Muhammad commanded: “Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him” (Bukhari 9.84.57). This is still the position of all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence, both Sunni and Shi’ite. Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the most renowned and prominent Muslim cleric in the world, has stated: “The Muslim jurists are unanimous that apostates must be punished, yet they differ as to determining the kind of punishment to be inflicted upon them. The majority of them, including the four main schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi`i, and Hanbali) as well as the other four schools of jurisprudence (the four Shiite schools of Az-Zaidiyyah, Al-Ithna-`ashriyyah, Al-Ja`fariyyah, and Az-Zaheriyyah) agree that apostates must be executed.” There is only disagreement over whether the law applies only to men, or to women also – some authorities hold that apostate women should not be killed, but only imprisoned in their houses until death. This father clearly believes that a female apostate should be killed.
“A Number of Christian Converts Arrested at Easter Service,” Mohabat News, April 28, 2014 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Iranian security authorities raided an Easter service in a house-church in southern Tehran, on Friday, April 18, arresting those in attendance.
According to Mohabat News, Human Rights news sources in Iran reported that five of those arrested in the raid are identified as Ehsan Sadeghi, Nazi and Maryam Asadi, Vahid Safi, and Amin Mazloomi.
These reports indicate that plain-clothes security authorities raided Ms. Asadi’s house, where a house-church service was being held. The Authorities were armed and carrying walkie-talkies. They terrified those in the house-church and began searching the house. They eventually transferred all in attendance to an unknown location using two white vans.
Neighbors of Ms. Asadi said that the security authorities were very disrespectful to those in the house-church as well as to the neighbors. They also went on the roof top of the apartment building and broke satellite dishes belonging to other residents of the building.
There are no details available regarding these detainees’ whereabouts currently and efforts of their families to find out about their situation have not been effective.
A large group of Iranian Christians with Islamic backgrounds have been arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms in recent years. Numerous Farsi-speaking official Churches have been closed down and banned from any religious activities as well.
Last month, Ahmad Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, released an extensive report on Human Rights violations in Iran. In that report he had warned that Human Rights and basic freedoms of Iranian citizens are widely violated on a regular basis.
Mr. Shaheed also expresses serious concerns over the persecution of Christians who have converted from Islam along with Baha’is, Dervishes and Sunni Muslims.
The European Parliament released a resolution on Iran criticizing the country for discriminating on the basis of ethnicity, gender and religion, including against Baha’is and Christians.