now we come to the Western Isles secular society we often imagine that theocracy
happens elsewhere in the world and in the Maine we are mercifully free of it
in the UK but in the Western Isles of Scotland and particularly on the island
of Lewes religious fundamentalism regularly intrudes on and attempts to
control the lives of the people who live there
the Sabbatarians would love to shut down lock up and keep the islands completely
silent on Sundays except of course for the sound of him singing in fire and
brimstone sermons but the Western Isles secular society was formed to stand up
to and to advocate for secular principles he's taken action to fight
for the rights of people of all faiths and none in the Western Isles including
the right to work and play as they please on a Sunday I'd like to invite
the Society's co-founder Ian Campbell say a few words
thanks Harry so before I start off I just like to
thank the NSS and particularly Terry and Alastair McBay for all the support
they've shown the society and the groups that we work with so I founded the
Society in October 2016 that was sometime after becoming
involved with a group of local campaigners engaged that battle with
Westeros Council for access to swoon facilities on Sundays something you
probably all take for granted some of you may have heard about this
Sabbatarians and their enablers who have historically relied upon some terrible
arguments and defense of the status quo including perceived interference by
bodies such as the National and Scottish secular societies constituting an
unwelcome intrusion by external agencies into a uniquely violent culture and
campaigns against cultural stasis are organized exclusively by incomers
and extremists bent on destroying the heritage and traditions of Ireland life
in founding the Western Isles secular society I wanted to nullify both
arguments local Sabbatarians now have their own secular society to worry about
a demographic is composed of natives I might not sound like it but I was born
on the islands and spent the first few years of my life there are newcomers
people of faith and people without and though yeah though it may not say like
it the critic Sandra is a native with three generations of Gaelic speaking
families still on the island given the relatively small size and
unique makeup for the Western Isles community engagement with people of
faith is a it's a fact of life people have to get along we're proud to count
amongst our people are people of faith great people a non-judgmental
open-minded yearning for the same compromises as people without people
have made her an important part of our groups identity probably more so than
those of the mainland organizations and I believe they're key to our fight for a
more pragmatic future so on behalf of my admin team and all of our members I just
like to thank the NSS and everyone here and all of the great nominees for their
eye-opening stories for the recognition