The International Day of Human Rights took place in Stockholm on the 10 December 2011. The main purpose of the event was to commemorate the victims of the Apostasy Law in Islam. Former Muslims who are imprisoned, being tortured or are in hiding. ‘Set My People Free’ which organized this event is a network of individuals, churches and organizations working for the freedom of converts from Islam.
On that day around 50 people walked the main streets of Stockholm with candles, torches and flowers. They tried in a peaceful way to send out the message to and build awareness with the Swedish society, that the freedom of many Muslim converts is limited because of the Apostasy law which forbids leaving the Islamic faith. Participants prayed for the freedom of Youssef Nadarkahani from Iran, Jamaa Ait Bakri from Morocco, Haddi Saeed Al-Mutif from Saudi Arabia and Asia Bibi from Pakistan, and remembered people who were executed or murdered for changing their faith like Mehdi Dibaj from Iran and Mahmoud Mohammad Taha from Sudan.
In many Islamic countries such as the Sudan and Malaysia codified laws prescribe the death penalty for apostasy. In Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Iran, where the death penalty for apostasy is not codified, death remains a real possibility for the apostate on the basis of their application of Shari’a. Many former Muslims experience abuse, pressure, imprisonment, torture, physical and psychological harassment or even being killed by religious authorities, governments and even their families. Furthermore they are being excluded from social life and their human rights being curtailed. Read the rest on:
Protest against Apostasy Law in Islam from Henrik Clausen on Vimeo.
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