Welcome to Another Edition of Our Newsletter
This week’s Unbelief Brief brings you yet another disturbing enforcement of Iran’s hijab law, another clothing law in Tajikistan, and finally takes you state-side to Texas.
In EXMNA Insights we provide commentary on the upcoming Apostasy Day 2024. And don't forget, our Apostasy Day Meme Contest winners will be announced on Thursday!
The Unbelief Brief
The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to be an autocratic, repressive, and brutal nightmare. Yet another woman has been shot for her improper adherence to hijab mandates. Arezoo Badri, a 31-year-old mother of two, was driving with her sister in her car which “had a confiscation notice against it,” apparently for “multiple alleged violations of the hijab law.” Police tried to pull her over to carry out the confiscation, and when she did not comply, they shot her while the car was moving, puncturing her lung and striking her spine. She is alive but hospitalized, paralyzed for the moment and perhaps for life. Another “success” for Iranian law enforcement.
In another Muslim-majority country, Tajikistan, an autocratic government is pressing hard in the opposite direction. Previously this year, the nation had banned the hijab in an effort to promote the “traditional,” “original” culture of the land. They now appear to be taking a further step—a prohibition on “black clothes.” Ironically, the prohibition has been issued as a fatwa from the Council of Ulemas, which is itself backed by the otherwise staunchly secular state. The fatwa prohibits women specifically from wearing black clothes, presumably targeting Islamic dress in an indirect way. But it also asserts that women must not wear “tight-fitting and transparent clothing.” It seems Tajikistan’s Council of Ulemas has somehow managed to create a union between repressive religious modesty culture and repressive anti-religious authoritarianism.
Finally, moving stateside, one theocratic official of the state of Texas decided to briefly remove his mask and openly voice his contempt for the First Amendment and the Constitution. Mike Morath, the state’s Education Commissioner, testified recently at a hearing regarding new state-approved lesson plans, which, while requiring instruction on the Bible, apparently “remov[ed] large sections on other religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and all mentions of the Islamic prophet Muhammed.” When asked by one lawmaker if he was concerned this lesson plan would violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, Morath replied: “Then why does the bill, at the bottom of page 5, explicitly give teachers who use this new curriculum immunity for violating the Establishment Clause in the United States Constitution?” We shall see whether the argument that state law allows public employees to violate the US Constitution holds up in court.
EXMNA Insights
As Apostasy Day approaches, it's crucial to highlight the continued presence of laws in various Islamic countries that criminalize apostasy. In nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan, leaving Islam is not only socially stigmatized but also legally punishable, often by death. Apostasy laws reflect a rigid adherence to classical Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), which derives from both the Quran and the Hadith.
According to Sahih Hadith, apostasy is condemned with severe consequences. For instance, in Sahih al-Bukhari (Volume 9, Book 84, Hadith 57), the Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying: "Whoever changes his Islamic religion, then kill him." This Hadith is frequently cited by Islamic scholars and legal authorities in countries that enforce laws against apostasy. In addition all major schools of Islamic law (fiqh) are unanimous on the punishment for apostasy - death. The legal consequences of such laws vary by country, but they represent an ongoing barrier to freedom of belief and religious autonomy.
These apostasy laws and their roots in Sahih Hadith demonstrate the tension between religious orthodoxy and human rights, a challenge faced everyday by most ex-Muslims around the world today.
Other relevant Hadiths on the subject:
Sahih al-Bukhari (Volume 9, Book 83, Hadith 37): The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, "The blood of a Muslim who confesses that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse, and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims."
This Hadith is a central reference for legal authorities in countries that enforce capital punishment for apostasy.
Sahih Muslim (Book 16, Hadith 4152): It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said: "It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim except in one of three cases: the married adulterer, a life for a life, and the one who forsakes his religion and abandons the community."
This Hadith reinforces the legal framework for apostasy laws, emphasizing that leaving Islam is considered a capital offense.
Sahih al-Bukhari (Volume 9, Book 89, Hadith 271): Another relevant narration states: "A man embraced Islam and then reverted to Judaism. Mu'adh bin Jabal came and saw him with Abu Musa. Mu'adh said, 'What is wrong with this man?' Abu Musa replied, 'He embraced Islam and then reverted to Judaism.' Mu'adh said, 'I will not sit down unless you kill him, as it is the verdict of Allah and His Apostle.'"
Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) stands firmly with those who have chosen to leave Islam, advocating for the fundamental human right to freedom of belief. Apostates, often facing persecution, violence, or death in many parts of the Islamic world, deserve the right to make their own choices regarding faith without fear of legal or social retribution. On Apostasy Day, we reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of ex-Muslims everywhere and call for an end to laws that punish individuals simply for leaving a religion.
On the Horizon
Stay tuned for the winners of our Apostasy Day Meme Contest! To be announced on Apostasy Day, Thursday August 22!
Until next week,
The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America
P.S. We’d love to hear from you! Share your feedback at [email protected].
