All of us at the American Humanist Association were saddened to hear about the religiously motivated violence in Egypt and Libya, and our thoughts go out to the victims and families. But I’m sure you were as shocked as I was when we learned of the U.S. Embassy of Egypt’s response to the attacks by stating, “We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”

This is why the American Humanist Association’s work with the U.S. State Department, Congress, and coalition organizations in Washington DC is so very important. Religious freedom is the real cornerstone of democracy. That means everyone has the right to believe, or not believe. Everyone has the right to respect religion, or criticize it. I encourage you to read AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt's article, "What the Libyan Embassy Attack Teaches Us About True Religious Freedom in today's Huffington Post and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Maggie Ardiente
Editor, HNN

hnn@americanhumanist.org