Maryam Namazie is an extremely unsavory character, an open Marxist and, even though an ex-Muslim, a viciously anti-Semitic retailer of “Palestinian” jihad propaganda against Israel. She also opposes genuine foes of jihad terror, spreading more Leftist and Islamic supremacist propaganda in denouncing me on spurious grounds as a “racist” and “bigot.” Nonetheless, even a broken clock is right twice a day, and Namazie is absolutely correct when she says that ex-Muslims live in fear of being murdered by Muslims.
Characteristically, however, Namazie offers an incorrect diagnosis of the problem: “They see us trouble-makers, deviants, apostates and blasphemers. There is nothing, nothing, more intolerant than religion.” Wrong yet again, Ms. Namazie. People leave Christianity and Judaism and other religions all the time, and don’t get threatened with death. Apostates fear death when they leave one religion, and one religion only. Which one? Here:
“They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.” (Qur’an 4:89)
A hadith depicts Muhammad saying: “Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him” (Bukhari 9.84.57). The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law according to all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence.
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.”
Qaradawi also once famously said: “If they had gotten rid of the apostasy punishment, Islam wouldn’t exist today.”
“Young Muslims who quit the faith ‘live in fear of violent revenge’: Support group says some have been warned they will be killed if they abandon their religion,” by Steve Doughty, Daily Mail, October 3, 2016:
Council of Ex-Muslims leader Maryam Namazie said ‘there is nothing more intolerant than religion’
Young Muslims who abandon their faith face violent retaliation and abuse from their families, a support group said yesterday.
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain said those born into the religion are often frightened of speaking out – and those that do are in danger of attack.
It said one former Muslim said she was warned by her mother that she would be killed if she said she no longer believed in Allah.
The concern over the risk of reprisals against apostates – those who renounce their religion – was made public at a time of deepening scrutiny of the behaviour of some Islamic communities and institutions.
The risks to Muslims who abandon their religion were set out by former believers and campaigners in an ITV documentary to be broadcast on October 13.
Council of Ex-Muslims leader Maryam Namazie told the makers of the film, Exposure: Islam’s Non-Believers: ‘They see us trouble-makers, deviants, apostates and blasphemers. There is nothing, nothing, more intolerant than religion.’
One former Muslim, who identified herself only as Sadia, told the documentary makers: ‘I remember saying to my mum, I don’t believe in God any more. And her saying, ‘you can’t tell anybody else because they’ll kill you, we are obliged to kill ex-Muslims’….

Louis says
When you leave a cult you are more likely to be killed by other cult members!!
Jay Boo says
If I were an ex-Muslim in the UK who was harassed with death threats, my tormentors would soon be made to live in fear of violent revenge.
Little known Koran Verse 666
“Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the … ”
Koranimal Murderers & Deceivers
Richie says
and yet people like Obama still insist Islam is a religion of peace
Just A Concerned Citizen says
Not too weeks ago I attended a symposium in the UK, and Namazie was one of the featured speakers. I may have been the only one in the room with a clue who she was outside of the scope of the discussions, and marveled at the thought of her and me in the same room at the same time (not that she presented much of a chance to ask questions, nor would the moderators have likely chosen my raised hand after I had discreetly brought it to their attention what kind of person she actually was).
In any case, I took it upon myself to at least position myself by the auditorium doors where I could keep an eye on the proceedings and anyone outside of the space. The security at the university was a joke, and it was clear that these folks had no idea just what kind of people Namazie had managed to piss off. Good people (exception being the individual at the podium), but no one there impressed me as a scrapper if adherents of the religion of peace decided to drop by unannounced.
I did leave a lengthy critique sheet at the end of the three day conference, and among other things, offered a few places to go and knowledgable people to talk to if they wanted someone with a little more credibility than Ms. Namazie.
sog says
As much as I get a kick out of flying to Jerusalem on a flying winged ass, I suspect the penalty against apostasy is one main reason we have 1.5 billion Muslims. The other being that dudes get to apply misogyny so that women pretty much spend much of their time in the Bedroom and the Kitchen, Allah forbid the library, or mingling their friends at a public cafe freely exchanging views.
BARBARA BROOKS says
Islam is not the only religion that often kills people who leave the religion. In India, both Hindus and Sikhs have been known to kill those who convert to another religion, and in Nepal, Buddhists have killed Christians. There are Muslims in many countries, and Islam has a written doctrine to kill apostates, making danger to apostates more widespread.
Please do not mislead your readers when converts to Christianity, particularly, face severe danger in India and Nepal.
ECAW says
Never heard of that. Could you provide some references please?
