East London Humanists

Opinion piece published Ilford Recorder, Romford Recorder and Docklands and East London Advertiser April 2026

John Lennon wrote ‘Imagine,’ his iconic peace song, around this time 45 years ago. It was his humanistic response to the war the US was then waging on Vietnam.

Trump’s threat to bomb Iran ‘back to the stone ages where they belong’ channelled US air force commander Curtis Le May. In 1965 Le May demanded that ‘…North Vietnam stop their aggression, or we’re going to bomb them back into the Stone Age.”  He was the inspiration for two of the unhinged characters in the apocalyptic film Dr Strangelove. Trump and his circle evoke frightening parallels.

As a Humanist, I of course want rid of the vile Iranian regime and its fundamentalist religious ideology. But bombing doesn’t change regimes or ideologies. Not least when done by rival religious fundamentalists. It will not be lost on the theocrats that Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of War and sword-bearer for the Christian Right, boasts a tattoo harking back to the crusades.

East London was the first place to ever suffer aerial bombing. In 1915 Zeppelins dropped grenades on Dalston, Shoreditch and Leytonstone. Sylvia Pankhurst, suffragette, peace activist and humanist, described how ‘panic ran rampant’ in Hoxton. Angry mobs attacked businesses of Londoners associated with the ‘enemy.’ Increasingly intense air raids followed. By the end of WWI, 668 Londoners had been killed. 

Pankhurst campaigned against aerial bombing, and its devastating impact on innocent civilians. Angered by the failure of the 1932 World Disarmament Conference to outlaw it, Pankhurst erected an anti-air war memorial near her home in Woodford Green. It’s the world’s first anti-war memorial, and now a Grade 2 listed building.

East London went on to suffer the horrors of the blitz in WWII. The spirit shown then is a lesson in how counterproductive it can be to rain destruction on people.

Humanists don’t have hymns, but Lennon’s song could in some ways serve as a humanist anthem.

“Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try, no hell below us, above us, only sky. Imagine all the people, living for today. Imagine there’s no countries; it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. Imagine all the people, living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.”

Paul Kaufman
Chairperson East London Humanists

Humans are the ultimate invasive species. What we do puts Japanese knotweed in the shade. Our footprint has wiped out entire species, from mammoths to dodos. The tricky relationship between humans and evolution could be a metaphor for the abyss which humankind stares into today. It was the subject of Humanist UK’s Darwin Day lecture at Conway Hall, a home in Central London for freethinking since 1929.

Speaker Professor Matthew Cobb outlined some of the many ways humans have impacted on planetary life. Examples of unintended consequences include the evolution of elephants with dwindling tusks, more likely to survive predation by ivory hunters.

Intended change pervades agriculture, where there has been selective breeding of plants and animals for millennia and monoculture is superseding nature’s rich genetic diversity.

Human impact accelerated from the 1970’s when genetic engineering took off. It can be a force for good. Insulin, a lifesaver for many, is now reproduced cheaply by placing its DNA code into yeast cells.

But there is a dark side. Nature quickly got around ‘miracle’ GM crops developed to be bug resistant. Mosquitoes could now be bred out of existence, but scientists hesitate, fearful of ramifications for other species in nature’s web. Then in 2018 Chinese scientist He Jiankui caused uproar when he claimed to have created the first genetically edited human babies. The prospect of cloned children is no longer the stuff of science fiction.

Darwin epitomises the importance of science to understanding the world and our place in it. That’s why his birthday (12 February) is celebrated by Humanists.

Trump and his ilk epitomise the danger of scientific ignorance. That ignorance goes hand in hand with rejecting collaboration and international norms, both essential to keeping human excess in check. In January the White House proudly announced withdrawal from over 60 international organisations and agreements, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the World Health Organisation, and the UN Council on Human Rights. February’s attack on Iran bypassed the UN altogether.

Picture a world without empathy, or rules, where might is always right and evidence is treated with disdain. I sometimes invite students to reflect on what living in such a world might be like in my role as a Humanists UK school speaker. Most agree it would be a nightmare. Sadly, it’s one that’s now not that hard to imagine.

Paul Kaufman
Chairperson East London Humanists

East London Humanists will be staging an ‘Environmental Election Hustings’ at Wanstead Library in the run up to the Council elections due to be held on Thursday 7 May.

Careful consideration has been given to ensuring fairness in accordance with electoral law. It has been determined that a fair criterion for participation on the panel is that members must be a local candidate for a party which has a sitting Member of Parliament.

