Turkey Will Allow Muslims to Leave the Religion of Peace....

Here's some advice to those considering leaving Islam, "Run Forrest, Run!....

Ankara, Apr. 15, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Turkey’s Office of Religious Affairs has announced that Muslims may forsake Islam for another religion.

The decision sets up a conflict between Turkey's government, which asserts a strong secular identity, and the Islamic religion, which teaches that apostasy is punishable by death.

The Turkish government has been trying to achieve a delicate balance between the demands for greater religious freedom-- especially in light of the country's application for membership in the European Union-- and the rising sympathy for militant Islam among the country's people.

ZIP

Comments

[Elric66]

Rising sympathy for jihadists? Scary

[Harry Schell]

Good on you, Turkey. Press on!

[Merrimac]

I don't think this means much. Turkey's desperate to get into the EU, so their government, which has been criticized by the EU for failing to protect human rights (it's a Moslem country, after all!) is just putting this up to placate the EU. It was Muhammad who said, "Whoever changes his deen (islamic religion), then kill him" with the understand being that the onus for carrying out the killing is on each and every Moslem. That's why you see news items about families threatening to kill their relatives who leave Islam. There doesn't actually have to be any Moslem nation passing a law calling for death for apostates because they know it will be carried out "en famille". I'd be more impressed if the Turkish government said it would prosecute anyone killing an apostate.

If Turkey wants to remain secular it'll need to stay out of the EU. Otherwise, the EU will force it to kowtow to militant Koranism.

[atheling]

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it.