Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide

by Paul Marshall

  57. “Journalists Under Attack in the North,” Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 11, 2007, http://www.iwpr.net/?p=arr&s=f&o=341348&apc_state=henh; “Afghan journalists seek release of colleague,” Reuters, January 12, 2008, http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKSP33543520080112.

  58. Amir Shah, “Afghan Journalist Sentenced to Death for Distributing Paper ‘Against Islam,’” AP, January 22, 2008, http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080122-1125-afghan-journalist-deathpenalty.html.

  59. “Afghan ‘Blasphemy’ Death Sentence,” BBC News, January 23, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7204341.stm.

  60 Kim Sengupta, “Lifeline for Pervez: Afghan Senate Withdraws Demand for Death Sentence,” Independent (U.K.), February 2, 2008, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/lifeline-for-pervez-afghan-senate-withdraws-demand-for-death-sentence-777188.html; Jerome Starkey, “Afghan Government Official Says That Student Will Not Be Executed,” Independent (U.K.), February 6, 2008, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-government-official-says-that-student-will-not-be-executed-778686.html.

  61. “Afghan Journalist Charged with Insulting Islam Appeals Death Sentence,” Fox News, May 18, 2008, http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/site/article/afghan-journalist-charged-with-insulting-islam-appeals-death-sentence/; Jean MacKenzie, “Saving Parwez Kambakhsh,” Institute for War & Peace Reporting, June 16, 2008, http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=hen&s=o&o=p=arr&s=f&o=345224.

  62. “Kambakhsh to Fight On,” Institute for War & Peace Reporting, October 23, 2008, http://www.iwpr.net/?p=arr&s=f&o=347301&apc_state=henparr.

  63. Kim Sengupta. “Clerics and Hardliners Vent Their Fury at Pervez Release,” The Independent, September 8, 2009, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/clerics-and-hardliners-vent-their-fury-at-pervez-release-1783406.html; “‘Blasphemy’ Journalist Released from Jail,” The Herald Sun, September 8, 2009, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/blasphemy-journalist-released-from-jail/story-e6frf7k6-1225770420956.

  64. Hafizullah Gardesh, “Koran Translation Provokes Controversy,” Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 6, 2007, http://www.iwpr.net/?p=arr&s=f&o=341229&apc_state=heniarr2007; “Koran translation angers Afghans, publisher arrested,” Reuters, November 5, 2007, http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL15790820071105.

  65. Hafizullah Gardesh, “Koran Translation Provokes Controversy,” Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 6, 2007, http://www.iwpr.net/?p=arr&s=f&o=341229&apc_state=heniarr2007.

  66. “20 Years’ Jail for Errors in Koran Translation,” AFP, September 13, 2008, http://www.afghanistannewscenter.com/news/2008/september/sep132008.html#14.

  67. “Student’s Long Blasphemy Term Upheld in Afghanistan,” International Herald Tribune, March 12, 2009, http://article.wn.com/view/2009/03/12/Students_long_blasphemy_erm_upheld_in_Afghanistan/.

  68. “Afghan Editor Arrested for Alleged Blasphemy,” AFP, January 14, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gzM1w-_aLYhmM2GTgfuG7P8QCB5Q; “Why the Payman Daily Was Closed?” Kabul Press, February 7, 2009, http://www.kabulpress.org/my/spip.php?article2964.

  69. “ Payman Daily Staff Arrest by Attorney General’s Office,” Media Watch Report, January 2009, http://www.nai.org.af/IMG/pdf/Media_watch_News_Letter_44_English_Version.pdf.

  70. In other incidents, at a loya jirga, Abdul Nasim criticized interpretations of Islamic rules that suggested that women are weak-minded and was warned, “you’re against sharia, you’re like Salman Rushdie,” and government officials said they could not protect him; see Elizabeth Rubin, “Kabul Dispatch,” The New Republic Online, July 8, 2002, http://www.afghanistan-newscenter.com/news/2001/november/nov22f2001.html. On the 2004 case of Abdul Latif Pedram, condemned by Shinwari for defending equal rights for women, see “Afghan Supreme Court Calls for Disqualification of Presidential Candidate over Alleged Blasphemy,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 2, 2004; Amy Waldman, “Poetic Justice for an Afghan Gadfly: He’s on the Ballot,” New York Times, October 2, 2004, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/02/international/asia/02fprofile.html?fta=y.

