[American Thinker] David J. Rusin - Persuading Western Muslim leaders to repudiate Shari'a-sanctioned violence against apostates can be a frustrating exercise, as Prince Charles discovered in 2004. Troubled by the treatment of Muslims who convert to Christianity in Islamic nations, the prince convened a summit of senior figures from both religious communities. However, the Islamic representatives failed to issue a declaration condemning the practice, which the Christians had requested. All major schools of Islamic jurisprudence stipulate that a sane adult male must be put to death for abandoning Islam, though varying interpretations persist on whether females should be killed or merely imprisoned. Many Islamic states outlaw apostasy and seven list it as a capital offense. The writer is a research associate at Islamist Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum.
2008-08-08 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive