Zara Kay finally made it out of the country, but it is noteworthy that even though Tanzania is not a Sharia state, it still persecuted her because of Sharia. “Unfortunately,” she said, “even in countries that claim to be secular, ex-Muslims remain at risk.”
This is because the death penalty for leaving Islam is taught by all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence. As a result, some Muslim officials the world over will be disposed to make trouble for people such as Zara Kay, whatever the law of the land may be, because the pious and devout consider Sharia to be above the law of the land.
In any case, Kay is fortunate to have made it out alive, since death is indeed the penalty for leaving Islam according to Islamic law. It’s based on the Qur’an: “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.”
“Australian ex-Muslim activist says she was bombarded with rape and death threats and ‘put through hell’ in Tanzania – as she finally makes it home after terrifying ordeal,” by Sahar Mourad, Daily Mail Australia, March 4, 2021:
An Australian ex-Muslim activist who was charged with blasphemy in Tanzania claims she received rape and death threats after she was arrested.
Zara Kay, who was born in the African country, was locked up in Dar es Salaam on December 28 for 32 hours where she was allegedly questioned as to why she left Islam.
Two months later on Thursday, Ms Kay finally arrived in Brisbane claiming that she was ‘put through hell’ trying to leave the country.
‘I have been put through hell since December 2020. I was arrested, detained and threatened with criminal proceedings for social media posts, for my activism and my human rights work,’ she said in a statement.
‘I was trapped in Tanzania because the police seized, then ”lost”, my Australian passport.
‘I received regular threats, including rape and death threats. The Tanzanian police and immigration officers tried to stop me leaving the country.’…
When Ms Kay was detained, her personal belongings, including her passport, were confiscated.
Officers grilled her about why she left Islam, as well as about a social media post she made about the nation’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic….
Ms Kay believes her treatment was because she renounced Islam, criticised her Islamic community Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Jamaat, and the ‘blasphemous’ content she posts.
‘Unfortunately, even in countries that claim to be secular, ex-Muslims remain at risk,’ she explained….
DavidR says
Always playing the numbers game. They have to always be rising so keep your regrets to yourself.
juleonly says
If it wasn’t for the Death penalties for criticism & apostasy Islam would have dies long ago. They must sense that.
SKA says
May these “reverts to humanity” ever increase in their numbers!
Fred van de Bunt says
In England they can just rape you long time. Authorities say then you belong as a lady to an underprivileged minority and just ignore your suffering. They call a country like that an democracy ruled by law?
In Germany, the authorities, or whatever these types call themselves, like to cover up the mass rapes that happened before the Cologne Cathedral.
In China though, they do something about it. And then those so called democracies with their fight for human rights all of a sudden cry foul?
Florette Small says
It’s that 9/11 Muslim mentality. They are fed Mother’s milk with it…they are raised with it…they spend their lives acting on it…and they will give their lives for it. If you are not Muslim or don’t act Muslim, it’s just fine and dandy to rape you, throw acid on you, torture you and kill you. What’s the answer to these people? I think decent people know the answer.
Chrissie01 says
O – U – T!!
would be the civilized answer and implemented with any means necessary.
James Lincoln says
My first thought was, what in the world was she doing in Tanzania?
“On a trip to visit family, Kay was arrested in Dar es Salaam on 28 December 2020”
Very dangerous place (see the State Department travel link), she never should’ve gone…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zara_Kay
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Tanzania.html
gravenimage says
Agreed, James. Australia was so much safer.
James Lincoln says
Zara Kay – what a brave woman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJiFW2XDbFI
Del says
Wonderful brave women. Please support if you are able so they can defend themselves from the violence of Islam.
tim gallagher says
It sounds as if she is lucky to have made it out alive. Plenty of Muslim countries would probably have killed her for her apostasy. I suppose visiting her family is important but I do find it foolish and risky when people get into these situations. I had not heard about this woman at all here in Australia. There has been another, far more well known Australian woman, who was thrown into prison in Iran and was in prison for over 2 years. Her name is Kylie Moore-Gilbert. She is an academic and was studying something in Iran and ended up in prison. She was held in solitary confinement in prison for a long time and, in a TV interview that Sky TV is showing tonight, said she was at the point of committing suicide during her time in prison. She is back in Australia. On the “Outsiders” program on Sky TV, Rita Panahi, a commentator with an Iranian background, made the point that, though she has family in Iran that she would like to see, that she expects never to see again, in Iran, unless the regime there falls apart, she thinks it is foolish to go to such countries. I keep thinking the same way. Avoid these Muslim countries like the plague. People keep ending up in prison in such countries.
Michael Copeland says
IF THEY TURN AWAY (Koran 4:89)
If they turn away,
Yes, if they turn away,
Then seize them and kill them
Wherever you find them.
Yes, if they turn away.
tim gallagher says
Thanks for that, Michael. Ah, yes, there is no doubt at all that islam is basically peaceful, Michael, when you see those types of quotes from the Koran. I used to send letters with half a dozen or so of those quotes from the Koran to some of our Australian politicians because I was sure that most of them knew nothing about Islam. I’m pretty sure that I first came across those quotes here at Jihad Watch or, maybe, in Robert Spencer’s book “Islam Unveiled” which I read back in 2001. I hope it might have woken a few of the politicians up, though probably the politicians would never have seen the letters as I guess that their office staff would have dealt with such correspondence. I did get replies back from some politicians so I hope the message did get through to them.
Walter Sieruk says
To Christians a a person they feel had committed blasphemy some of them would pray for him of her. At worst that person would be shunned
In drastic contrast if Muslims believe that someone had committed “blasphemy ” they viciously threaten different types of violence against that person. As in this case example of the news report.
The difference between the Christian and Muslim mindset is outstanding .
SKA says
What is striking about the generic Muslim response to so-called apostasy is how ego-centric it is: rather than being seemingly concerned about offending the dignity of the Divinity the act of repudiating the ideology is seen more as a personal insult or as an injury to the honor of the clan. “How dare you insult MY religion?!” Everything in Mohametanism seems to be an extension of Mahomet’s personal egoism and hypersensitivity.
Walter Sieruk says
Those Muslim men are some “real brave” guys maliciously threatening a young woman.
David M says
Good to see her now safe in my native Australia. Hope she doesn’t make the mistake of ever visiting Tanzania, she might not make it out if she does.
gravenimage says
Tanzania: Ex-Muslim activist charged with blasphemy, Muslims threaten to rape and kill her
……………..
Glad that Zara Kay was able to flee the country.
Note that Tanzania is only 36% Muslim–that they are enforcing Shari’ah law is appalling. But Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim, and has an ugly history of persecuting Infidels, including enslaving them.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Time to stop using the terms apostate and imam, and instead, deserter and commandant. This ideology wraps itself in religion to hide its military structures, intentions and all of the intended rules and consequences contained within such institutions.