As of 30 March the following candidates have accepted the invitation:

Jo Blackman (Labour)
David Davies (Reform)
Mark Gitsham (Liberal Democrats)
Kabir Ali (Green)
Paul Canal (Conservative)

East London Humanists is proud to have organised a similar hustings at each national and local election since 2019. They have been widely regarded as fair, interesting and beneficial to the local community.

The environment covers many issues of concern to local residents, from potholes, parking and planning to nature and the climate. Questions can be submitted in writing at the event, or in advance to chaireastlondonhumanists@gmail.com.

The doors will open at 19.00. The hustings will commence at 19.30. The event is free and open to all.

Wanstead Library is in Spratt Hall Road, E11. It has disabled access. It is a 2 minute walk from Wanstead Station (Central Line) and is served by numerous buses. There is free adjacent parking.

Understanding how unelected elites, including the CofE establishment, are blocking reform. Opinion piece Ilford Recorder Feb 2026

Two different news stories recently caught my eye: Research showing the steady decline of Christianity, and the democratic travesty that is our House of Lords. Both underline the crying need for radical reforms.

Figures published in January debunk the claim made last year of an uptick in Church attendance. The new figures are based on British Social Attitude Survey polling, the gold standard for such analysis. They tally with figures provided by The Church of England and the Catholic Church.  They contradict the claim made last year based on polling by the Bible Society.

This matters because so many of our institutions are shaped around the myth that this is a ‘Christian’ country. In fact, those with Christian faith are a dwindling minority. There is no justification in 2026, for example, for the law which requires a daily act of Christian Worship in state schools. And there is no justification for 26 Church of England Bishops being automatically entitled to sit in the Upper Chamber and decide on our laws.

The debacle surrounding (now ex-Lord) Mandelson is one example of how neither fitness, nor ability, let alone accountability, need play any part in deciding who enjoys the privileges that come with a peerage. Mandelson’s case, and that of other venal peers, sickens many. But for organised Humanists it has been at least as galling to witness an unelected elite deliberately obstructing the assisted dying bill through underhand tactics.

The elected House of Commons voted in favour of the bill. Polling shows that an overwhelming majority of the electorate support reform Yet a group of peers, all unelected, have been determined to see it fail. An unprecedented number of amendments have been submitted in the knowledge that this will result in the Bill being ‘talked out’ through lack of time. Opposition to the bill isn’t exclusively religious.  However, the Bishops have been at the forefront of seeking to thwart our freedom of choice on this deeply personal issue.

The Bishop of Newcastle is on the Lords’ committee scrutinising the bill.  She receives a £52000 stipend and free accommodation from the CofE. They organise opposition to the Bill. Yet her religious status exempts her from declaring a conflict of interest normally required of a paid lobbyist.

It is unacceptable for unelected elites to rule our lives, whether they owe their privilege to wealth, influence, or religion. 

Paul Kaufman
Chairperson, East London Humanists

Celebrating the appointment of writer, broadcaster and former Blue Peter presenter Jane Ellis as Humanists UK president. Ilford Recorder and Barking and Dagenham Post January 2026

A recent announcement came as a tonic, to me at least, amidst much gloomy news. Hopefully it will resonate with others looking for calm, reason and hope in a world seemingly stuck in a doom loop.

I’m talking about the appointment of Janet Ellis as the new President of Humanists UK. Her name won’t be familiar to everyone, but she is a prolific broadcaster and writer. Many will remember her as a presenter on BBC’s Blue Peter, the longest running children’s TV show in the world, first broadcast in 1958.

Janet once described Blue Peter as offering “…a view of a world worth growing up in.” Those words alone encapsulate a Humanist vision.  She intends using her presidency “to help more people navigate these increasingly tumultuous times, seeing the way through to a better, kinder world, by helping them explore their non-religious beliefs and connect to one another.” She also wants to “champion humanist values as an antidote to rising fear, distrust, and alienation across society.”

Janet is the latest of a string of Presidents who have in their different ways promoted non-religious ideas embodying social progress, compassion, reason and a joie de vivre. They include Ramsay Madonald, later to become Prime Minister, George Melly, the jazz singer, and Claire Rayner, renowned ‘Agony Aunt.’ Janet takes over from Adam Rutherford, geneticist and broadcaster, whose best-selling book ‘How to Argue with a Racist’ demolishes the unscientific ignorance underpinning racial bigotry.

