Richard Dawkins says that it is “the awakening of women” that will solve the problem of “the worldwide menace of Islamic terrorism and oppression”.

His remarks came while praising Mina Ahadi, winner of this year’s NSS Irwin Prize for “Secularist of the Year”.

Mina Ahadi is an Iranian woman who was forced to flee her native country after leading a campaign against the compulsory veiling of women. Because of her resistance to the clerical regime, her husband and four of her colleagues were executed, and she only narrowly escaped the same fate.

She now lives in Germany and has founded the Committee of Ex-Muslims, a movement that is rapidly spreading across Europe. She has also founded the Committee Against Stoning, which now has 200 branches worldwide.

National Secular Society – Iranian dissident Mina Ahadi wins Secularist of the Year prize.

A British Council of ex-Muslims was founded in June 2007

Tags: Secularist+of+the+Year, 2007, Secularist+of+the+Year+2007, Richard+Dawkins, National+Secular+Society, Prize