Bahram Soroush ( fa, بهرام سروش), is a UK-based

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

activist Two thumbs down
- Transcript of TV interview with Bahram Soroush aired on TV International English, a channel owned by Worker-Communist Party of Iran, June 2004 and a member of the Worker-Communist Party of Iran Central Committee.

Biography

As a teenager, Soroush took part in demonstrations against the regime of the Shah during the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

(1978–79). He and his fellow secularist progressive protesters were surprised and disappointed that the Islamists managed to take hold of the revolution and turn the Westernised

Imperial State of Iran Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

into an

Islamic republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...

. In June 2007, Soroush became one of the co-founders of the

Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain or CEMB (pronounced as ''see-em-BEE'') is the British branch of the Central Council of Ex-Muslims.Jonathan PetreNew group for those who renounce Islam, ''The Daily Telegraph'', 21 June 2007 It was launched in ...

(CEMB).

Views

According to Soroush, it is "very difficult to try to separate Islam from Islamic terrorist organisations". In a conference held in June 2006, Bahram said that the "

Iranian government The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, نظام جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Neẓām-e jomhūrī-e eslāmi-e Irān, known simply as ''Neẓām'' ( fa, نظام, lit=the system) among its supporters) is the ruling state a ...

is antiworker and anti-human" Soroush has said that the Islamic Republic is not a representative of the Iranian people and that it would be dangerous for the Republic to attain nuclear weapons. A Nuclear-Free Iran
- Interview with Bahram Soroush and Fariborz Pooya, aired on International TV, October 24, 2004 In Soroush's view, the term ''

Islamophobia Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...

'' is being used to "stifle the

criticism of Islam Criticism of Islam is broadly defined as criticism of the Islamic religion in its beliefs, principles, and/or any other ideas attributed to Islam. Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written disapprovals came f ...

" and that "considering the atrocities" committed by Islamic movements, terrorist attacks and honour killings in Muslim countries, it is "understandable that people should have a dislike of Islam and that this negative perception of Islam should have grown".

References

External links

Two thumbs down
- Transcript of TV interview with Bahram Soroush aired on TV International English, a channel owned by Worker-Communist Party of Iran
A fresh breeze in the labour movement in Iran
- transcript of a TV International interview conducted by Fariborz Pooya (March 7, 2005) * Various TV appearances on ''TV International English'', a channel owned by Worker-Communist Party of Iran

Picture of Soroush as a protester in the ''Iraqi opposition conference''

Another picture

UK: Mayor of London, political Islam and us
- Transcript of Interview with Bahram Soroush and Fariborz Pooya (25/05/2005) {{DEFAULTSORT:Soroush, Bahram Iranian activists Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Former Muslim critics of Islam British critics of Islam Former Muslims turned agnostics or atheists