We are up against it. The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally in London last September provided a platform for extreme Chistian nationalism, including a banner denouncing Humanism. Elon Musk spoke via video link, echoing messages from the US Christian right. In October a mob calling itself the Kings Army marched blackshirt style in military formation through Soho’s Old Compton Street shouting ‘Jesus Saves’ and anti-gay slogans.

All this comes as US evangelical organisations pour millions into funding campaigns here against women’s rights, LGBT rights, and others. The aim is to dismantle universal human rights in favour of a xenophobic religiously motivated social order. Danny Kruger, newly defected to Reform from the Tories, called for a Christian revival during a speech in Parliament, asserting that ‘to worship human rights is to worship fairies.’

We are all the Blue Peter generation. We have our work cut out to secure Janet’s vision of ‘a world worth growing up in.’  

Paul Kaufman. Chairperson East London Humanists.

Seasonal opinion piece Barking and Dagenham Post 10 December 2025

A recent remark about hope by author Salman Rushdie came to mind as I sat down to write this piece for the festive season.

Rushdie, a Patron of Humanists UK, was speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. He described writing a book as an ‘act of optimism.’ Authorship is a time-consuming labour of love. There’s no guarantee of publication, let alone creating a best-seller.

Hope seems to be hard-wired into us.  There are so many occasions where we pin our efforts and aspirations on a future as daunting and uncertain now as it has ever been. It can underlie the decision to have a baby, move to a new country, or just plant a tree.

The period around the winter solstice has traditionally been a time of hope in the Northern hemisphere. In this dark cold season humans have always looked forward to the rebirth of nature, and longer, warmer days. It is marked across continents with lights, feasting and celebration  – a thread that highlights our common humanity.  

Christmas is of course a special religious occasion for Christians. But for many it’s a secular celebration we can take part in whatever our belief.  Much of the sparkle and merriment would not have been out of place at the Saturnalia festival held by the ancient Romans to mark the solstice.

The Jewish festival of Hannukah is sometimes called the Festival of Lights. It starts 14 December. Again, it’s a time for eating special foods with family and friends. As are the winter festivals of Sadeh (Zoroastrian), and Dongzhi in China, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan.

On the face of it there is not much to be hopeful about as we head to the New Year. This year has largely been a rotten one for peace, nature, kindness and fairness. But it’s important to reflect on the way that war, bigotry, poverty and degradation of our environment is due to human action or inaction. Hope therefore lies in the fact that as humans we all have it in our power to help make things better.

Human beings evolved to survive and thrive. Perhaps being optimistic when the odds seem to be against us is vital to this. So, this Christman let us maintain hope, and our determination to work together to forge a better world in 2026.

Paul Kaufman
Chairperson East London Humanists

East London Humanist op piece looks at the prospect of education reform in the light of two major developments. Op piece Newham, Romford and Ilford Recorder newspapers Nov 2025

Important reforms are on the cards for teaching about religion and belief in State schools. It’s about time.

November saw publication of the Government commissioned Curriculum and Assessment Review. One landmark recommendation is that RE (Religious Education) be included in the National Curriculum. This would replace the current patchy arrangements which leave quality and content down to local authorities and schools.

Then, on 19 November, a Supreme Court ruling upheld the concerns of a non-religious parent and their child in Northern Ireland about the slanted nature of their school’s RE. They objected to imposition of a curriculum which taught Christianity as an absolute truth, albeit there was a right to withdraw.

The Supreme Court decided that RE teaching which is not ‘objective, critical, or pluralistic’ amounts to ‘indoctrination.’  They added that a right to withdraw is stigmatising where other children are not withdrawn. Although the case was heard in Northern Ireland, it has profound implications for all the UK.

I must at this point applaud the fantastic RE education which does take place in some schools. As an accredited School Speaker for Humanists UK I have spoken to well over a hundred schools around East London and Essex, many in this Borough. Inviting a Humanist gives children the opportunity to hear non-religious ethical perspectives in addition to the perspectives of faith groups. I invariably highlight shared values, such as kindness, fairness, respect for each other and the environment, and the importance of tolerating difference. Inclusive RE helps promote community harmony and cohesion.

Unfortunately, as matters stand, schools get to choose how much or how little they teach about different faiths or about Humanism, and many fall short. The way many assemblies are conducted is another outdated anomaly. They are a vital part of every school day – a time for children to gather as one community and to learn and reflect together.  According to all recent surveys less than half the adult population is Christian and well over a third have no religion.  Yet it is still a requirement under the 1944 Education Act that every State School holds a daily act of collective Christian worship.

