Blasphemy laws hit international headlines when they result in a particular abuse of rights. Aasia Bibi, the Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan; Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger currently enduring 50 lashes every week.

Yet the problem is far wider than just these individual aberrations. Blasphemy laws, broadly, are those which restrict or punish speech which is deemed to insult religion. The New Humanist has reported extensively on this issue; read our World of Blasphemy series for more information about the status of these repressive laws all over the globe.

According to the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU)’s 2014 Freedom of Thought Report, 55 countries worldwide – including EU member states – have criminal laws restricting blasphemy. In 39 countries, it is an imprisonable offence, and in six, it carries the death penalty.

Clearly, this is a serious threat to freedom of speech. That is why the End Blasphemy Laws campaign launched last week, led jointly by the European Humanist Federation, the Atheist Alliance International, and the IHEU, and supported by the British Humanist Association (BHA). Around 200 national organisations will also partner in the campaign.

The campaign states three main goals. The first is removing blasphemy laws from Western states. Blasphemy laws in England and Wales were repealed in 2008 after years of campaigning, and the alliance would like to see Canada, New Zealand, and EU member states follow suit. (Particularly given that the EU takes a strong stance on blasphemy laws elsewhere in the world). The second is defending and promoting the international human rights consensus against blasphemy laws. The third is establishing a robust international network, to support those opposing blasphemy laws in places where restrictions are most severe.

For more information on the campaign, visit their website.