  Chapter 7

  1. “Journalists Escape Prison over Jokes,” New York Times, January 16, 2007, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805EED81030F935A25752C0A9619C8B63; “Editor and Reporter Receive Three-year Suspended Sentences; Newspaper Ordered Closed for Two Months,” Reporters Without Borders, January 16, 2007, http://www.rsf.org/Three-year-suspended-sentences-for.html.

  2. Barbara G. Baker, “Young Muslims in Turkey Murder Three Christians,” Christianity Today, April 20, 2007, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/aprilweb-only/116-52.0.html, and “Slain Evangelists Were Tortured, Say Doctor,” Hürriyet, April 21, 2007, http://arama.hurriyet.com.tr/arsivnews.aspx?id=-604288; “Turks in Christian Murder Trial,” BBC News, November 23, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7108607.stm.

  3. “Turkish Court Seeks to Link Murder of Christians to Plan to Destabilize Government,” Compass Direct News, December 29, 2009, http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/turkey/13084/.

  4. Carolyn Wendell, The Right to Offend, Shock or Disturb: A Guide to Evolution of Insult Laws in 2007 and 2008 (World Press Freedom Committee, 2009), 127. http://www.ifex.org/internatonal/2009/09/09/insult_laws/.

  5.Official Journal of the Algerian Republic 12 (March 1, 2006). See analysis by the Grouping in Defense of Believers of a Faith Other Than Islam in Algeria, April 20, 2006, http://collectifalgerie.free.fr/english/Comment_gb.htm.

  6. “Algeria: Why Authorities Have Begun Clamping Down on Christians,” Compass Direct News, May 27, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5391&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Algeria&rowcur=0.

  7. Ibid.

  8. “Accuser in Blasphemy Case Linked to Islamists,” Compass Direct News, July 18, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5477&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Algeria&rowcur=0.

  9. “Religious Rights Abuses Criticized at UN,” Compass Direct News, April 16, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5334&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Algeria&rowcur=0.

  10. “Official Orders Closure of 19 Protestant Congregations,” Compass Direct News, March 28, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5311&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Algeria&rowcur=0.

  11. “Algeria: Crackdown on Churches,” Compass Direct News, March 18, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5290&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Algeria&rowcur=0.

  12. “Algerian Court Pressures Woman to Renounce Christ,” Compass Direct News, May 23, 2008, http://www.onenewsnow.com/Persecution/Default.aspx?id=123352.

  13. Ibid.; “Une offensive antichrétienne en algérie,” Le Figaro International, June 27, 2008, http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2008/05/21/01003-20080521ARTFIG00017-uneoffensive-antichretienneen-algerie.php.

  14. “L’affaire Habiba Kouider fait polémique,” Radio France Internationale, May 28, 2008; see also “Algeria,” International Religious Freedom Report 2009, U.S. State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127344.htm.

  15. “Accuser in Blasphemy Case Linked to Islamists.”

  16. “Prayer Request: Update on Algerian Christians Attend Appeal Hearing,” Middle East Concern, November 6, 2008, http://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1489&news_id=55505&cat_id=434.

  17. “Algerian Muslims Block Christmas Service,” Compass Direct News, December 31, 2009, http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/13314/13393/.

  18. On conversion to Shiism, see Israel Elad-Altman, “The Sunni-Shia Conversion Controversy,” in Current Trends in Islamist Ideology 5 (2007): 1–10, especially 2–3.

  19. “Anouar Ben Malek Stirs Co
ntroversy with ‘Oh Maria.’ ” The Algeria Channel, September 23, 2006, http://www.algeria.com/forums/literature-film-litt-rature-cin-ma/16835-anouar-benmalek-stirs-controversy-oh-maria.html.

  20. Barry Rubin, “Islamists Are Playing for All of the Marbles,” The Hudson Institute, February 6, 2009, http://www.hudsonny.org/2009/02/islamists-are-playing-for-all-of-the-marbles.php.

