18
Atheist Afghan granted
religious asylum in UK
UK-News
An Afghan citizen has been granted asylum in
the UK for religious reasons - because he is an
atheist.
The man fled to the UK from a conflict involving his family in Afghanistan in 2007,
aged 16, and was allowed to stay in the UK
until 2013.
He was brought up a Muslim, but during his
time in the UK became an atheist, his legal
team said.
They said he would face persecution and possibly a death sentence if he was returned to
Afghanistan.
The team was from the University of Kent's
Law School which offers legal services
through its Kent Law Clinic.
'Entitled to protection'
They believe it is the first time a person has
been granted asylum in the UK on the basis of
their atheism.
Lawyers lodged a submission to the Home Office under the 1951 Refugee
Convention which aims to protect people from
persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social
group or political opinion.
They said the man's return to Afghanistan
could result in a death sentence under Sharia
law as an apostate - someone who has abandoned their religious faith - unless he remained discreet about his atheist beliefs.
January 2014
But because every aspect of daily life and culture in Afghanistan is permeated by Islam living discreetly would be virtually impossible,
they said.
The case was prepared by second-year law
student Claire Splawn under the supervision of
clinic solicitor Sheona York.
Ms Splawn said: "We argued that an atheist
should be entitled to protection from persecution on the grounds of their belief in the same
way as a religious person is protected."
'Proud history'
Ms York added: "The decision represents an
important recognition that a lack of religious
belief is in itself a thoughtful and seriouslyheld philosophical position."
The British Humanist Association said the
case may well have a claim to be a first in
being based on non-religious beliefs.
Chief executive Andrew Copson said: "Freedom of belief for humanists, atheists and other
non-religious people is as important as freedom of belief for the religious but it is too
often neglected by Western governments who
focus too narrowly on the rights of Christians
abroad, as we have seen recently.
"It is great to see Bri