Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide (104 page)

91
. Jason Burke, “Holland’s First Immigrant Mayor Is Hailed as ‘Obama on the Maas,’”
The Guardian
, January 11, 2009,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/11/netherlands-rotterdam-race-ahmed-aboutaleb
.

92
. “Stop Capitulating to Threats—a Manifesto,” January 21, 2006,
http://afshinellian.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_archive.html
.

93
. Caldwell, “Holland Daze”; Craig Whitlock, “For Public Figures in Netherlands, Terror Becomes a Personal Concern,”
Washington Post
, November 11, 2005,
http://www.washing-tonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/10/AR2005111002046.html
.

94
. Sonya Fatah, “Fearing for Safety, Muslim Official Quits,”
The Globe and Mail
, August 3, 2006,
http://sonyafatah.com/blog/2006/08/03/fearing-for-safety-muslim-official-quits/
.

95
. Radhika Panjwani, “Muslim Leader Fears Backlash over Liberal Views,”
The Mississauga News
, October 13, 2006.

96
. Interview with Salim Mansur, May 22, 2010.

97
. David B. Harris, “Report from the Northern Front: Montreal Redux,” Investigative Project on Terrorism, October 14, 2008,
http://www.investigativeproject.org/article/789
. Omar El Akkad, “Pakistan-based Muslim Group Behind Attack, Journalist Says,”
The Globe and Mail
, April 20, 2007,
http://hogtownfront.blogspot.com/2007/04/pakistani-canadian-journalist-may-have.html
; “Weekly Journalist on Pakistani Paper Beaten with Cricket Bat,”
Reporters Without Borders
, April 23, 2007,
http://en.rsf.org/canada-weekly-journalist-on-pakistani-23-04-2007,21880
.

98
. The book was originally titled
The Trouble with Islam: A Wake Up Call for Honesty and Change
(Toronto: Random House Canada, 2004), but later editions changed this to
The Trouble with Islam Today
, which is the title usually followed in the more than thirty translations; Irshad Manji, “How the West Can Revive Islam,”
Time Canada
, September 13, 2004; Irshad Manji, “Outside View: Challenging Islam Is Risky,”
United Press International
, November 2, 2004,
http://www.irshadmanji.com/news/upi-04-11-02.html
; Interview with Irshad Manji by John Glassie,
New York Times
, December 21, 2003,
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/21/magazine/21QUESTIONS.html?pagewanted=1
; DeNeen L. Brown, “‘Muslim Refusenik’ Incites Furor with Critique of Faith,”
Washington Post
, January 19, 2004,
http://www.muslim-refusenik.com/news/washingtonpost-040118.html
; Irshad Manji, “Salman Rushdie’s Knighthood Should Be the Last Thing to Offend Muslims,”
The New Republic Online
, June 22, 2007,
http://www.irshadmanji.com/news/timesOfLondon_June_26_07.html
; Irshad Manji, “Religion Is the Root Cause of Terrorist Threat,”
The Australian
, July 5, 2007,
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/irshad-manji-religion-is-the-root-cause-of-terrorist-threat/story-e6frg6zo-1111113886840
; Clifford Krauss, “An Unlikely Promoter of an Islamic Reformation,”
New York Times
, October 4, 2003,
http://www.irshadmanji.com/news/nytimes-oct4-03.html
.

99
. Daniel Pipes, “[Khalid Duran] An American Rushdie?”
Jerusalem Post
, July 4, 2001,
http://www.danielpipes.org/384/khalid-duran-an-american-rushdie
; Nat Hentoff, “His Blood Could Be Shed,”
Washington Times
, July 9, 2001; Khalid Duran, “How CAIR Put My Life in Peril,”
The Middle East Quarterly
9, no. 1 (Winter 2002); Khalid Duran, personal communication, Washington, D.C., February 14, 2009.

100
. “Muslim Imam in France Defies Death Threats to Continue Efforts to Reach out to Jewish Neighbors,”
International Herald Tribune
, January 22, 2009,
http://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2009/01/muslim_imam_in_france_defies_d.html
.

101
. Akbar Ahmed, “A Message of Violence and Hatred,”
The Independent
(U.K.), July 1, 2004,
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/akbar-ahmed-a-message-of-violence-and-hatred-565370.html
.

