By Ibn Warraq

within the West forsaking one's faith (apostasy) could be a tough, emotional choice, which occasionally has social repercussions. notwithstanding, in culturally various societies the place there's a mix of ethnic teams and diverse philosophies of lifestyles, most folk glance upon such shifts in highbrow allegiance as an issue of private selection and person correct. against this, in Islam apostasy continues to be seen as a nearly unthinkable act, and in orthodox circles it's thought of a criminal offense punishable via loss of life. well known pupil of Islamic stories Bernard Lewis defined the seriousness of leaving the Islamic religion within the following dire phrases: "Apostasy used to be against the law in addition to a sin, and the apostate used to be damned either during this international and the following. His crime was once treason ù desertion and betrayal of the neighborhood to which he belonged, and to which he owed loyalty; his existence and estate have been forfeit. He used to be a lifeless limb to be excised."

Defying the loss of life penalty acceptable to all apostates in Islam, the ex-Muslims who're the following represented think it's their responsibility to talk up opposed to their former religion, to inform the reality concerning the quickest starting to be faith on the earth. those former Muslims, from all components of the Islamic international, recount how they slowly got here to gain that the faith into which they have been born used to be in lots of respects unimaginable and occasionally even dangerous.

These memoirs of private trips to enlightenment and highbrow freedom make for relocating analyzing and are a brave sign to different ex-Muslims to come back out of the closet.

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