Public Institution Restricts Access to Atheist Websites

Employees of the Birmingham Council reported that their access to websites that promote atheism or some exotic religions is prohibited by their employers. Apparently, the council is not very fond of websites "that promote information on religions such as Witchcraft or Satanism. Occult practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or any other form of mysticism are represented here. Includes sites that endorse or offer methods, means of instruction, or other resources to affect or influence real events through the use of spells, incantations, curses and magic powers. This category includes sites which discuss or deal with paranormal or unexplained events."

Access to Christian, Hebrew or Muslim religion websites is free, as the National Secular Society, a pressure group that defends the rights of non-believers, states. The association says it had enough of seeing how religion gets mixed in public affairs and how it is a source of discrimination.

Although NSS claims that legal action against the Birmingham Council is the last measure they are considering, they don't completely reject that option. "We suspect that the Council have not set out to contravene or reverse their own equal employment policies and that this problem results from someone in the Council acting in a thoughtless way. We just hope that common sense prevails and the Council resolves the matter itself without submitting themselves needlessly to legal action which would bring more unwelcome publicity." reads an official statement released by the association.

So far, NSS limited its actions to sending a letter supported by lawyers, in which the representatives of the pressure group asked the Birmingham officials to change their minds, otherwise a lawsuit will be filed against them. On the horns of a dilemma - which is worse, blasphemy or a negative judgment - the Birmingham Council has to take measures to make sure that no one feels discriminated against at work.