  21. “Update on Zena, Iraqi Believer in Jordan,” Middle East Concern, April 12, 2005.

  22. “Jordan,” International Religious Freedom Report 2007, U.S. State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90213.htm.

  23. “Court Annuls Christian Convert’s Marriage,” Compass Direct News, June 9, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5420&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Jordan&rowcur=0. The State Department report mentions other cases but notes that they cannot be verified; see “Jordan,” International Religious Freedom Report 2007.

  24. Wendell, The Right to Offend, Shock or Disturb, 137.

  25. “Jordan,” International Religious Freedom Report 2007.

  26. “Jordanian Newspaper Editor Slams AFP over Handling of Muhammad Cartoons Story,” Press Gazette, June 2, 2008, http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=41294§ioncode=1.

  27. Shafika Mattar, “Jordan Arrests Poet Accused of Insulting Islam,” Associated Press (henceforth AP), October 21, 2009, http://www.theinsider.com/news/1279278_Jordan_arrests_poet_accused_of_insulting_Islam.

  28. Suha Malkawi, “Poet Accused of Being Enemy of Islam,” The National, October 6, 2008, http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/FOREIGN/619470860&SearchID=73383472238547; “Jordan Court Decides to Jail Poet for Slandering Islam,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur, June 22, 2009, http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1485020.php/Jordan_court_decides_to_jail_poet_for_slandering_Islam.

  29. “Jordan Court to Rule on Cartoon Case,” The National, May 30, 2008, http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080529/FOREIGN/715595686/1011/SPORT&Profile=1011; “Jordan Charges Dutch Politician with Blasphemy,” Reuters, June 1, 2008, http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL015190420080701.

  30. “Danish Editors Face Trial in Jordan,” The Copenhagen Post, June 3, 2008; “Netherlands Concerned on Jordan Arrest Warrant for Wilders,” Europe News, June 20, 2008, http://www.nisnews.nl/public/210608_3.htm; “Jordan Court Wants Wilders Arrested,” Dutch News, June 20, 2008, http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/06/wilders_fears_arrest_after_jor.php.

  31. Wendell, The Right to Offend, Shock or Disturb, 143.

  32. Hassan Alaoui, “Morocco Bans French Magazine for Insulting Islam,” AP, November 2, 2008, http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Nov02/0,4670,AFMoroccoIslamMedia,00.html.

  33. “Moroccan Christian Serving 15 Years for faith,” International Christian Concern, June 17, 2010, http://www.persecution.org/suffering/ICCnews/newsdetail.php?newscode=12565&title=moroccan-christian-serving-15-years-for-faith.

  34. “Morocco,” International Religious Freedom Report 2005, U.S. State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51606.htm.

  35. “Morocco,” International Religious Freedom Report 2005.

  36. “Morocco,” Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2005, U.S. State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Sec. 2.c., http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/.

  37. “Moroccan Islamists Use Facebook to Target Christians,” Compass Direct News, June 17, 2010, http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/morocco/21797/.

  38. Paul Marshall, Their Blood Cries Out (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1997), 48.

  39. “Morocco Jails German for Trying to Convert Muslims,” Reuters, November 29, 2006, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2924248320061129.

  40. “Morocco Expels Five Missionaries,” BBC News, March 30, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7971491.stm.

  41. “Moroccan Officials Raid Bible Study, Arrest Christians,” Compass Direct News, February 9, 2010, http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/morocco/15087/.

  42. Private reports from Morocco. See also April 27, 2010, letter from Samuel L. Kaplan, the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, to Leonard Leo, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

  43. “Morocco Cuts off Diplomatic Relations with Iran, Accuses It of Spreading Shi’ism in the Country,” MEMRI, March 24, 2009, http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP229409.

  44. “Morocco,”m International Religious Freedom Report 2005.

  45. “Threats for Breaking Morocco Fast,” BBC News, September, 18, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8262787.stm; Alexandra Sandels, “Morocco: Ramadan ‘Protest Picnickers’ Face Prosecution,” Los Angeles Times, September 21, 2009, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/09/morocco-ramadan-protestpicnickers-face-prosecution.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BabylonBeyond+(Babylon+%26+Beyond+Blog).

