NYC bus ads asking 'Leaving Islam?' cause a stir

[Parashuram1]

Gentlemen, there is hardly anything that says anything offensive against your faith here. It is just asking those people who are wanting to become something else. Now how many sites are there that offer people to become a Muslim? Perhaps hundreds or even thousands.

People all over the world are of different mindsets. Some are not comfortable in their faith, some become atheists, some become something else. Why is this being shown as offensive? In fact if you see it, some words written on it are taken negatively by you just because it is in United States. If someone is associating this with death threats or punishments, then you must know about the numerous such incidents that happen in the name of faith.

Who gets the bad name? Your community, not that one particular man. So why want to keep someone against their will? There are so many who become a part of your community as well, so why not let those who aren't comfortable with your faith, something else that they desire to be? After all, it is a personal choice isn't it?

 

[sparklingway]

A person who was born to Muslim parents and than left Islam is also considered an apostasy (murtid) and his punishment according to the scholars is what is for a 'murtid'. But again, there is no specific mention of the punishment in Quran or Hadith. There are warnings of course, but no categorically mentioned punishments.

Ghamidi's interpretation on this issue is different to most others. Of course his interpretations on many issues are different and he's been labeled as a non believer himself. But as you said, there's no absolute consensus on this issue.

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[gambit]

Gentlemen, there is hardly anything that says anything offensive against your faith here. It is just asking those people who are wanting to become something else. Now how many sites are there that offer people to become a Muslim? Perhaps hundreds or even thousands.

People all over the world are of different mindsets. Some are not comfortable in their faith, some become atheists, some become something else. Why is this being shown as offensive? In fact if you see it, some words written on it are taken negatively by you just because it is in United States. If someone is associating this with death threats or punishments, then you must know about the numerous such incidents that happen in the name of faith.

Who gets the bad name? Your community, not that one particular man. So why want to keep someone against their will? There are so many who become a part of your community as well, so why not let those who aren't comfortable with your faith, something else that they desire to be? After all, it is a personal choice isn't it?

It is about numbers. Nothing more to it. It matter little if the person is a nominal muslim in outward appearance and practice but an apostate in his heart, as long as he can be deterred from making a public renunciation of faith, that is all that matter.

 

[SekrutYakhni]

There is no punishment whatsoever. If someone wants to leave Islam, it is their decision. This ad is not offensive at all considering the type of Muslims we have today.

The concept of tableeq nowadays cannot be justified; be it in Raiwand, Lahore or the U.S. Actions are greater than words so we have to attract people by our actions not by the words. Now coming back to the topic, do whatever you want, pray whoever you want and think whatever you want. If you are ready for the consequences after this life (maybe/ God knows the best) than no one has the right to give fatwa against you.

 

[Patriot]

Big deal.There are Jamatis everywhere trying to convert nonmuslims into Muslims..so whats the big deal about this - specially in a non muslim countrY?

 

[billi]

A person who was born to Muslim parents and than left Islam is also considered an apostasy (murtid) and his punishment according to the scholars is what is for a 'murtid'. But again, there is no specific mention of the punishment in Quran or Hadith. There are warnings of course, but no categorically mentioned punishments.

fair enough.. but I have a question.. if a person leaves islm and ,say, becomes christian, how can islam punish a non-muslim? I think there must be some other explanation, but i think it may be a matter of interpretation

 

[Kikki]

fair enough.. but I have a question.. if a person leaves islm and ,say, becomes christian, how can islam punish a non-muslim? I think there must be some other explanation, but i think it may be a matter of interpretation

good question. any answer to this?

 

[Unbeliever]

There actually have been Atheist buses all over the West calling for people to think about leaving Religion behind altogether Link.

So this general development is not targeting Islam specifically. Secular people have become more outspoken and grown in numbers all over the West (and probably the all over the world, mainly thanks to the Internet). Welcome to the 21st century.

However, Islam is the only religion that calls for killing people who leave the faith and has some of its followers actually acting upon it, some Muslim countries even institutionalize this ultimate religious intolerance into laws. That is why Muslims wanting to leave the faith (and there are more every day in the west and other places - where they actually have that choice) might need special counseling and help, even protection. There have been many cases here in Germany and all over Europe where Muslim who choose to leave their faith behind have been persecuted and even violently attacked by family members and other Muslims clinging to this archaic and barbaric law on Apostasy in the Qua'ran.

To the Muslim here my Question would be this, If Islam is "the one true religion" and Allah is all-powerful, why is it necessary to threaten people with death (executed by other humans) in case they choose - of their own free will - to leave the faith behind for another or no faith at all?

 

[Kikki]

In India Muslims can convert to other reel. People typically do it when they marry because thre are personal laws that differ based on religion. But it's news to me that convert out means go out of this world. I am sure that may not be the case otherwise it may seem to draconian

 

[jdme]

Not a big deal. Only in few Muslim countries changing your religion can be punishable by law (moving from Islam to other religion). All other countries allow people to freely proselytize and convert.

 

[Kikki]

Not a big deal. Only in few Muslim countries changing your religion can be punishable by law (moving from Islam to other religion). All other countries allow people to freely proselytize and convert.

So is the death penalty a rule of law or is it a rule of Islam?

 

[Unbeliever]

So is the death penalty a rule of law or is it a rule of Islam?

Mainly a rule of Islam, but it some countries Sharia IS the law.. So it really depends on the country you are taking about if it is both..

 

[Break the Silence]

What happen, if there will be no religion???

 

[jdme]

What happen, if there will be no religion???

Dream on! We fear death so much that we will find some kind of belief system to comfort us.

 

[Unbeliever]

What happen, if there will be no religion???

Well, no one knows

But I wager it will be a more equal (especially between men and women), definitely more fun (because Religions are not known for their good sense of humor), smarter (no evolution denial..) and all in all happier place.

There will most likely still be wars, crime and injustice, because Religion is only ONE of many reasons for these darker sides of humanity, but it will be less easy to justify wars and the oppression of women.
Many People might also feel freed by the sense that they actually have agency over their lives, and are not subject to the wimps of some vengeful sky-daddy.


It is not even necessary for that to happen that there is "no religion" and I think that will never happen, but people should not take their religion too seriously and limit it to a sense of private, non-political, spirituality. The believe in "a God" is not necessarily harmful in itself, but to claim to know what this God wants us to do, how to behave and to feel that one personally should spread those ideas, that is where the trouble begins...