Immigration and asylum Philosophers urge rethink of Pakistani humanist's asylum Letter from 120 leading thinkers asks Amber Rudd to reconsider case of Hamza bin Walayat A marble bust of Aristotle. Hamza bin Walayat’s asylum claim was rejected because he failed to identify Aristotle and Plato as humanist philosophers. The Home Office said his failure to identify Plato and Aristotle as humanist philosophers indicated his knowledge of humanism was “rudimentary at best”. Apostates are subject to discrimination, persecution and violence in Pakistan, and blasphemy is punishable by death under Pakistani law. “Even in the UK, there are many people who self-identify as humanists and who have not had any education on Plato and Aristotle, and Plato and Aristotle aren’t humanist scholars.

Source: The Guardian January 26, 2018 14:15 UTC