of clinical experience, she has developed psychoeducational resources tailored to the unique challenges faced by ex-Muslims navigating family conflict, loss of community, shame, anxiety and rebuilding a sense of self. She is the author of Leaving to Live: A Psychoeducational Guide for Ex-Muslims, which combines psychological insight with practical tools to support recovery, resilience and personal freedom.
Shelley Segal is an Australian singer-songwriter, composer and outspoken advocate for freedom of thought and expression. Known internationally for her music exploring themes of religion, identity, atheism and personal liberation, she has become a distinctive voice within secular, atheist and ex-religious communities. Through albums including An Atheist Album and her performances around the world, Shelley uses music to encourage critical thinking, empathy and the freedom to question beliefs. Her work combines deeply personal storytelling with a commitment to human rights and social justice.
Siham Lachgar ihas been a prominent voice in the campaign to secure the release of her sister, feminist and human rights activist Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, helping to draw international attention to issues of freedom of conscience, women’s rights and the misuse of blasphemy laws. Through her advocacy, she has highlighted the personal and human impact of restrictions on free expression and individual liberties in Morocco.
Yasmin Rehman is a feminist, human rights activist and researcher with more than three decades of experience working on violence against women and girls, race, faith, gender and human rights. A former CEO of Juno Women’s Aid, she is widely recognised for her expertise on faith-based abuse, honour-based abuse, forced marriage and polygamy, and is frequently called upon as an expert witness in legal cases. Yasmin has written and spoken extensively on the links between violence against women and religious fundamentalism, and currently serves as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent and trustee of several organisations advancing women’s rights and justice. In 2017, she was awarded the National Secular Society’s Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year.
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