Leaving to Live: Women's Blasphemy, Apostasy and Freedom - event in London 26 September 2026

[IwantToRetire]

Women's rights, secular and ex-Muslim campaigners will gather in central London on Saturday 26 September for a one-day conference examining freedom of conscience, women's resistance to religious authoritarianism, and recovery from religious trauma.

The conference, organised by Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the National Secular Society (NSS), will bring together speakers to address the urgent challenges facing those who leave religion, challenge blasphemy laws, and defend freedom of expression.

Contributors: Annie Laurie Gaylor, Co-President of Freedom from Religion Foundation; Daisy; Closeted Ex-Muslim; Esme, Ex-Muslim and Ex-Hijabi; Ghizlane Mamouni, Ibtissame Betty Lachgar’s Lawyer; Giulia Tranchina, Senior Associate Solicitor at Wilson Solicitors LLP; Ex-Muslim artist Haram Doodles; Lamah Al Saif, Ex-Muslim Activist and Feminist; CEMB Spokesperson Maryam Namazie; NSS Head of Campaigns Megan Manson; Southall Black Sisters Chair Rahila Gupta; Counselling Psychologist Savin Bapir-Tardy; Shelley Segal and SA, Singers/Songwriters; Siham Lachgar, Sister of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar and Women’s Rights Campaigner Yasmin Rehman.

A particular focus of the conference will be women's blasphemy, apostasy, and transgression as acts of resistance against systems that seek to regulate belief, speech, sexuality, and personal autonomy. Discussions will examine why women who challenge religious authority often face the harshest forms of social and political control, and how their acts of defiance can become catalysts for wider struggles for equality, secularism, and freedom.

The conference will honour Moroccan feminist activist Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, whose courageous challenges to religious taboos and restrictions on freedom of conscience have made her a leading voice for women's rights, secularism, and freedom of expression. Her work exemplifies the transformative role that women's acts of blasphemy and dissent can play in advancing social change. It will also commemorate the Algerian sociologist Marieme Helie Lucas who died in August 2026.

Full details https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leaving-to-live-womens-blasphemy-apostasy-and-freedom-tickets-1991390977019

(In case anyone is interested)

Wow what a line up. I wish it wasn't so expensive to get to London from the north.

Agree. This is always the problem when organising a live event. But suspect even if it had been in the midlands for many the travel costs would still be too much.

And looks like all the reduced price tickets have sold out.

I wonder if it will be recorded and maybe be available online at some point.

Would be wonderful to be able to see online.

There is a contact the organiser form on the eventbrite page.

But from what is listed at the moment doesn't seem to be.

And suppose now they have can down the in person event they need as many as possible to pay for a ticket to the event.

I hope they have a great conference, it's an important topic, one that gets ignored to often.
The fact that the tickets are selling well is encouraging, perhaps they'll upload some of the highlights to YouTube, it's the best I can hope for, it's too expensive for me as well.

Hopefully it will be also available online at some point...
The line up is impressive, but I wish they had also included Nuriyah Khan from 'Beyond belief'.