Apostasy in Islam by country
The situation for apostates from Islam varies markedly between Muslim-minority and Muslim-majority regions.[1] In Muslim-minority countries, "any violence against those who abandon Islam is already illegal". But in some Muslim-majority countries, religious violence is "institutionalised", and (at least in 2007) "hundreds and thousands of closet apostates" live in fear of violence and are compelled to live lives of "extreme duplicity and mental stress."[2]
This article is about the situation of actual or purported apostates from Islam (ex-Muslims) in each individual country. For a general description of the religious and legal meaning and implications of the concept and process of apostasy from Islam, see Apostasy in Islam. For the sociological perspectives of ex-Muslims, see Ex-Muslims. For organisations by and for ex-Muslims, see List of ex-Muslim organisations.India[edit]
According to the 2011 census, there were about 172 million Muslims living in India, accounting for approximately 14.2% of the total population.[83] According to 2021 Pew research report 12% of Indian Muslims' belief in God is of less certainty, where as 6% of Indian Muslims not likely to believe in God.[84] In the early 21st century, an un-organised ex-Muslim movement started to emerge in India, typically amongst young (in their 20s and 30s) well-educated Muslim women and men in urban areas.[85] They are often troubled by religious teachings and practices (such as shunning of and intolerance and violence towards non-Muslims), doubting their veracity and morality, and started to question them.[85] Feeling that Islamic relatives and authorities failed to provide them with satisfactory answers, and with access to alternative interpretations of and information about Islam on the Internet, and the ability to communicate with each other through social media, these people resolved to apostatise.[85] According to Bhavya Dore some Ex-Muslim are disenchanted by the religious texts, while others are put off by hard-line clergy or religion in general.[86] According to Sultan Shahin not only Ex-Muslims but also rationalists live in much fear of their own Muslim community since mere utterance of disbelief may lead to charges of apostasy and community boycott.[86] According to P. Sandeep, while in most Islamic countries apostates face penal action including the death penalty in many cases; in India, being a secular democracy even though apostasy is not a crime, those who leave Islam tend to face socio-economic ostracism and even violence from the hardliners among the Muslim community.[87] P. Sandeep says (some radical) Islamic clerics in India tend to use various types of bullying tactics to bully those who renounce religion or criticise its beliefs. Oftentimes these intimidation manoeuvres violate the fundamental human rights of individuals.[87] P. Sandeep says usually these pressure tactics include eviction, pressuring families to ex-communicate the apostatizing member; also forcing the spouse of apostate to divorce, obstructing an apostates from contacting their own children, denying share in inheritance and obstructing marriages. P. Sandeep says the (some radical) Islamic clergy threatens families who avoid to follow fiats with social ostracism.[87]
P. Sandeep says other manoeuvres to discourage apostasy and criticism of religion includes accusing or filing with false cases and filing of false cases is not limited within India but pursued even abroad.[87] If an apostate or critic does not concede despite these pressures, they can face threats, physical attacks or elimination.[87] Because of the severity of such threats, most people are afraid of publicly criticizing or disowning Islam.[87] P. Sandeep's report says despite such risks, social media affords some margin of privacy since it allows use of pseudonyms, which has helped in reduction of risk of physical attacks to an extent.[87] But still, critics of Islam keep facing cyber bullying, cyber reporting and they can not go around openly because of fear and risks to their lives.[87]
According to Arif Hussein Theruvath, while some critics express their concern whether right-wing politics is behind criticism of Islam, ex-Muslims themselves refute these claims.[88][86]
Shahin says thinking Muslims are getting exposed to a variety of ideas due to internet, internet is impacting Islam the same way advent of printing press had impacted to Christianity.[86] Increasing popularity of social media apps like Clubhouse are helping redefining of the contours of debates surrounding Islam in states like Kerala.[88]
Tunisia[edit]
Following the 2010–11 Tunisian Revolution, a Constituent Assembly worked for 2.5 years to written a new Constitution, approved in January 2014, contained a provision in Article 6 granting freedom of conscience.[233][234] It also stipulates that '[a]ccusations of apostasy and incitement to violence are prohibited'.[233] With it, Tunisia became the first Arab-majority country to protect its citizens from prosecution for renouncing Islam.[235] Critics have pointed out alleged flaws of this formulation, namely that it violates the freedom of expression.[233]
The highest profile cases of apostasy in Tunisia were of the two atheist ex-Muslims Ghazi Beji and Jabeur Mejri, sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on 28 March 2012. They were prosecuted for expressing their views on Islam, the Quran and Muhammad on Facebook, blogs and in online books, which allegedly 'violated public order and morality'. Mejri wrote a treatise in English on Muhammad's supposedly violent and sexually immoral behaviour.[236] When Mejri was arrested by police, he confessed under torture[237][236] that his friend Beji had also authored an antireligious book, The Illusion of Islam, in Arabic. Upon learning he, too, was sought by the police, Beji fled the country and reached Greece;[236] he obtained political asylum in France on 12 June 2013.[238] Mejri was pardoned by president Moncef Marzouki and left prison on 4 March 2014[239] after several human rights groups campaigned for his release under the slogan "Free Jabeur".[237][240] When Mejri wanted to accept Sweden's invitation to move there, he was again imprisoned for several months, however, after being accused of embezzling money from his former job by his ex-colleagues[240] (who started bullying him as soon as they found out he was an atheist),[237][236] a rumour spread by his former friend Beji[237] (who felt betrayed by Mejri because he had outed him as an atheist).[236]