A YEAR OF CATALOGING VIOLENCE AND PROSECUTION: NEW FEATURES ON THE PERSECUTION TRACKER

On Blasphemy Day last year, we launched our Persecution Tracker [[link removed]] - which aims to be a comprehensive resource on legal prosecution and extralegal violence against blasphemers and apostates throughout the Islamic world and beyond. Now, one year later, we’ve tripled the covered cases and have added a new feature: Country Profiles [[link removed]].

A Year of Expansion

When we first launched our Persecution Tracker last year, we had a 100 cases profiled. This in itself was the product of extensive research by our team, but we knew it was only a start.

Since then, we have added more cases, while updating and expanding existing ones to ensure accuracy, and improving technical capabilities. We are proud to say that the Tracker is now a significantly more comprehensive resource since its initial launch, increasing the number of incidents we have covered by more than threefold.

Check them out here [[link removed]].

Country Profiles and Other Additions

To provide more context to the incidents of persecution the Tracker covers, today we launch our country profile pages [[link removed]]. These pages contain information about the blasphemy and apostasy laws of individual countries in the Muslim world, including their punishments and scope. Each profile also contains information about the history and development of their respective laws, as well as other relevant details, such as the status of respect for freedom of expression in the country.

In addition, those of you who have used the Tracker in the past may notice some small changes in its interface. Among multiple improvements, we have updated the functioning of the map tool in order to improve its ease of use.

We hope that the new profiles will provide a much-needed backdrop that can help readers understand not only what is happening to blasphemers, apostates, and religious minorities, but also the political and social context in which this persecution is taking place. Check them out here [[link removed]].

A Note on the Occasion

Blasphemy Day occurs every year on September 30th, and, just as it sounds, it is a day to celebrate—and demand—the universal human right to speak freely against religious doctrines. Our choice to mark it in this way, both this year and last, is a deliberate homage to all those who have had that right abrogated, sometimes fatally.

So, this Blasphemy Day, remember those who have lost their lives, freedoms, and livelihoods to fanatical violence or oppression, and spare thoughts for all those who remain jailed, imprisoned, or in fearful hiding because of their crimes of free expression. Celebrate it by criticizing a revered religious figure. And, if you want to help us continue to do the work we do, please consider donating to the cause, here [[link removed]].

P.S...

We’ve uploaded a new video that covers the key findings of our Apostate Report. Check it out! [[link removed]]

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