This is a big one. We’ve been working secretly on rescuing our own Taslima Nasrin from a hit list in her own county and have now gotten her to safety at some continuing expense that we could really use your help with. We would also like to save several other atheist bloggers on the same death list. Perhaps more in similar future circumstances if we can. We’ve worked with the Center for Inquiry on this and they’ve established the Freethought Emergency Fund. CFI has released a detailed press release with everything you need to know about that. And Ed Brayton has now provided more of the back story for those curious about what we did and whom to thank for making this possible.

But here is the gist of what’s needed now and why:

We must take these threats very seriously. Three writers have been viciously murdered in three months, with the last death, that of Ananta Bijoy Das, occurring just a couple of weeks ago.

…

Because of the very real danger to her life [the murderers are now naming her as their next target], Taslima has decided to leave India. For the indefinite future, to preserve her life, she will need to stay in the United States— where she currently has no job or home.

We at the Center for Inquiry are doing all we can to keep her out of harm’s way. But we need your help.

We’re asking you to Donate Now so Taslima can remain safe in the United States. We will need to provide assistance with food, housing, and the means to get safely settled.

If we raise more than is needed for Taslima, we will use the remainder to establish an emergency fund to help assist other dissidents in similarly perilous situations. Without going into detail, CFI has already been contacted by other writers on the subcontinent who have received threats against their lives and who have requested assistance. We are withholding their names for their own safety.

Donate if you can. Any amount helps, especially if you also spread this around and convince many more to give as much as you did or more. Let’s help save fellow atheists targeted for murder if we can, so they can continue writing and agitating for change in their country through the safety of the internet and a secular society humanist enough to protect them.