This young man is in serious danger. The death penalty for apostasy is part of 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.”
“Arrested after reporting attack on young family in Bangladesh,” Open Doors, December 4, 2023:
Akram and his family are Christians who’ve converted from Islam. They were recently victims of a violent attack – and, when Akram reported it, he was arrested himself.
When Akram* went to the police, it was to file a complaint against the neighbours who had violently attacked his wife and his young children – including his daughter Sephali*, who is only four years old. Instead, he ended up in prison himself.
Like many of Bangladesh’s small number of Christians, Akram and his family converted from a Muslim background. This enraged Akram’s extended family and his community, and they have faced continued persecution and pressure to renounce their faith. But they have remained strong in their faith, determinedly following Jesus.
Young children assaulted
A few weeks ago, his wife and young family were physically assaulted by Muslim neighbours in their community, a remote part of northern Bangladesh. They ended up being hospitalised, so severe was the beating. It’s shocking to see a child as young as Sephali caught up in this sort of violence. On the same day as the attack, Akram went to the police – he knew who the attackers were, since they all live in the same community. Some were even his relatives. But the police didn’t take any action against the persecutors.These same persecutors then retaliated: they filed two false accusations against Akram. He was accused of being involved with opposition political parties and undertaking anti-government activities, and he was also accused of forcibly converting Muslims to Christianity and slandering the prophet Muhammad. These are extremely serious crimes in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. False accusations are often used as a way of intimidating Christian communities, and getting police on the case of believers – though imprisonment is relatively rare.
A week after the violent attack, Akram was arrested at around 4pm from a local market. In the early hours of the next morning, he was sent to jail. He remains there at present….
*Names changed for security reasons
somehistory says
the poor man and his little family. He and his wife and children are not the first to be persecuted due to the hatred people have for Jesus and those who love Him and try to follow His commandments.
His “commandments are not burdensome,” but mozlums and others who hate do their utmost to make life so difficult that Christians give up on their faith and give in to the threats, the beatings, assaults, and death of loved ones.
Hopefully, and prayerfully, this young man and his family will stay strong in faith, knowing their Heavenly Father and His Son, love them and will see that they are rewarded for their faith and obedience.
This reward is not far off. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on as men, grow mighty,.”
“Be on guard; stand firm in your faith,. Act like men and be courageous; be strong.”
And be aware, as the Apostle Peter wrote, that there will be “mockers” maliciously asking, “Where is this promised presence of His?”
And the “world” will keep on ignoring the brutality, the evil, the maliciousness, of islam. This man’s extended “family” and the “community” are no different than the members of hamas, hezbollah, houthis, and the ghouls of iran.
Walter Sieruk says
In Bangladesh as well as in other Islamic countries there are many Muslims who strongly dislike Christians. Some Muslims even hate Christians so much that they even become violence against them and burn their Bibles. One reason for this is that in the mosques and madrasas the Muslim clerics, as the imams who speak many awful and unproven terrible things against Christians and Christian doctrine. So much so the many Muslims get all worked up against Christians and Christian teachings and some those Muslims commit violent actions against Christians. Such false religious teachers, as those Muslim clerics, who speak to people unfounded and invalid evil things about Christians and Christian doctrines have been described in the Bible. For the Bible informs the reader in Second Peter 2:12. “They speak evil of things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption.” [N.K.J.V.]
It also should be make clear that in this specific above Bible verse, as well as in John 3:16. The word “Perish” does not mean loss of being but loss of well-being. As in going to ruin by ending up in languishing in torment in a terrible place of suffering that the Bible calls hell. Luke 16:19-31.
Tony Rice says
Oh to be in Bangladesh now that jurisprudence is there .
Tery says
May their (Bangladesh Christians) faith not Fail….