Amal Farah

 

Amal Farah is Spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and One Law for All. She is Somali-born and was raised in a conservative and literalist Muslim household. Her story was covered in the Telegraph: “I renounced Islam, so my family think I should die” and the Independent: “Allah vs atheism: ‘Leaving Islam was the hardest thing I’ve done.

 

Chris Moos

 

Chris Moos is a secularist activist and researcher. After getting harassed and threatened with physical removal by his university, he campaigned successfully for the right to wear ‘Jesus and Mo’ t-shirts at his university and subsequently in defense of LibDem PPC Maajid Nawaz. His activism and research focuses on the intersection of patriarchy, racism and political religion, and he has co-organised the successful campaigns against gender segregation and the Law Society's sharia wills Practice Note. Chris was a nominee for the Secularist of the Year 2014 award.

 

Whether it is through violent extremism, multifaithist state policies, media self-censorship or the political pressure of the religious far-Right and the pro-religious Left, the very basis of the ideal of a secular and equal society are under threat in the UK. Drawing on his experience as a secularist activist, Chris will show how in the name of 'social cohesion' and 'mutual respect', an 'unholy' alliance of the Left, Right and well-meaning Liberals are doing away with our hard-won achievements in terms of secularism and civil rights.

 

Emma Lowrie

 

"I began my career by completing my BSC Hons Psychology degree at UCLan. Since then I have progressed to studying for my PhD (Thesis: Is Paranormal Belief a Unique Form of Coping?) through completing a research internship and helping to collect data and contributing to literature reviews for a number of publications that are currently in preparation. I enjoy all aspects of my university life at UCLan, one of these is Project Science and Reason which I am honoured to be a part of as it allows me to help engage the public in subjects that I find truly fascinating, and I also helped to start the Atheist, Humanist, and Secularist Society at UClan."

 

Mel Barker

 

"I am a first year Neuropsychology student at the University of Central Lancashire and have been passionate about science for as long as I can remember. After spending several of my teenage years actively involved in a Pentecostal church, I eventually left (after being heavily encouraged to leave) because I refused to deny evolution. Ever since I have been obsessed with the power that religion has in society, the factors which contribute to the formation of religious belief and the idea we are evolutionarily adapted to become both leaders and followers. I’ve also had a fascination with alternative medicine and pseudoscience ever since I realised the Berlin Wall could be purchased as a homeopathic remedy (or Murus Berlinensis if you’d like its more official sounding name). It was a great privilege to be able to volunteer for Project Science and Reason and I’m looking forward to being able to work with people so passionate and dedicated to science.2

 

James Smith

 

James Smith is a first year student studying Dentistry at the University of Central Lancashire. As an agnostic skeptic, he is one of the founding members, and current working within his University’s AHS society. He has helped UCLan organise its first skeptics week, as well as organise the start up of a skeptics pub in Preston.

 

As a child, he attended Church of England schools, which was his first encounter with religion. Upon growing up, he was eager to question the legitimacy of infamous stories surrounding religious texts; such as the virgin birth, which was one of the catalysts for his movement towards skeptisism. Motivated by the unknown, his passion for science is reflected in his movement towards humanism.

 

With an interest in open debates and talks, he loves spending time watching them and actively taking part in events up and down the country. A strong believer in equality for all, he strongly believes in a humanist outlook on life.’’

 

Glen Carrigan 

 

Glen is a Senior Research Assistant in Clinical Practice at The University of Central Lancashire, currently researching Stroke, Health Inequalities, and providing training opportunities in research for clinicians. He is also a Neuropsychology Postgraduate Researcher where he specialises in moral psychology, public engagement, and public speaking. After having lived and worked in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a wealth of other nations, experiencing myriad world views, different group behaviours, and the strife that often results when they clash – especially where religion is concerned - It has become of of his passionate aims to usher in a more enlightened form of thinking where equality as a species and compassion, help to uplift us in place of tribalism, religious moral absolutism, and the wanton disregard for the scientific facts that humans have so far revealed in this a beautiful and rich universe.

 

Glen was recently nominated for the John Maddox prize in Science Engagement, and has aided in the development of a new Brain Imaging Lab (Electroencephalogram) at UCLan. He has also contributed to Humanist Life, and is a current Journalist at Atheist Republic.com, as well as hosting his own blog. His other activities include: Creating, hosting, and presenting over 20 unique academic, and public engagement events, documentaries and talks, and the founding of two skeptical groups in the North West (Project Science and Reason, and UCLan Atheist, Humanist, and Secularist Society), and one cultural exchange group (UCLan Japanese Society). In addition, Glen has taken part in political and social activism, and charity work with the BHA, AHS and other groups on campaigns such as: Sense about Science, Ask for Evidence, UK Law Society and Sharia guidance, Ugandan Humanist Trust, Reform Section 5, equal marriage, no to gender segregation, and most recently saying farewell to Sir Terry Pratchett by honouring his patronage to Alzheimer’s Research UK.