In light of the continuing murders of atheists in Bangladesh and the apathy of the Bangladeshi government, the Center for Inquiry has launched a very worthy project: a Freethought Rescue Fund to bring threatened activists to the U.S. or other secular-friendly countries and help them live here in safety. (At least one of the murdered bloggers, Ananta Bijoy Das, had sought a visa to Sweden but was refused.)
As CFI announced this week, they’ve already helped bring over the Bangladeshi author and secular activist Dr. Taslima Nasrin, who’s a frequent target of Islamist death threats. Now they’re looking to help others who are also in the crosshairs of fundamentalist violence. All these activists need monetary assistance to travel and secure visas, as well as long-term help with food, housing and other support, and we in the Western secular community ought to do everything we can to protect the lives of our fellow freethinkers.