BARBARA BROOKS says
https://news.vice.com/article/christian-and-muslims-are-facing-more-and-more-persecution-by-hindu-extremists-in-india
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/hindu.extremists.threaten.to.kill.christians.in.india.if.they.utter.the.name.of.christ/63567.htm
ECAW says
Thanks.
Veka Fitzfrancis says
Having read both the Rig Veda and the Darma, I can personally attest to the fact that neither of those holy books call for the murder of apostates.What I know of Sikhism leads me to believe we would not find a divine call for murdering unbelievers in their faith as well. If people are killed for leaving their faith in those countries, and I am sure you can find one of two examples, it is not because of a divine mandate. That is what makes Islam so dangerous for those who leave it.
BARBARA BROOKS says
Regardless of what the Hindu sacred writings say, both Hindu religious leaders and family members have been known to kill people who leave Hinduism.
Mazo says
The British destroyed the Hindu Maratha Empire.
The British destroyed the Sikh Empire, the first non-Muslim state to rule the area of what is now modern day Pakistan ever since Mahmud of Ghazni stormed into the region.
The British Indian Army deliberately recruited Muslims from northwest regions (modern day Pakistan), way out of proportion to the majority Hindu population.
The British enacted affirmative action reservations for Muslims in government positions.
The British partitioned Bengal against the wishes of Hindus.
The British flooded the Rakhine Buddhist Arakan state with Rohingya Bengali Muslims. The Rakhines had lived in peace with Kamein Muslims and Burmese live in peace with Panthay Hui Muslims who both have Myanmar citizenship. Only the British introduced Rohingya illegals don’t have citizenship. They are tools of western imperialism.
The Dutch forced the Hindu Osing people on Java to convert to Islam and wiped Hinduism out from Java and made it a Muslim island.
The Dutch slaughtered Hindu Balinese when they invaded Bali.
The Dutch slaughtered the pagan men of the Banda islands out of greed for spices.
The British invaded Lhasa in 1904 and slaughtered thousands of Tibetans. The Tibetans were infuriated and the Tibetan Buddhist Lamas of Batang rose up in an anti foreign rebellion and slaughtered French Catholic Christian missionaries in response to the violation of their holy city of Lhasa. The 13th Dalai Lama sent soldiers to kill converts to Christianity out of fury at the British desecration of Lhasa. The Tibetans lashed out at the nearest white men who they could strike.
The Portuguese held the brutal Goan Inquisition directed against Hindus.
Native Christians like St Thomas Syriac Christians in Malabar predate western imperialism. They consist of Indians fromall castes including Brahmins who met St Thomas.
On the other hand, Catholic and Protestants in India are the result of brutal European colonialism against Indian Hindus. The converts to Catholicism and Protestanism in India are mainly low caste Dalit untouchables who were bribed by western missionaries during European colonial rule in India. Indians are targeting those missionaries from those two sects. They aren’t targeting St Thomas Syriac Christians.
The hostility of Hindus and Buddhists towards western imperialists is understandable.
BARBARA BROOKS says
The British partitioned India to try to prevent civil war between Hindus and Muslims, but did too little, too late. The whole Hindu empire was based on a horrific caste system and a system of inherited debt with usury keeping people in poverty. It needed to be dismantled! However, the British did not interfere with religious activities and festivals or social practices except things like burning widows or selling children into ritual prostitution. I don’t think the British Empire was ideal in many ways, but it was certainly better than the awful conditions preceding British rule. Christianity was brought in by many nations who had nothing to do with British rule, such as Germans, Dutch, Americans, Canadians etc. Christianity existed in India since AD 70 or so, but was repressed by Hindu forces so it was confined to a small area in the South. There were Christians throughout India in the second and third century according to some sources. Unfortunately, the Portuguese destroyed the ancient documents, although the tomb of St. Thomas remains. Christianity is a direct threat to the caste system, tribal leadership and poor treatment of women. Most missionaries were promoting social mobility, good hygiene and consideration for all members of society, democratic rule, rejecting bribes and usury, as well as religion. Of course some were bad, but many sacrificed their lives working among the poor and contracting horrible diseases. Today there is no British empire, yet Hindu nationalists oppose Christianity when there is no imperial element at all.
Mazo says
The British manipulated Muslims against the Hindus in India. Churchill hated the Indian race and insulted Hindus.
St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Christians adheeed to the caste system. They had Brahmins and other castes and observed them.
The Portuguese tried converting the Syriac Orthodox St Thomas Christians to Catholicism. The Portuguese destroyed the tooth of the Buddha ob Sri Lanka.
St Thomas Syriac Orthodox were found among Keralites and not other ethnicities because they did not expand and proselytize. Most north Indians never heard of them. Sourh India and North India were not united into one country. They were divided into seperate states.
