Even though the question was to Mehrosh but as long as it's about Islam so i hope that you will not mind if i answered the question at hand.
Here in this thread we were discussing about "apostasy from Islam" and why the islamic state supposed to kill somebody who just changed his faith and what is the different between someone who work against islam or the one who just change his faith for personal reasons.
I noticed that everybody was trying to explain for the other the situation from his/her point of view but we forgot to introduce the basic aspects of this issue and it's root.
One of the famous misconceptions about Islam is that it was founded by a man called Mohammed before 1400 years a go neglecting the fact intentionally or unintentionally that the message of islam was revealed to Mohammed by the same God.
From the Quranic standpoint, Muslims, Christians, and Jews should have no difficulty agreeing that they all turn to the God of Abraham, despite their theological and ritual differences. Historical arguments between their faiths have never been over what name to call Abrahams God.
Now, with the concept of secular countries everything have changed and God's law is no more applied to people's life (if they believe that they really got thier old law from God).
To be short and direct to the point. We have to examine now whether the punishment for apostasy in islam is strange and totally new or not.
To discover that you just have to google it and you will find the first abrahamic belief ever believe in it (in the Torah). Despite the fact that they no more use thier law whether because of rabbies or any other reasons but it's there and God if he changed his mind (God forbid) because human beings changed thiers so he is not worthy to be God, because he fell in the preasure of human needs which he is much far from it's weakness because he is perfect.
This passage is from the Torah:
Deuteronomy13:6-10
If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which [is] as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; [Namely], of the gods of the people which [are] round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
So, the first thing we have to know is that this is not a new law whether we apply it in our life or not. (I didn't want to talk about other faiths because we are discussing about Islam but i just wanted to point out that it wasn't a new law but a normal law revealed by God to other prophets before Mohammed "peace be upon them all").
Now somehow i guess we are done with religious members in here but still there is more to come. (people who don't believe in God must go on to thier part now
).
Secondly, we have to know whether a secular "man made law" is better than God law or not.
Before that, we have to understand somthing in here before we go on, so when we judge somthing we will be so sure that we are fair in judging it.
I'll talk about myself a little bit just as an example. My first language is not english, it's only arabic and i have been studying in arabic, talking in arabic, living in a pure arabic community around me. How i gonna understand you if i can't speak english and people in here have no idea about my arabic language? think about it. For instance if you saw me doing somthing (wrong in your eyes) while i'm walking in the street and you were shocked that i did that thing but it was normal to me so how you gonna understand why i did that thing and on the other hand, how i gonna know why you are mad at me for doing so?
One of us must learn the language of the other one, i learnt english of course but in this case about Islam you don't have to learn islam but at least you have to know it's basic and it's values the same as you have your own values.
Therefore, we first must know these things:
- What is a muslim?
- The meaning of Ummah "community of Muslims".
- The Shariah "islamic law".
- The situation, opnions and circumstances about the issue at hand.
And more ....
After you know these basics, you will understand according to the islamic law why do they have such a law which condemn people who change thier faith.
I have hundereds of books in arabic in details about this issue and how scholars have different opnions about it in details and when we should apply it and when we shouldn't. Definitelty, no one will be able to understand it so i prefered to give you an example of a secualr country, let's say Canada and we will try to compare the islamic law and the law in this country for a better understanding for this topic.
You can't just jump and insult people for somthing which you can't understand but if you are really wise and you don't just want to put anyone's faith down with no reason so you have to know why they are doing it but before that to know, who are they? thier identity !!!
Here i have a link which have most of the ideas which i wanted to post in here (in english of course
) and i hope that you will read everything in that link while having your
so you can understand everything and compare and believe me, if you didn't read everything in that link so you will not understand.
You have 2 ways here:
1- To pick what you want and leave the rest (you will misunderstand this issue more and more and do what suit you).
2- To read everything with understanding (you will understand in this case why?, when?, what? and all the other questions in your mind if you are really trying to understand).
Sorry, i know i talked alot but it's only for the sake of the thread.
This is the link which provide almost materials and articles cobined together to be like
A to
Z about "apostasy from Islam" having Canada as example to compare the law.
http://muslim-canada.org/APOSNOFR.HTM
By finishing reading, i hope that 90% of your questions would be answered there whether you agree with it or not, but if you have more questions which the link didn't cover so i'll be glad to answer your questions if i can, otherwise any other member will do so.
I hope that you will enjoy reading ...
Peace ...