The Humanist Society Scotland has expressed it’s disappointment over the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) failure to act on persecution of atheists in Malaysia.

In the summer a witch hunt frenzy in Malaysia was whipped up by Malaysian Government officials after it emerged a local “Atheist Republic” group had met in Kuala Lumpur.

This included government ministers calling for the people who attend this gathering of atheists to be “hunted down and re-educated”.

In response to a Parliamentary Question by Edinburgh MP Deirdre Brock, the FCO minister Mark Field MP said that the government were “concerned by the reports” but did not take any action to press for protection of religious freedoms in the country.

In a letter sent today, the Humanist society call for the minister to take “immediate steps” to raise their concerns regarding the persecution of atheists in the country.

Commenting on the move, Humanist Society Chief Executive Gordon MacRae said:

Gordon MacRae, HSS Chief Executive

“The UK Government have previously stated there is no room for religious intolerance and will use it’s international representations with other governments to call it out.

“The reaction of FCO ministers to open persecution and a government manhunt of an athiest group in Malaysia is very much lacking.

“It’s time for FCO Ministers to up their game and show they will make their actions match their words.”

Letter to FCO on Malaysia treatment of Atheists