Secularist of the Year

Secularist of the Year, also known as the Irwin Prize, is an award presented annually by the National Secular Society in "recognition of an individual or an organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the secularist movement."[1] The award was established in 2005.[2]

The prize consists of a trophy, the "Golden Ammonite", and a cheque for £5000. It was first awarded in 2005 and is sponsored by humanist and secularist campaigner Dr. Michael Irwin. The award ceremony normally takes place in London in March.

List of recipients
List of recipients of the Secularist of the Year
Year Portrait Name Citation[1] Presenter Ref.
2005 Photographic portrait of Maryam Namazie Maryam Namazie For "her work in defence of women's rights and the right to freedom of expression" Polly Toynbee [2]
2006 Photographic portrait of Steve Jones Steve Jones For "his contribution to the promotion of secularism" Dick Taverne [3]
2007 Photographic portrait of Mina Ahadi Mina Ahadi For "her life opposing the mistreatment of women by the Iranian clerical regime" Joan Smith [4]
2008 Not awarded
2009 Photographic portrait of Eric Lubbock Eric Lubbock For "their work in the abolition of blasphemy law" Richard Dawkins [5][6]
Photographic portrait of Evan Harris Evan Harris
2010 — Southall Black Sisters[lower-alpha 1] For "their support of black and Asian women's human rights" Michael Irwin [7]
2011 Photographic portrait of Sophie in 't Veld Sophie in 't Veld For "her work as chair of the European Parliamentary Platform for Secularism in Politic". A. C. Grayling [8]
2012 Photographic portrait of Peter Tatchell Peter Tatchell For "his lifelong commitment to the defence of human rights against religious fundamentalism" Nick Cohen [9]
2013 — Plan UK[lower-alpha 2] "In honour of young human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, the prize was donated to Plan UK" for its campaign to ensure equal access to education for girls worldwide. Michael Cashman [10]
2014 Photographic portrait of Şafak Pavey Şafak Pavey For "her international work promoting secularism, Human Rights and gender equality as well as humanitarian aid and peace-building". Kerry McCarthy [11]
2015 Charlie Hebdo logo Charlie Hebdo[lower-alpha 3] For "its courageous response to the terror attack on its Paris office and defence of secularism" Martin Rowson [12]
2016 — Educate Together[lower-alpha 4] For "its work in challenging religious discrimination/privilege in Ireland's education system and setting out a positive vision for inclusive secular education" Julia Hartley-Brewer [13]
2017 Photographic portrait of Yasmin Rehman Yasmin Rehman For "her advocacy of a secularist approach to tackling hate crime, promoting social cohesion and the human rights of women, and challenging sectarianism and theocracy" Yasmin Alibhai-Brown [14]
2018 — Phil Johnson For "their courageous campaigning work over many years to expose the institutional abuse of children and vulnerable adults in the Church of England in the face of institutional hostility. They have supported other survivors of abuse in religious settings and worked tirelessly to promote real and lasting change to protect children in the future. More broadly they have challenged religious privilege where it results in that abuse and its cover-up" Peter Tatchell [15]
— Graham Sawyer [16]
2019 — Saif ul-Malook For "his courageous defense of Asia Bibi and other clients in Pakistan accused of blasphemy. Asia Bibi was sentenced to death by hanging for allegedly insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in November 2010. Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered her to be freed in October 2018. It upheld her acquittal in the face of a petition urging its quashing in January 2019" Geoffrey Robertson [17][18]
2020 – 2022 Not awarded

See also

Notes
  1. The award was accepted by Pragna Patel on behalf of the Southall Black Sisters.[7]
  2. The award was accepted by Debbie Langdon-Davies on behalf of Plan UK.[10]
  3. The award was accepted by Martin Rowson on behalf of Charlie Hebdo.[12]
  4. The award was accepted by Paul Rowe on behalf of Educate Together.[13]

References
  1. "Secularist of the Year Winners". National Secular Society. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  2. "Maryam Namazie Named 'Secularist of The Year'". National Secular Society. 12 October 2005. Archived from the original on 24 June 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  3. "Professor Steve Jones is Named 'Secularist of The Year'". National Secular Society. 9 October 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  4. "Iranian Dissident Wins Secularist of The Year Prize". National Secular Society. 21 October 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  5. "Oxford MP is Given Secular Award". BBC News. 8 February 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  6. "Evan Harris MP and Lord Avebury Win the National Secular Society's Annual Award for Secularist of the Year". National Secular Society. 7 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  7. "Secularist of the Year prize Awarded to Southall Black Sisters". National Secular Society. 14 February 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  8. "Dutch MEP Wins Secularist of the Year". National Secular Society. 19 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. "Peter Tatchell named Secularist of the Year". National Secular Society. 17 March 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  10. "Secularist of the Year Prize Fund Donated to Girls' Education in Honour of Malala Yousafzai". National Secular Society. 23 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  11. "Secularist of the Year awarded to Turkish MP, Safak Pavey". National Secular Society. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  12. "Charlie Hebdo Staff Awarded Secularist of the Year Prize for Their Response to Paris Attacks". National Secular Society. 28 March 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  13. "Educate Together awarded 'Secularist of the Year' prize". National Secular Society. 19 March 2016. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  14. "Yasmin Rehman named Secularist of the Year 2017". National Secular Society. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  15. Sharman, Jon (24 March 2018). "Serving Vicar Named 'Secularist of the Year' After Campaigning to Expose Sexual Abuse in Church of England". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  16. "NSS names Phil Johnson and Graham Sawyer as Secularists of the Year". London: National Secular Society. 24 Mar 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  17. "Lawyer who defended Asia Bibi named Secularist of the Year". National Secular Society. 18 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  18. Duke, Barry (21 May 2019). "Pakistan lawyer is named Secularist of the Year by NSS". The Freethinker. Patheos. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
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