Humanists will continue to work hard through campaigning and upcoming consultations to make sure all students get the broad inclusive education they deserve – an education fit for a modern plural democracy.

Paul Kaufman
Chairperson East London Humanists

East London Humanists Op piece Docklands and East London Advertiser November 2025.

I was among several Humanist representatives to speak at Remembrance Day services around East London this November. It’s an honour. But there is still a long way to go before these civic events fairly reflect today’s cultural landscape and do full justice to this major occasion.

Its importance to our national life can be measured by the fact that ceremonies take place year after year in just about every community up and down the land. It was heartwarming to see how many, young and old, took part in the ones I attended.

However, many services are still overwhelmingly Church of England in character, dotted throughout with hymns, prayers and Bible readings. These carry little if any meaning for the vast majority who belong to other faiths or none.

Humanists aren’t asking for special treatment, simply a level and inclusive playing field for everyone. It is shocking, for example, that invitations aren’t always extended to representatives from the Muslim community. An estimated 4.5 million Muslims fought on the allied side against fascism in WWII, many in the far East. An estimated 9-12000 Palestinians fought alongside us in Egypt. The National Muslim War Memorial Trust is campaigning for a permanent memorial.

Humanists have struggled for years to secure inclusion of the non-religious. It took until 2018 before a representative from Humanists UK was finally able to officially participate in the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph. Subsequently, I have had an official role in four different local ceremonies. It has been a first for Humanists in each case.

The non-religious have been marginalised even though countless servicemen and other victims of war have been without faith. Today, over 40% of the regular armed services have no religion (UK armed forces biannual diversity statistics: April 2025).

It was only in June this year that the UK armed forces swore in its first-ever non-religious pastoral carer, Dr Chris Weddell, who has served in several conflict zones. Humanists UK is the endorsing authority appointed by the Ministry of Defence for the new roles.

Remembrance Day should be about communities coming together to remember all victims of war and to remember its lessons. Words about conciliation, and living in harmony, are rather empty when whole sections of our communities are sidelined or omitted all together.

Paul Kaufman
Chairperson East London Humanists

Humanists UK were invited for the first time to take part in the national Remembrance Day Service in 2018. This followed years of campaigning.

Thanks to Humanists UK the non-religious are now represented at ceremonies throughout the country, including several around East London.

Below is a write up of this year’s ceremony for the London Borough of Redbridge. The rep for East London Humanists, quoted in the piece, stood and spoke alongside the Borough’s two MPs, reps from the council and other civic and faith leaders.

East London Humanists Op piece Docklands and East London Advertiser and Barking and Dagenham Post October 2025

Nigel Farage has an unusual surname. Records show his ancestors were almost certainly Huguenots who came here from France in droves from the 1600’s to flee religious persecution. It led to the coining of the term ‘refugee.’

It is estimated that Huguenots eventually comprised 5% of London’s population. The density was greater in areas like Spitalfields.  Street names such as ‘Fournier’ and ‘Weaver’ bear witness to their impact. The far-sighted at that time welcomed their potential to enrich our culture and economy.

What is now Brick Lane Mosque, on the corner of Fournier Street, symbolises the unfolding story of migration to East London. Established as a church by the Huguenots in 1743, it became a synagogue in 1891, serving the influx of Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe. It became a mosque in the 1970’s.

My grandparents settled in that area around 1900 to escape pogroms. They could barely speak or write English, and kept culturally apart throughout their lives. I like to think that I and their other descendants have done a reasonable job of integrating and contributing to this country.

‘Ironic’ is a polite way of describing Farage and other descendants of immigrants who turn their back today on the vulnerable and persecuted. Recent Tory pledges to deport 750,000 migrants appear a bid to outdo Reform in a race to the bottom. Unanswered questions include how much force they intend using, where the holding centres will be, and where these poor souls will be deported to. One shocking detail is their explicit exclusion of religious persecution as a ground for seeking asylum.

Migration is intrinsic to being human. People have moved around the globe since homo sapiens emerged in Africa 300,000 years ago. The causes are many, from flood and famine to war or just seeking a better life. It is a truism that every person in this country is the descendant of an immigrant. Migration can present problems where there are limited resources. But the humane way to address these is through reason, fairness, compassion and cooperation, not through fear, hate, division and othering.

Those most hostile to migrants are often also hostile to acting on human induced climate change, another issue demanding reason, fairness and cooperation. They should check out the Thames Flood Risk map. One day Londoners could be refugees too.

PAUL KAUFMAN, Chairperson East London Humanists