Some of the most egregious violations of human rights, including prosecutions for “blasphemy” and restrictions on women’s autonomy, occur in Islamic theocracies and Islamic republics. In these countries, secular reason defers to religious orthodoxy.
Under a philosophy that does not acknowledge the existence of universal human rights and instead classifies people’s worth by whether they belong to a religious tribe, this is deliberate. It leads to an atmosphere in which meaningful dissent is stifled, oppression based on religious doctrine is mandated, and truth is hidden from view. At their core, theocracies usurp the right of a country’s people to self-rule, instead placing that power with religious authorities.
The judgment of the world and the domain of government should be determined by empirical reality, rational deliberation, and the common good. Our vision is a world where religion is firmly a matter of private conscience and never involved in government.
Washington, D.C. - Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) today announced the launch of the Arabic WikiIslam, an online encyclopedia dedicated to information on Islamic beliefs, customs, and history from a skeptical but objective perspective.
A horrific — and par for the course — blasphemy lynching
As much as leaving Islam is a question of personal belief, that’s far from all it is. Leaving the faith and making oneself an “apostate” is to renounce a slew of rights designated only to Muslims -- and put oneself at risk of prosecution.
Washington, D.C. -- Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) applauds the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) recent approval of resolutions to protect individuals prosecuted under blasphemy and apostasy laws.