Report of Apostasy or “Riddah” murder in Australia

Posted on October 15, 2006

‘Girl’s conversion results in mother’s death’ October 13th – (ANS) A shocking killing on the east coast of Australia, in Queensland’s popular Gold Coast region, illuminates the great and urgent need for rigorous, open debate on what Western religious liberty means for Muslim immigrants, and what Islam’s rejection of apostasy means for Christians in terms of convert care.

Herald Sun – and The Australian Queensland – carried news stories regarding a devout Muslim woman who was attacked and stabbed to death, allegedly by her husband, after their 17-year old daughter announced she was embracing Christianity. Both newspapers reported well and asked some tough questions. It is up to you the reader to provide your own analogies and conclusions.

Link to The Herald Sun news story‘Islam row behind mum’s death’
Link to The Australian Queensland news story‘Mother killed after teen rejects Islam’

“A Muslim source told The Gold Coast Bulletin last night that Dr Hussain arrived a month ago to take up a position as a GP and prepare for his family to join him.

“‘From what we understand the daughter decided to tell her father of her radical plan to convert to Christianity which, in the eyes of most Muslims, is totally unacceptable and to be honest, sadly, many would react as he has done,’ said the source.

“‘It is the Islamic way that if a son or daughter does or plans to do something that is unacceptable or wrong for a Muslim then it is the mother who is automatically at fault and will bear the brunt of the blame.”‘ Source: Herald Sun

In defense of Religion of Islam and the Qur’an, Gold Coast imam Imraan Husain issued the following statement:

“There is no ritual killing in Islam …… In certain Third World countries they have honour killings, but it has nothing to do with Islam. If a girl chooses to become a Christian, that is her choice and there are no sharia killings in this country.”

(However) one Koran passage quotes Mohammed as saying “whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him”. However, Mr Husain said this was not meant to be read literally.

“If you only look at the surface reading, you can find contradictions in any book,” he said.

“If (Dr Hussain) did kill his wife then that is absolutely un-Islamic and he is regarded as a murderer in Islam.” Source: Australian Queensland

I did a little more looking into Apostasy and found the following information that appears to be in direct conflict with what imam Husain said:
Muhammadanism.org’s interpretation about Riddah or Apostasy

“… the statement of Allah’s Apostle,’Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.’”(Sahih al-Bukhari vol. 9, No. 57 p. 45)

Muhammadanism.org’s summary: In Shari’ah law, the penalty for a Muslim who departs from Islam is death. Quotations from Islamic legal sources are presented, so a person can read for himself the Islamic texts where capital punishment is prescribed as the appropriate punishment for the crime of apostasy. A Muslim’s fear of being rejected by family and society and possibly murdered is a deterrent against conversion from Islam. Source: Questions on Apostasy or Riddah

Bosun’s comments regarding the above:

After reading various passages of the Qur’an and other interpretations of Mohammad’s words, I walked away completely confused on what is acceptable in Islam. The imam Husain clouded the Apostasy issue by saying that the Qur’an and Mohammed’s words should not be taken literally. Saudi Arabia has laws against Apostasy and has very strict punishment for anyone stepping outside the faith. Imam Husain sidestepped Saudi Arabia’s laws which I believe are consistent to what was found at Muhammadanism.org.

Perhaps the doctor’s confusion regarding his faith and his fear of being rejected by his extended family members in Bangladesh and his Muslim society caused him to take the life of his wife and attempted murder of his daughter.

One has to wonder if the imam Husain committed blasphemy for saying that the practice of Riddah was taken out of context? Will some other imam take out a fatwa on Husain like Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini did on Salman Rushdie?

It is my humble opinion that Islam needs to go through a period of enlightenment so that followers of Islam will be able to accept the other religions and cultures and not feel compelled to conquer those religions and cultures. It appears to me that Islam is rooted in a 10th century mindset and has not yet adapted to the 21st century.

Until Islam achieves that period of enlightenment, we can expect to see honor killings and other acts of violence committed by those who interpret the the words of Mohammad literally. Perhaps for them there is no other way other than blind obedience and the sword.

There certainly appears to be a clash of cultures and civilizations,

Does the readership have any first hand knowledge on how Saudi Arabia deals with Riddah? I would like to see your comments. In addition, you may email me with additional off line information or comments.