Apostasy : An Overview - The Maranatha Community

4. Concerns expressed in Parliament about Apostasy
4.1 A significant number of members of both Houses of Parliament have, either in Early Day
Motions, or in debates, expressed concern at human rights violations associated with
apostasy laws.
• Early Day Motion 1290, dated 22.05.2003, was signed by 93 MPs. It calls ‘for an end to
cruel traditional punishments for apostasy’.
• Early Day Motion 1886, dated 23.03.2006, was signed by 58 MPs. This motion expressed
grave concerns about the death sentence against the ‘apostate’ Abdul Rahman in
Afghanistan.
• Early Day Motion, 1741, dated 22.03.2006, signed by 38 MPs, urged the UK government to
seek an explanation from the Iranian authorities about the unexpected death of Mr
Dhabihu’llah Mahrami. Mr Mahrami, a Bahai’i, was accused of apostasy and imprisoned in
an Iranian jail at the time of his death.
4.2 The human rights implications of apostasy have been debated on many occasions in both
Houses of Parliament with a number of members of both houses expressing very serious
concern about this issue. In a debate in the House of Lords on 28.03.2006, a number of
peers expressed serious concerns about the case of Abdul Rahman. It was pointed out, that
Abdul Rahman is not an isolated case. The issue of religious freedom and apostasy was also
debated in the House of Lords on 07.07.2005.
4.3 In response to a written question by Bob Spink, MP, about the issue of apostasy, Mr.
Rammell, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office stated:
The Government condemns instances where individuals are persecuted because of their
faith or belief, wherever these happen and whatever the religion of the individual or group
concerned. We are concerned about the plight of apostates throughout the world including
those Muslims who are punished for choosing to convert to another faith. Both bilaterally
and with our EU partners we regularly raise specific cases of religious persecution with the
Governments concerned. Over the past year we have formally raised the treatment of
religious minorities with both the Pakistani and Bangladesh Governments. The Foreign and
Commonwealth Office's Panel on Religious Freedom, which brings together representatives
from all of the faith communities in the UK, has also discussed the issue of apostasy. (House
of Commons Hansard; 4 October 2004 : Column 1836W)
4.4 More recently, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee also expressed grave
concerns about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia regarding the death penalty for
apostasy. In an analysis of the possible roots of terrorism, the Committee expressed
concerns that religious text books, until recently, described communism, secularism and
capitalism essentially as ‘apostasy’. The Committee, however noted that Saudi Arabia is
considering to change this. 7
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