Abolish Blasphemy Laws Statement by Ex-Muslims International
We must abolish blasphemy laws, NOW! They are archaic, oppressive, and designed to silence, punish, and kill those who dare to think freely. These laws are not about respect for the religious; they are a weapon used by theocratic regimes and extremist mobs to crush dissent, erase minority voices, and terrorise those who challenge religious dogma. In Iran, Pakistan, and beyond, people are languishing in prison cells, awaiting execution, or being lynched in the streets—just for speaking their minds or thinking differently.
Blasphemy Laws Are a Death Sentence for Free Thought
The right to question, challenge, and criticise the taboo and sacred is the foundation of freedom of expression and conscience. Yet, in many countries, daring to express an opinion outside religious orthodoxy is met with death sentences and mob violence:
- Yousef Mehrdad and Sadrollah Fazeli Zare were executed in Iran for promoting “atheism and insulting religious and Islamic sanctities.” Also, Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh has been sentenced to death for “insulting Islamic sanctities.”
- Four people have been sentenced to death in Pakistan for social media posts deemed “offensive.” Also, a mob claimed doctor Shah Nawaz insulted Muhammad, Islam’s prophet, and demanded his arrest. Whilst in custody, police orchestrated his killing.
These are not isolated incidents but part of a brutal system that thrives on fear and suppression. This is state-backed terrorism, using violence for ideological and political goals, masquerading as justice. The death penalty for blasphemy is applicable outside of theocracies as in the recent assassination of Salwan Momika in Sweden by most likely a “foreign power.”
Make no mistake—these laws do not “protect” the religious. Many believers are also targeted by blasphemy laws. Also, religion, like any other idea, cannot be “protected,” it must be open to criticism and dissent, even when the dissent is deemed unpalatable, such as in Quran burning. Calls for blasphemy laws in Europe, such as in Sweden and the UK only further embolden the religious-Right, including those who carried out the murder of Samuel Paty, the Charlie Hebdo attack, and the threats against the Batley Grammar School teacher, who remains in hiding to this day. The apology by the mother of an autistic boy in Wakefield after he accidentally dropped a Quran is another example of blasphemy hysteria, thanks to years of appeasement policies towards religion and the religious-Right in contravention of fundamental human rights.
Islamic Justifications for the Death Penalty for Apostasy and Blasphemy
While the Quran does not explicitly prescribe execution for apostasy or blasphemy, classical Islamic jurisprudence and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) have been used to justify capital punishment for those who leave or criticise Islam.
Quranic verses include:
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:217): “And whoever among you reverts from his religion and dies while he is a disbeliever – for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter…”
- Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:33): “Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger… is none but that they be killed or crucified…”
- Surah An-Nisa (4:88-89): “But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them…”
Examples of Hadith include:
- Sahih Bukhari (9:83:17): “The blood of a Muslim cannot be shed except in three cases: … the one who reverts from Islam and leaves the community.”
- Sunan Abu Dawood (4:4340): “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever changes his religion, kill him.’”
- Sahih Muslim (3:4131): Ali, the fourth caliph, executed a man for leaving Islam, saying the Prophet instructed it.
- Sunan Abu Dawood (38:4348): “A blind man’s slave-mother used to abuse the Prophet. He killed her. The Prophet said: ‘Her blood is permissible.’”
- Sahih Bukhari (5:59:369): “A man said: ‘O Allah’s Messenger! What about those who insult you?’ The Prophet replied: ‘Kill them.’”
These texts are the foundation of modern blasphemy laws in countries like Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where people are imprisoned or executed for questioning religion. Religions are ideologies—not sentient beings—and do not warrant human rights. Human rights are for people, not religions and beliefs. The separation of religion from the state (Laicite) is a matter of life and death for those accused of blasphemy and apostasy and a minimum precondition for the respect of the rights to expression and conscience.
Abolish Blasphemy Laws NOW: A Call to Action
We, at Ex-Muslims International, demand:
- The immediate repeal of blasphemy laws worldwide.
- The unconditional release of all those accused of blasphemy.
- Sanctions against governments that enforce blasphemy and apostasy laws.
- Asylum for those fleeing persecution on blasphemy and apostasy grounds.
- A global commitment to Laicite, free expression and conscience, without exceptions for religions.