Andrew Copson speaks to science communicator Alom Shaha who shares his experiences as a teacher and author. From growing up in a strict Bangladeshi Muslim area in south-east London, to the role of his teachers in shaping his worldview, it’s a thought-provoking episode about the power of education and the thrill of intellectual endeavour.
Alom Shaha is a patron of Humanists UK. In 2012, he published The Young Atheist’s Handbook: Living a Good Life Without God. The book chronicles his upbringing in a strict Bangladeshi Muslim area in south-east London in the 1970s and 80s and outlines the intellectual journey which led him to identify as a humanist. It was launched at an event organised by Humanists UK, which later ran a successful crowdfunder to distribute copies of the book to every school in the country. Alom is also a former trustee of Humanists UK.
What I Believe was the title of two separate essays by the philosopher Bertrand Russell and the philosopher EM Forster in the early 20th century. These two humanists set out their approach to life, their fundamental worldview, in a way that was accessible to all. In this podcast, Chief Executive of Humanists UK, Andrew Copson, speaks to humanists today to understand more about what they believe, to understand more about the values, convictions, and opinions they live by.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non religious people to advance free thinking and promote a tolerant society. If you’d like to support the podcast or find out more about the humanist approach to life or the work that we do, please visit humanists.uk. If you like what you see, please consider joining as a member:
You can follow Humanists UK on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok – and please remember to leave a 5 star review!
What I Believe is produced by Sophie Castle.
EP 37 – Anne Glover
EP 36 – Saiful Islam
EP 35 – Francesca Stavrakopoulou
EP 34 – Mike Little
EP 33 – Angela Eagle
EP 32 – Steven Pinker
EP 31 – John Amaechi
EP 30 – Shaparak Khorsandi
EP 29 – Eddie Marsan
EP 28 – Polly Toynbee
EP 27 – Andrew Gold
EP 26 – Siân Berry
EP 25 – Isaac Hempstead Wright
EP 24 – Ian McEwan
EP 23 – Jim Al-Khalili
EP 22 – Helen Czerski
EP 21 – Richard Dawkins
EP 20 – Carol Smillie
EP 19 – David Aaronovitch
EP 18 – Hannah Peel
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