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Urgent re Report of Afghanistan Apostasy Trial, March 23, 2006

Center for Islamic Pluralism On Report of Afghanistan Apostasy Trial

The Center for Islamic Pluralism opposes interpretations of Islamic law that criminalize an individual's change in religion, including the adoption of Christianity or another religion by Muslims. This issue has gained wide publicity because of reports that a court in Afghanistan may charge a man with apostasy, under a possible death sentence, for becoming a Christian.

The Center for Islamic Pluralism calls on the political and religious leadership in Afghanistan to exercise mercy and compassion in this case and to prevent any civil or sharia proceeding from being instituted against the individual in question.

At the same time, the Center for Islamic Pluralism affirms that Afghanistan is not a leading example of Islamic social development at this time. It is an impoverished and devastated country. Events transpiring there should not be taken by non-Muslims as representative of Islam as a whole or as evidence regarding the wisdom of U.S. policies in the Islamic world.

Further, the Center for Islamic Pluralism does not consider departure from Islam as a faith to be a solution to the problems of the Islamic world, or the world in general.

The Center finally affirms that issues of religious choice in many Muslim societies are extremely complex and will not be resolved easily. The aim of restoring Muslim pluralism is to encourage an extensive, authoritative, and serious debate on these issues.

Kemal Silay, President

Stephen Suleyman Schwartz, Executive Director

Imam Ahmed Subhy Mansour, Religious Consultant

Imam Khaleel Mohammed, Pacific Coast Region

M. Zuhdi Jasser, Southwest U.S. Region

Jalal Zuberi, Southeast U.S. Region

Salim Mansur, Canadian Region
Paul Nagy, CIP Webmaster

Photos: Stephen Schwartz

Center for Islamic Pluralism-Washington, DC

Urgent re Report of Afghanistan Apostasy Trial, March 23, 2006