Morocco, Morocco

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Morocco: No more death penalty for leaving Islam

Islamic scholars in Morocco revoke 2012 fatwa

By Henrik Ertner Rasmussen

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Image: Many tourists visit Morocco, where conditions for Christians have improved (Image: Giggel)

On February 10, 2014 we wrote  about a Moroccan convert who had a harsh prison sentence and fine overturned: "In 2012, Morocco's Ulema (Council of Islamic Scholars) issued a fatwa stating that all converts from Islam should be executed. So far, the fatwa has not been followed up." A fatwa is an official statement of the correct interpretation of Islamic law on certain issues.

Fatwa lifted

This fatwa was recently revoked by the same council of religious scholars! Morocco's official penal code already has no provision for the death penalty, but until recently, religious scholars and secular lawmakers did not agree on how to punish a Moroccan Muslim who wanted to convert to Christianity, for example, writes Barnabas Fund.

Conversion is not necessarily treason against your country

The "Supreme Scientific Council" of Muslim scholars in Morocco, according to their statements to the Moroccan press, justifies the change by saying that in our modern times you have to take into account factors that did not exist when Islam as a religion emerged. You have to look at the context. When Muhammad succeeded in uniting the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula under the banner of Islam, "ridda" (the term for apostasy from Islam) was more of a politically motivated rebellion or betrayal of state power. When Muhammad died, several tribal chiefs considered their oath of allegiance to him to have expired because it was made to him personally, and it was considered void upon his death. However, Muhammad's first caliph (successor), Abu Bakr, did not share this view and a period of war called the 'wars of apostasy' began. It ended with the tribes that had rebelled having to bow down and choose exile or submission if they did not want to be killed.

Choosing faith is a personal matter

Morocco's most senior religious scholars now believe that you can be faithful to your country and government without necessarily being a Muslim, even if you have personally and actively rejected Islam. They recognize that faith is a personal matter between the individual and God and should not be interfered with by the authorities. They rely on some statements and actions - or lack of actions - according to some accounts of what Muhammad said and did in different situations, which according to scholars show that "religious apostasy" is not necessarily the same as "political apostasy." For example, the Prophet allegedly failed to do anything about it when a Bedouin came to him to cancel his profession of faith in Islam. He was allowed to return to his tribe in peace.

Morocco is an example to follow

This revocation of a previous fatwa is remarkable and one can only encourage scholars throughout the Muslim world to follow the example of Morocco. It seems absurd that when a convert from Islam to Christianity says that he or she loves his or her country (Iran, Egypt or whatever Muslim country) and will defend it and if necessary sacrifice his or her life for it, that he or she should be sentenced to death as if he or she were a traitor. I myself know examples of Christians from Muslim backgrounds who say that they actually feel a greater commitment to their country than before they became Christians.

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