102
. See Ibn Warraq,
Leaving Islam; Apostates Speak Out
(New York: Prometheus. 2003).

103
. “There Can Be No End to Jihad”—Interview with Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad by Anthony McRoy,
Christianity Today
, February 1, 2005,
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/februaryweb-only/22.0.html
; First Collection of Fatwas, trans. Anas Osama Altikriti, European Council for Fatwa and Research, 16–17,
www.e-cfr.org/data/cat30072008113814.doc
.

104
. Munira Mirza, Abi Senthilkumaran, and Zein Ja’far,
Living Apart Together: British Muslims and the Paradox of Multiculturalism
(London: Policy Exchange, 2007), 47,
http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/assets/Living_Apart_Together_text.pdf
.

105
. Ibn Warraq,
Why I Am Not a Muslim
(New York: Prometheus, 2003); “Ibn Warraq: Why I Am Not a Muslim,” interview with Stephen Crittenden, on
The Religion Report
, Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) Radio National, January 23, 2002,
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/religionreport/stories/2002/440586.htm
; Lee Smith, “Losing His Religion: Apostate Ibn Warraq Campaigns for the Right Not to Be a Muslim,”
Boston Globe
, August 17, 2003,
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/08/17/losing_his_religion_boston_globe?mode=PF
; Alexander Stille, “Scholars Are Quietly Offering New Theories of the Koran.”

106
. “ ‘Not Possible to Modernize Islam,”
Der Spiegel
, February 27, 2007,
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,468828,00.html
; “Founder of Ex-Muslim Group Threatened,”
United Press International
, February 23, 2007,
http://right-mind.us/blogs/blog_0/archive/2007/02/26/50221.aspx
.

107
. Riazat Butt, “New Ex-Muslim Group Speaks Out,”
The Guardian
, June 22, 2007,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jun/22/religion.immigrationpolicy
; Jonathan Petre, “New Group for Those Who Renounce Islam,”
Daily Telegraph
(U.K.), June 21, 2007,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1555263/New-group-for-those-who-renounce-Islam.html
; “Europe: New Groups Unite Those Who Renounce Islam,” Radio Free Europe, September 11, 2007,
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1078630.html
.

108
.
Victims of Intimidation
, 8–9; “Extra Security for Ehsan Jami,”
Expatica
, August 7, 2007; Toby Sterling, “Muslims Who Renounce Their Faith Band Together in European Countries,”
AP
, September 11, 2007,
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg108414.html
.

109
. “Dutch Politician Launches Committee for Ex-Muslims,”
AFP
, September 11, 2007,
http://static.rnw.nl/migratie/www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/dut070911mc-redirected
.

110
. David Charter, “Young Muslims Begin Dangerous Fight for the Right to Abandon Faith,”
The Times
, September 11, 2007,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2426314.ece
; “Dutch Politician Launches Committee for Ex-Muslims.”

111
. Johann Hari, “Why Do We Ignore the Plight of Ex-Muslims?”
The Independent
(London), October 25, 2007,
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-do-we-ignore-the-plight-of-exmuslims-395287.html
; “Jami Writes Opinion Piece with Wilders,”
Expatica
, September 27, 2007,
http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/jami-writes-opinion-piece-with-wilders-44322_39986.html
; “Ex-Muslim Jami Asked to Quit Council Seat,”
DutchNews.nl
, October 15, 2007,
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2007/10/exmuslim_jami_asked_to_quit_co.php
; “Councillor shuts down
committee for ex-Muslims,”
Expatica
, April 17, 2008,
http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/Councillor-shuts-down-committee-for-ex_Muslims.html
.

112
. Ab Zagt, “Dutch Concern over New Anti-Muslim Film,”
Hollywood Reporter
, March 31, 2008; “Dutch Ex-Muslim Producing the Life of Muhammad,” Radio Netherlands, March 27, 2008,
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/5704094/Dutch-exMuslim-producing-IThe-Life-of-MuhammadI
.

113
. “Dutch Politician Drops Plan for Muhammad Film,” Radio Netherlands via BBC Monitoring Europe, March 31, 2008.