  46. Paul Marshall, ed., Religious Freedom in the World (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008), 400–402. For an overview of religious freedom in Turkey, see Otmar Oehring, “Turkey: Religious Freedom Survey, November 2009,” Forum 18 News, November 27, 2009, http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1379.

  47. David Cronin, “Turkey to Be Pushed to Speed Up Reforms,” Inter Press Service, September 18, 2008, http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43914; Laura Fulton, “A Muted Controversy: Freedom of Speech in Turkey,” Harvard International Review 30, no. 1 (Spring 2008): http://hir.harvard.edu/index.php?page=article&id=1739&p=2.

  48. Güzide Ceyhan, “Turkey: What Causes Intolerance and Violence?” Forum 18 News, November 29, 2007, http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1053.

  49. Otmar Oehring, “Turkish Nationalism, Ergenekon, and Denial of Religious Freedom,” Forum 18 News, October 21, 2008, http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1206.

  50. Elif Shafak, “The Murder of Hrant Dink,” Wall Street Journal, January 22, 2007, http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/1141.

  51. Amberin Zaman, “Turkish Journalist Who Spoke Up for Amenians Is Shot Dead in the Street,” The Telegraph, January 20, 2007, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1540051/Turkish-journalist-who-spoke-up-for-Armenians-is-shot-dead-in-the-street.html; Reuters, “High-profile Editor Shot Dead on Istanbul Street,” Gulf Times, January 20, 2007, http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=128449&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21.

  52. Susanne Fowler and Sebnem Arsu, “Armenian Editor’s Death Leads to Conciliation,” The New York Times, January 23, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/23/world/europe/23turkey.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=armenian%20editor%27s%20death%20leads%20to%20conciliation&st=cse; “Teenager ‘Confesses to Killing Journalist,’ ” Irish Examiner.com, January 21, 2007, http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/cwsneymhsncw/.

  53. Christopher Orlet, “Turkish Blood,” American Spectator, January 22, 2007, http://spectator.org/archives/2007/01/22/turkish-blood.

  54. Fowler and Arsu, “Armenian Editor’s Death Leads to Conciliation”; “Teenager ‘Confesses to Killing Journalist’ ”; “Key Suspect Followed Till Moment of Dink’s Death,” Hurriyet DailyNews.com, January 23, 2007, http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10869673.asp?scr=1.

  55. Fethiye Çetin and Deniz Tuna, “Two Years On: Lawyers Summarise Dink Trial,” Bianet News, January 19, 2009, http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/112015-two-years-on-lawyers-summarise-dink-trial; “Ergenekon Suspect to Give Testimony in Malatya Murder Case,” Today’s Zaman, January 17, 2009, http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=164331.

  56. Ibrahim Usta, “Turkish Author on Trial for Insulting Islam,” Huffington Post, May 26, 2009, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/26/nedim-gursel-turkish-auth_n_207546.html; “Turkish Author Acquitted of Insulting Islam—TV,” Reuters, June 25, 2009, http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNew
s/idINIndia-40605120090625.

  57. “Turkey: Converts Charged Under Speech Law,” Compass Direct News, October 31, 2006, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=4602&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Turkey&rowcur=50; “Turkey:Converts’ Trial Shows Tensions Before Pope’s Visit,” Compass Direct News, November 27, 2006, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=4652&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=&rowcur=700.

  58. Ziya Meral, No Place to Call Home: Experiences of Apostates from Islam, Failures of the International Community (Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Surrey, U.K., 2008), 57; “Turkey: Christians’ Trial for ‘Insulting Turkishness’ Stalls Again,” Compass Direct News, November 12, 2008, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5684&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Turkey&rowcur=0; “Converts Subjected to Official Harassment,” Compass Direct News, July 3, 2007, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=4927&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Turkey&rowcur=50; “Turkey: ‘Insulting Turkishness’ Case Proceeds Under Revised Law,” Compass Direct News, March 20, 2009, http://archive.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&idelement=5854&lang=en&length=short&backpage=archives&critere=&countryname=Turkey&rowcur=0.