British Muslim ‘bullied’ for converting to Christianity

A British citizen who converted to Christianity from Islam and then complained to police when locals threatened to burn his house down was told by officers to “stop being a crusader”, according to a new report.

Nissar Hussein, 43, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, who was born and raised in Britain, converted from Islam to Christianity with his wife, Qubra, in 1996. The report says that he was subjected to a number of attacks and, after being told that his house would be burnt down if he did not repent and return to Islam, reported the threat to the police. It says he was told that such threats were rarely carried out and the police officer told him to “stop being a crusader and move to another place”. A few days later the unoccupied house next door was set on fire.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a British human rights organisation whose president is the former Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken, is calling on the UN and the international community to take action against nations and communities that punish apostasy.

Its report, No Place to Call Home, claims that apostates from Islam are subject to “gross and wideranging human rights abuses”. It adds that in countries such as Britain, with large Muslim populations in a Westernised culture, the demand to maintain a Muslim identity is intense. “When identities are precarious, their enforcement will take an aggressive form.”

Religion News Blog extras:

• Christian Solidarity Worldwide
  “CSW is a Christian human rights non-governmental organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

  We exist to redress the injustice faced by those who are discriminated against or persecuted on religious grounds, to champion human rights and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. In much of our work we address broader human rights issues that affect all people regardless of their religion, working with people of all faiths or none.”
  - Source: About us, Christian Solidarity Worldwide

• No Place to Call Home
  “Apostasy is the renunciation of religious faith, and apostasy from Islam in particular has always been a contentious issue. Although the Qur’an does not prescribe a temporal punishment for apostasy, the vast majority of traditional Islamic theology and jurisprudence has advocated the death penalty for a mentally sane male apostate and life-long imprisonment or harsh treatment for a female apostate. Proponents of the death penalty have legitimised their stance from the sayings and deeds attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, his companions and subsequent caliphs.”
  [...]
  “This report calls on Muslim nations, the international community, the UN and the international media to resolutely address the serious violations of human rights suffered by apostates.”
  - Source: No Place to Call Home, Christian Solidarity Worldwide
• Islamic Perspective
  The punishment for the apostate is execution. Why such harshness? — An Islamic perspective.
• The Punishment of Apostates According to Islamic Law
  Online book, “Dedicated to Christian converts from Islam, who have contributed so much to the Kingdom of God and the Church, who have ministered, physically and spiritually, among their Muslim brothers and sisters, who have died as martyrs for confessing Jesus the Messiah as their Saviour and Lord.”
• Ruth Gledhill
  Ruth Gledhill is The Times Religion Correspondent. In her blog, Articles of Faith, she offers her views on the issues of the day.
• Faith News
  Visit Times Online for the latest faith news and discussion

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