Media confusion -apostasy is different for different faiths

[retroHelen]

Misleading articles in the British Media about our "harsh" attitude to people leaving our faith and a misleading view of what we believe apostates are could be due to the Muslim treatment of their idea of apostates. Muslims are more prominent in Britain and this topic is more commonly controversially spoken of in the context of their faith.

Muslims define apostates as people who convert from Islam to another faith usually Christianity, which abroad is treated as worthy of many very harsh punishments and death. There have been a few cases in Britain where murders in a Muslim community turned out to have been family 'honour killings' and some of the reasons were for apostasy.

Many Muslims we meet here deny death is a punishment for apostates. Some are more secular modern and liberal than others.Perhaps the fundimentalists also say this as they fear what we have been accused of - falling foul of the religious discrimination/hatred laws over it. However, perhaps, unlike us, they have not been legally challenged on it, as they are a more powerful voice here insisting on Sharia law in certain areas of cities where they live. However, apostasy's legal standing is gaining credence in Iran where the last public execution for apostasy was 1990, but may now start happening again: August 2011 = http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Two-Iranian-women-risk-death-for-apostasy-from-Islam-22376.html

Today = http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100107950/christian-pastor-youcef-nadarkhani-faces-death-for-apostasy-iranian-theocracy-in-action/

I know of persons in our region who were of a Muslim background and we must keep it secret and not reveal this to anyone as it may endanger them.