The Plight of Ex-Muslims with Waleed Al-Husseini

Image Credit: Waleed Al-Husseini.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: In the light of outspoken ex-Muslims being silenced, imprisoned, tortured, driven into exile, or murdered (not simply killed) by theocrats or the state or religious fundamentalist vigilantes, how do we support and protect them?

Waleed Al-Husseini: To support us there are many ways, listening to us, see our suffering in our country, and don’t talk about Islamophobia, you see what happens to us, and we still fight and try to have our rights!

Let us talk about Islam more and more and when we talk about some issues don’t say its rare! Because this is the way of thinking for the whole of the society, we need to talk about Islam and the crisis of Islam to make it accept us, supporting it, let’s us do without labelling, all the religions were under criticism, why not Islam?

Today, all the non-believer’s organization should support us with speaking about us and show our fight and support us within the UN and the governments by asking to stop blasphemy laws in Arabic and Islamic countries.

We need a huge collective to stop blasphemy laws, hope they will listen and try it!

Jacobsen: What laws and rights — such as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating freedom of religion, freedom of belief, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression (not simply freedom of speech) — protect ex-Muslims apart from solidarity from the international community.

Al-Husseini: No, they’re not real laws for ex-Muslims, they talk about us in general; we need some laws like this. Because we lose our lives, we should have clear laws for ex-Muslims!

Jacobsen: What are some of the newer ex-Muslim organizations that need support, donations, skills, professional and activist networks, and coordination and cooperation of other non-religious organizations? The new ones without adequate resources.

Al-Husseini: We have some, and as you know this type of organization was started by Facebook, then when they have the members they make it and register it, that is the way, but until now we have many, and we try to make collectives for all of us. One day we will succeed.

Jacobsen: What have been some noteworthy news items about the ex-Muslim population — globally speaking — over the last 4–12 months?

Al-Husseini: We made one conference with ex-Muslims Norway. We speak about our stories and then about the dangers of Islamism in Europe!

It was a good one, especially the European situation that really is dangerous. We should find an effective way to fight Islamism, because of Islamization of society in the works!

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Waleed

Image Credit: Waleed Al-Husseini.

Humanist Voices

Official Secular-Humanist publication by Humanist Voices

Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Written by

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Founder of In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal and In-Sight Publishing. Jacobsen supports science and human rights.

Humanist Voices

Official Secular-Humanist publication by Humanist Voices

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