Freedom of religion, apostasy and human rights : an appraisal

Abstract

The issue of apostasy is closely linked to the dispute over the shari'a as Islamists contend that under its rule an apostate should be killed. Consequently, they contend that as punishment of apostates is a religious duty, then article 18 of the UDHR which gives Muslims the right to change their religion, ie become apostates, is indeed not compatible with Islam. I would argue here that the religious foundations of this position are not as straightforward as it seems; that there is no clear cut rationale behind apostasy punishment, and that it may after all be in the interest of Muslims to endorse the principle of religious freedom as formulated in Article 18 of the UDHR.