114
. “Dutch Politician Presents Another Islam Film,” Radio Netherlands Worldwide, December 9, 2008,
http://www.rnw.nl/node/1304
; “Nizhny Novgorod Muftis to Boycott Flowers from Holland,”
Interfax
, February 25, 2009,
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=5736
. A statement by the Dutch government on the Jami film, December 10, 2008, is
http://www.government.nl/News/Press_releases_and_news_items/2008/December/Statement_by_the_Dutch_government_on_Jami_film
.

115
. “Women at War with the Mullahs,”
The Times
(U.K.), March 19, 2006,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article742646.ece
; Kerry Howley, “Breaking the Silence,”
Reader’s Digest
(December 2006),
http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/a-woman-speaks-out-against-radical-islam/article31196.html
; John M. Broder, “For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats,”
New York Times
, March 11, 2006,
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/11/international/middleeast/11sultan.html
.

116
. “Women at War with the Mullahs”; Kerry Howley, “Breaking the Silence”; John M. Broder, “For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats.”

117
. “Al Jazeera Apology for Guest Remark,”
Al Jazeera
, March 5, 2008,
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/03/200852513839603413.html
.

118
. “Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi Accuses Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan of Cursing Allah on Al Jazeera TV,” MEMRI Clip No. 1718, March 16, 2008,
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1718.htm
; “MPAC Calls on Al Jazeera to Stop Spreading Islamophobia,” Muslim Public Affairs Council, March 6, 2008,
http://www.mpac.org/article.php?id=617
.

119
. There is also the phenomenon that some such converts exaggerate their life history in order to impress audiences; see Omar Sacirbey, “Skeptics Challenge Life Stories Offered by High-profile Muslim Converts to Christianity,”
Washington Post
, June 26, 2010,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/25/AR2010062504435.html
. Nevertheless, this exaggeration should not obscure the very real dangers that many converts face.

120
. John Hooper, “St Peter Role Prompts Death Threat,”
The Guardian
, October 31, 2005,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/31/film.alqaida
.

121
. “Muslim Peril in a New Faith,”
Washington Times
, September 6, 2004,
http://www.washington times.com/news/2004/sep/06/20040906-124525-1020r/
; Gartenstein-Ross, “The Freedoms We Fight For”; Jeffrey Donovan, “Islam’s Challenges to ‘Universal Human Rights,’” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, December 9, 2008,
http://www.rferl.org/content/Islams_Challenges_To_Universal_Human_Rights/1357912.html?spec=2
.

122
. Anthony Browne, “Muslim Apostates Cast Out and at Risk from Faith and Family,”
The Times
, February 5, 2005,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article510589.ece
.

123
. Browne, “Muslim Apostates Cast Out.” See also Ziya Meral,
No Place to Call Home: Experience of Apostates from Islam, Failures of the International Community
(Surrey, U.K.: Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 2008), p. 63.

124
. Ruth Gledhill, “British Imam’s Daughter under Police Protection after Converting to Christianity,”
The Times
, December 5, 2007,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3006561.ece
; Dominic Lawson, “My Imam Father Came after Me with an Axe,”
The Times
, March 15, 2009,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5907458.ece
.

125
. Colby Cosh, “Testing Religious Freedom in the West,”
National Post
, March 24, 2008,
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=77305e89-def0-4c80-a81816d9f571217c&k=6512
;
Philip Pullella, “Muslim Baptized by Pope Says Life in Danger,”
Reuters
, March 23, 2008,
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL238305320080323
; “New ‘Salman Rushdie’ in Italy? The Case of Magdi Allam,”
Al-Bawaba
, July 31, 2007,
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Egypt/215622
.

126
. Magdi Allam’s letter to the editor of the
Corriere della Sera
, as quoted in “Magdi Allam Recounts His Path to Conversion,”
Zenit
, March, 23, 2008,
http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-22151
; “Muslim in Vatican Talks Slams Convert’s Baptism,”
USA Today
, March 25, 2008,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-03-25-vatican-muslim_N.htm
; “Terrorism: Italian PM and Christian Convert Targets of Islamist Death Threats,” AdnKronosInternational, June 7, 2008,
http://www.unitedcopts.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2627
.