Explore This Week's Dispatch

This week's Unbelief Brief looks at an attack on secularism in India, how a Pakistani cleric gets a taste of his own medicine and examines yet another police killing of a suspected blasphemer in Pakistan.

EXMNA Insights covers the importance of recognizing International Blasphemy Day for ex-Muslims.

The Unbelief Brief

India is reminding us once again that Islamic countries are not the only places with budding would-be theocracies—an issue that has become increasingly more common through the years. RN Ravi, governor of the state of Tamil Nadu, has flatly stated that India has “no need” for secularism. While these remarks have proven controversial and been met with backlash, they are a reminder of the very strong Hindu nationalist movement inculcated under Prime Minister Modi which has been fervently trying to impose its own mirror image of Islamic theocracy on the country. 

In neighboring Pakistan, meanwhile, one cleric who has enthusiastically expressed his support for the execution of blasphemers—even when the suspected blasphemer apologizes—has discovered that theocracy can place the shoe on the other foot. After remarking that the Prophet was illiterate, did not actually write the Qur’an himself, and relied on others to write it for him, leading to imperfections (!) such as grammatical mistakes, Mufti Tariq Masood has been forced into hiding. He has since apologized; presumably, his old stance on what should be done with blasphemers does not apply in this special instance. One does wonder how such an apparently well-educated man came to the conclusion that it was okay to suggest that the infallible, incorruptible Qur’an contains flaws of any kind. All the best to the beleaguered cleric…

Finally, yet another blasphemy killing in Pakistan—but this one is noteworthy in that the state is taking a modicum of responsibility for its injustice, especially considering it was perpetrated by police officers, the second such incident in a week. The state has even made clear that the family of the victim, a doctor by the name of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar, may file charges against the officers responsible for his death. Prior to the family leveling the accusation of murder against the police, later confirmed as truthful by authorities, police had concocted a story of a “shootout” in order to cover it up. Perhaps owing to the overt and offensive abuse of power laying the injustice bare, protestors numbering in the thousands have taken to the streets to demand justice for the doctor. We join those calls and reiterate that justice for every single victim of Islamic countries’ barbaric blasphemy laws is imperative.

EXMNA Insights

Yesterday marked International Blasphemy Day. In countries with harsh penalties for religious critique, anti-blasphemy laws are dangerous and oppressive tools used against dissenters like ex-Muslims. These laws reveal an insecurity within religious authorities who treat any criticism as a direct threat to their dominance. In countries like Pakistan, where blasphemy is punishable by death, individuals like Asia Bibi have spent years facing the prospect of execution for alleged offenses, often based on weak or fabricated evidence. Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are also infamous for being misused to settle personal scores or silence minorities, a natural consequence of implementing criminal charges on such arbitrary offenses. 

Iran is another prime example of extreme blasphemy punishments, where in 2023, two men were executed for running online accounts promoting atheism. Their crime? Daring to challenge the state's religious narrative. This trend extends to Saudi Arabia, where blasphemy is often treated as apostasy, with death as a possible sentence for those who question or criticize Islam.

Even in Indonesia, where democracy is more robust, blasphemy laws are used to stifle dissent. In one instance, a high school religious teacher was sentenced to prison for merely whistling during prayers, considered a deviant act by local authorities. Similarly, Malaysia enforces strict penalties for those who diverge from the official religious doctrine, with punishments including caning and imprisonment for so-called "deviant" beliefs.

Blasphemy laws are not about protecting religious sensibilities—they are about maintaining religious and political control. When a religion needs laws to punish dissenters with fines, imprisonment, or death, it speaks volumes about its fragility. These inhumane laws create a climate of fear, silencing not just critics but also those who might consider thinking differently. They crush any possibility of pluralism or diversity of thought, essential ingredients for a vibrant, just society. Instead of fostering dialogue, they criminalize ideas, turning religion into an untouchable institution that cannot be questioned, let alone reformed. The global community must urgently call for the abolition of these archaic laws to protect human rights and ensure freedom of thought.

Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) stands firmly against these oppressive laws, advocating for the right to religious dissent. EXMNA supports the freedom to critique, question, and even mock religion, viewing it as essential to human rights and freedom of expression. Religious beliefs, like any other ideology, should be open to scrutiny, and EXMNA fights to protect that right for all​.

Persecution Tracker Updates

Read our full entry on the police killing of Dr. Shah Nawaz Kumbhar here. Also: another “arrested for insulting the Prophet” case has been logged in Pakistan here—this one directed against a former employee of the Pakistan Senate.

Until next week,

The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America

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