Exhibited artists are Sandra Ackermann, Karin Roy Andersson, Eskild Beck, Milena Buljan, Victoria Burgher, Edna Cantoral Acosta, Magdalena Czubak Vlasak, Fiona Dent, ARINA, Heather MCDonald, Roland Okon, Despina Papadopoulou, Polina Pakhomova, Mario Raoli, Steve Rosenthal, Flora Robertson, Axelle Russo, Govinda Sah, Karine Schneider, Fianne Stanford, Paula Stevens-Hoare, Zoe Sua Kay, Valeriya Vygodnaya, Ewa Zasada, and Artur Zarczynski.

Competition judges are Deeyah (Singer and Composer), Francisco Laranjo (Artist and Head of School of Arts at Porto University) and Joan Smith (Writer and Columnist).

Private View: Saturday 29 October 2011, 18.00 – 21.00 hours

Gallery: UNIT24 Gallery, 24 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0FD (Transport Underground stations: Southwark)

Exhibition: 29 October – 5 November 2011
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday 8.00 – 18.00 hours; Thursday – Friday 8.00 – 18.30 hours

Passion for Freedom Art Competition, Second Edition, 2010

Passion for Freedom Art Competition, First Edition, 2009

NOTES

To donate to the crucial work of One Law for All, please either send a cheque made payable to One Law for All to BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK or pay via Paypal.

We need regular support that we can rely on and are asking for supporters to commit to giving at least £5-10 a month via direct debit. You can find out more about how to join the 100 Club here.

The One Law for All Campaign was launched on 10 December 2008, International Human Rights Day, to call on the UK Government to recognise that Sharia and religious courts are arbitrary and discriminatory against women and children in particular and that citizenship and human rights are non-negotiable. To join the campaign, sign our petition here.

For further information contact:
Maryam Namazie and Anne Marie Waters
Spokespersons
One Law for All
BM Box 2387
London WC1N 3XX, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
onelawforall@gmail.com
www.onelawforall.org.uk

18 International Artists took part in the ‘Passion for Freedom’ competition organised by One Law for All.  The group show presents artists shortlisted in the First Stage of the competition.

The winners of EQ Award which stands for Equality were announced at the 20 November private viewing at UNIT24 Gallery located next to TATE Modern.

The Gallery was packed with guests.

During the ‘Little Bride’ preview screening some of the viewers had to stand outside and watch it through the gallery’s high ceiling windows.

The show is of the highest standard.

One of the judges, Terry Sanderson, praised the high quality of the works presented.

There was press present not only from the UK but from all over Europe.

Basia Leszczynska, one of the shortlisted artists says: ‘The theme posed a huge challenge for me. Sharia courts in Britain, how to approach it? I kept asking myself? I did not want to present it explicitly.
Painting is a different medium to film making, reportage. At the same time the message has to be clear, it has to shake people’s minds. It has to stay with them for longer and make them think. Using the shock tactic does not always work in art, especially when we are talking about abuse of justice and brutal treatment of another human being. I wanted to avoid drastic images as there are too many of them around us.’

The time and effort put into organising the event was well worth it given the reception the exhxibition received.

The gallery was buzzing with conversations and excitement. The problems and issues avoided by many were openly discussed. We succeeded in bringing the subject into the open.

‘There are regimes that are afraid of art, but artists are not afraid of regimes’, with these words Agnieszka Kolek, the artist and curator, opened an envelope with the EQ Award winners.

The winning artists selected by Singer/Songwriter Deeyah and National Secular Society President Terry Sanderson were:

1. Anna Sundt for ‘Cover up’ series

2. Roberta Coni for ‘Erasing her’

3. Svitlana Grebenyuk for ‘Ahmadinejad’

Maryam Namazie, One Law for All’s Spokesperson, gave a powerful speech stressing that in Britain there is silence over Sharia courts instead of condemnation. She said: ‘Sharia courts are not ‘just’ limited to civil matters. Just because they are denying women’s rights in the family rather than stoning women in city squares, one can’t say there isn’t a serious problem… We live in times that oblige us to stand up and be counted for!’

She stressed that the exhibited art is not only of the highest quality but is also a voice in defence of women’s rights.

An overcrowded gallery is not a common sight even in London, the capital of art!

John, a student at St. Martin’s College of Art, and one of the visitors says: ‘The show is amazing. I am impressed with the artists’ maturity and approach to the subject matter. I wasn’t aware of Sharia courts in Britain until now. It is really disturbing.’

‘I love Maja Wolna’s work. They are ascetic in their design but go straight to the point.’

‘And it shocks me when they tell me about religious laws.  How come women are still treated like this in the 21 century? And this law is applied in Britain? I am appalled.’

‘The show is amazing, interesting people, great food and wine. I will definitely follow the subject.’

Maryam Namazie’s speech at the event

Video from event

2011 ‘Passion for Freedom’ edition coming soon. Website: http://www.passionforfreedom.co.uk

You can submit your work to the preliminary stage of the competition at:

art.wave@onelawforall.org.uk

The One Law for All Campaign Against Sharia Law in Britain is holding an art exhibition in London during 20-27 November 2010 in which a group of international artists address the controversial subject of religion and human rights. the exhibition includes pieces on the veil, female genital mutilation, child ‘marriage’ and women’s oppression. To RSVP for the private viewing on 20 November 2010 from 6.30-9.30pm, contact onelawforall@gmail.com.

The opening and exhibition will be held at UNIT 24 Gallery, 24 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0FD.

The panel of judges author Polly Toynbee, singer Deeyah and secularist Terry Sanderson will select their favourite pieces for special mention at the private viewing.

For more information, read the press release on the exhibition.

Terms and Conditions

View Larger Map

See winners of the Passion For Freedom 2009 art competition-1st edition

NEW! ART COMPETITION 2010

PASSION FOR FREEDOM OPEN TO ALL ARTIST

The One Law for All Campaign Against Sharia Law in Britain

is sponsoring an Art Competition open to all artists.

Applications submission is now closed.

The Second Edition will take place 20 – 27 November 2010 at UNIT 24 Gallery

See terms and conditions

Unit 24
24 Great Guildford Street
SE1 0FD
London UK

Opening Times:
Mon – Wed : 8:00 – 17:00
Thu – Fri : 8:00 – 18:30
Sat – Sun : closed

View Larger Map

See winners of the Passion For Freedom 2009 art competition-1st edition

One Law for All Campaign is pleased to announce the winners of 2009’s art competition, Passion for Freedom,
which was organised to promote universal and equal rights and expose the discriminatory nature of religious laws.

Winners of the competition are as follows:

• First prize – ID and Stoning by Julie Ball

ID - Julie

The Stoning - Julie

The Stoning (rear view) - Julie

• Second prize – Sharia law in Iran by Gaby Grammeno

Sharia law in Iran - Gaby

• Third prize – Sister of Emancipation by Emma Louise Simira Thackham

Sister of Emancipation - Emma Thackham

The first prize winner will receive £100 donated by the Central London Humanist Group,
the second prize winner will receive a crate of wine donated by Goranka Gudelj,
and the third prize winner will receive £50 donated by the Central London Humanist Group.

The prominent judges deciding on the pieces were:

A C Grayling (Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London),
Polly Toynbee (columnist for the Guardian),
Deeyah (Pakistani-Norwegian singer, composer and human rights activist).

As a result of the interest raised by the successful 2009 competition, One Law for All will be extending its art project.
We will be holding a gallery exhibition in the Spring to show pieces from the previous competition as well as new pieces received in the coming months.

Click here for more details of conditions of entry.

One Law For All is sponsoring an Art Competition open to all artists. The event promotes freedom and equal rights for all citizens. Artistic expression, as embodied by the campaign’s emblematic phrase: One Law For All, will focus on exposing the discriminatory nature of religious – based tribunals and encouraging equal rights. Chosen works will be shown during a gallery exhibition in November. Three of art works will be awarded and presented on the Website ( front page ).

Entry Format: all medium.

Contest Deadline: 1 November 2009

Send your work via email to:

artcompetition.onelawforall@gmail.com

or post CD to One Law For All Campaign:

Art Competition

BM Box 2387

London WC1N 3XX, UK

join us on http://www.myspace.com/passionforfreedom

art-competition

[google map]

Please take into consideration underground closures on the day

The rally aims to raise still further our opposition to Sharia and
religious-based laws in Britain and the world, including the imposition of
Sharia this year in Somalia and Pakistan’s Swat region and of the ‘rape
laws’ in Afghanistan. It also aims to show our solidarity with people
standing up to political Islam everywhere, including in Iran, and our
support for universal rights and secularism.  The rally will also defend the
right to asylum for those who have fled Sharia and calls for an end to
racism and cultural relativism.

Please try to come if you can. It is important for decent people everywhere
to stand up to the right-wing political Islamic movement and defend
humanity. Doing so will also help push back the far right in its attempts at
hijacking the issue of Sharia law to advance its anti-immigrant and racist
agenda.

Tell others about the rally and encourage them to join. Also please sign our
petition calling for a ban on Sharia law if you haven’t. Over 17,000 people
have done so already and they represent only the tip of the iceberg of
opposition.

Also don’t forget about our art competition, which is open to all artists.
We have already received some exciting pieces and hope to show them at a
gallery exhibition. The deadline for submitting any work exposing the
discriminatory nature of religious – based tribunals and encouraging equal
rights is November 1.

You can find out more about the rally, art competition, petition, our media
coverage, speaking engagements and other activities on our new and improved
website, thanks to Nick Djgrubson: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/.

Please also sign up to the International Coalition for Women’s Rights if you
haven’t already done so. This is particularly important given that women
face the brunt of Sharia law. You can find out more here:
http://www.equalrightsnow-iran.com/discriminatory_laws.html

Another important initiative to support is Iran Solidarity. The suppression
of a 1979 people’s revolution by the Islamic movement changed the face of
the world; a revolution against the Islamic Republic of Iran will help to
break the back of the political Islamic movement internationally and herald
a new dawn. It is crucial for people everywhere to support the people of
Iran in their battle ahead. You can find out more and sign up to it here:
http://www.iransolidarity.org.uk/. If you are able to, please volunteer half
an hour in the upcoming year to do an act of solidarity with people of Iran
in Trafalgar Square from 1730-1800 hours. This has now been going on for
nine weeks. You can see the various acts here:
http://www.iransolidarity.blogspot.com/.

And do contact us if you would like to volunteer to help organise the rally,
submit art for the competition, invite us to speak at an event you are
organising or for more information. We also need help in supporting the
right to asylum for those who have fled Sharia law. You might have heard of
our success in securing the release from immigration detention of an ‘apostate’
ex-Muslim but he and others like him need more assistance to
gain their right to asylum.

And finally, don’t forget to donate to One Law for All. We urgently need
money to do all that still needs to be done to get rid of Sharia. Every bit
helps so please do take the time to send us a cheque made payable to One Law
for All or by donating via Paypal by visiting
http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/donate.html.