Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What was family background — geography, culture, language, religion/irreligion, and education? Gary McLelland: Hi Scott. I grew up in a small town outside of Glasgow on the west coast of Scotland. It was a happy childhood. I was also fortunate to have family in a small village in the north west coast of Scotland called … Continue reading In-depth interview with Humanist Voices
Humanists at the UN Human Rights Council have condemned the practice of discrimination by “caste”, which continues in a number of countries, highlighting India as an egregious example. Chief Executive of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), Gary McLelland, delivered the oral statement in Geneva on Tuesday 20 March 2018. McLelland outlined the horrific practice … Continue reading Time for action on shameful caste discrimination, my statement to the United Nations
It's just four weeks until the leaders of the global humanist movement meet in Edinburgh. Tickets for our public event have sold fast, but there is still time to secure your ticket today. The event is on Thursday 24 May at 7 pm at the Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh. Book a £20 ticket today Leaders of the humanist movement … Continue reading 4 weeks to go! Meet humanist leaders in Edinburgh – 24 May, 7pm
There's only 5 weeks left until I will attempt to run my fastest ever marathon of under 3h30m in Edinburgh on the 27th May. Please, if you can, make a small contribution today to help me meet my target. Today is also the day of the London Marathon. I spent some time cheering on the … Continue reading 5 weeks left to sponsor my marathon run!
Thank you. Good afternoon everyone. Can I start by thanking Mairead and Jan Figel, first of all for having us here today. I think you should know that it's very important to us, and that we value the chance to come here and speak to you about these important issues. And as Jan Figel said … Continue reading Time to repeal European Blasphemy Laws, Now! My speech to European Parliament
I’d like to start by saying thank you to Ramin for inviting me to speak at this first public seminar of Ex Muslims Scotland. Having been involved with secular and humanist campaigning for a good few years now, I notice that we can sometimes become accustomed to certain aspects of public discourse. Most noticeably of … Continue reading My speech to the first public seminar of ExMuslims Scotland
It’s always important when discussing ideological issues, such as Islam, to distinguish between the idea and the person. As a humanist I value the intrinsic worth of every person, regardless of their beliefs. However I also believe strongly that all ideas are open to criticism, and that in a liberal democracy, no ideology is beyond … Continue reading Islamic radicalisation in Birmingham–A Scottish perspective