Nabi says
Very good point. Personally I stress to naive types that India is as trenchant a problem as the Middle East–a hotbed of the most amazing bigots who manage to get embraced by well meaning Western fools taught to admire–even defer to–foreigners.
J says
I think Islam is the only 1, which says you must. Most religions follow a book that does not say you have too. I know punishment for apostates is death plan and simple. This is like saying your 1 of us leave you die simple your owned by us. Not free to choose when you wish but to be incarcerated into a religion whereby you must live it all of your days. Sorry but I don’t see why thee creator of the entire universe and all living beings would need such a law. Its only people who make these laws to control others.
I feel God is more likely to say hey man here I am follow me and I shall grant you many things and you shall be with me in my kingdom for all of eternity but if you want to do everything your way its fine but I cannot give you these things at least until you turn to me. I am here should you ever wish to turn to me.
In short God gives the CHOICE to every single person to turn to him and accept him OR not.
I am not a religious man but I am very certain if God wanted to strike a person down with a bolt of lighting or whatever else for not doing what he wants the person to do HE CAN. Yet doesn’t. So again its man who makes such laws not God.
People should be free to chose whatever faith, religion they want. At the end of the day what a person believes makes them who they are. Forcing them to follow what they don’t believe is simply wrong., and is a type of slavery.
Angemon says
Now I’m curious: are there any religious people in her group or is membership limited to muslims turned agnostics or atheists? Would muslims turned Christians be allowed?
ECAW says
I did have a look around her forum once and I don’t remember any but atheists. I would be interested to know whether there are any Muslims converted to Judaism.
Beagle says
It’s rather absurd for a Marxist to say “There is nothing more intolerant than religion.” After tens of millions were murdered last century alone in gulags, the Great Leap Forward, Year Zero, Juche, and so on, for being less than perfect Marxists according to their tormentors.
Mirren10 says
Excellent point, Beagle.
Of course, doctrinaire Marxists like Maryam Namazie will never admit that. They weren’t *real* communists, will no doubt be the excuse. Goodness, where have I heard that before ?
BARBARA BROOKS says
In all fairness to communists, the original communists theorists did not envision a state like the USSR. However, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan seem very much like what Muhammad and the Hadith promoted.
Dom107 says
Tolerance of the intolerant is ultimately impossible. We have reached that point with fundamentalist Islam
dumbledoresarmy says
It’s worth clicking on the original DM link.
They opened up the article to Comments. There were 2 pages’ worth of Comments, maybe a couple of hundred, mostly different people.
The vast majority were on exactly the same page as the average jihadwatch regular. They were all well aware of the ubiquity, centrality and continued application of the apostasy law in Islam. And all of the Islamocritical comments received plenty of upclicks indicating that there were substantial numbers of other people who agreed with them.
Here’s one:
Rufus McDufus, London, United Kingdom, 14 hours ago
“Well of course they do. The punishment for apostasy from Islam is death. That’s hardly a secret.”
“Tracy”, in Australia, made a very astute observation:
Tracey, Australia, 16 hours ago
“Wonder how many join not knowing that little tidbit of information?”
(Answer: probably, LOTS. – dda)
Two of the most interesting comments were from people who referred to ex-Muslim friends who had had to flee from country and/ or kin because of the apostasy law.
Here’s “Platypus” from Salford:
The_Platypus, Salford, 12 hours ago
“Nothing new here. A friend of mine who did just that was forced to move to Canada because his father and brother threatened ‘punish’ him over 20 years ago.”
And here’s another:
tinkerbelle, lalaland, United Kingdom, 12 hours ago
“I worked with a man who had to leave nigeria. He became a christian. His family were threatened with death. Bit like the borg from star trek. You will assimilate or you will die.”
What was clear from many of the comments is just how much of a ‘deal-breaker’ the apostasy law is for the average intelligent westerner, once they realize that a/ it is a central part of Islam and b/ it is *operative* and *active*, influencing the here-and-now behaviour of many, many Muslims not only in the dar al Islam but within the West (and, indeed, within any country that is majority non-Muslim but has a large Muslim colony).
I myself tend to bring up this point – the apostasy law – when explaining why I am opposed to Muslim immigration.
Praeceptor Maximus says
Islam is a deadly cancerous tumor that is growing rapidly to devour the world because of our corrupt and PC fanatic leaders. This has tragic consequences for both the western people and those in the Middle East who want to free themselves from bondage to an evil ideology. As for Maryam Namazie; she is a total mental case; that is she is a liar, a hypocrite, and a manipulator.
Redmond says
There should be a government program similar to the police protection act giving alternate/hidden identities for those who leave Islam.
Wakeup says
I have been saying this for years it is a no brainer.