Overview

Cases of ex-Muslims in Europe being punished by their former fellow Muslims constitute an unacceptable practice from the standpoint of democratic societies in which human rights are respected and individuals have the freedom to choose their religion, or none at all. Ex-Muslims’ fear of punishment by their former community should prompt an open, candid, and measured discussion of the issue. Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology presents the reasons for and consequences of consciously leaving Islam, based on interviews with 80 ex-Muslims currently living in Germany and Sweden. In their view, many of the practices and beliefs of Islam are harmful and unfair. Many parts of the Islamic world regard apostasy as treason or a crime. As a result, emphasis in the book is shifted from “crime” to “harm” and a thesis is put forward concerning the “decriminalization” of apostasy from the perspective of zemiology. The book highlights how a broader shift of interest in the democratic structures of Europe could allow ex-Muslims to join the discussion on the guaranteed right to religious liberties and freedom of speech in the context of the apostasy law in Islam. This should happen without fear for their own security and without facing potential suppression or social exclusion. It will appeal to scholars with interest in Islam and the conflict between religious values and an individual’s aspirations and needs.

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9781032631943

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Reviews

'Weronika Lenartowicz’ profound interviews with 80 ex-Muslims in Germany and Sweden reveal much of importance, especially the tragic truth that while leaving Islam ‘gained [them] the longed-for freedom, they did not gain a sense of safety’ in Europe but constantly fear for their lives. When will Europe's non-Muslims heed this cry of anguish and protect this, its most vulnerable population?' - Daniel Pipes, President of the Middle East Forum 'The increasingly common phenomenon of Muslims, particularly in the West, growing disenchanted and leaving Islam has been insufficiently studied and its larger implications left unexamined. However, where fear (whether of jihadi reprisals or political ostracism) has hitherto prevailed, Weronika Lenartowicz has now courageously dared to shed light on why Muslims are leaving Islam, the consequences of their doing so, and what the significance of this could be for the future of Europe and the world at large. This all-important study should be required reading for policymakers and human rights advocates of all political persuasions.' - Robert Spencer, author of The History of Jihad and The Critical Qur’an ‘Mirror imaging is the practice by which some people project their concepts and language onto another people’s reality, and then interpret the others reality through their prism own their own projections. It is the trap by which many active measure campaigns are waged to great success. Weronika Lenartowicz’s Leaving Islam: Ex-Muslims and Zemiology is one such work that seeks to cut through such linguistic traps and practice of mirror imagining. In Leaving Islam, Ms. Lenartowicz transcends the dangers of self-referencing in the context of apostasy. For example, using the commonly recognized term “apostasy” for both its Western understanding and the Islamic, Lenartowicz exposes the chasm between how a Westerner understands such a concept, an antiquated term for many, to the harsh realities that a Muslim faces when choosing to leave Islam, a violation of Islamic law that requires the community to take direct action as a capital offense. It is highly instructive to review the perspective of interviewees and their view on Islam, a very consistent overview of what leads to leaving this Islam, as well as a similarly consistent set of concerns and fears for its consequences. These observations make for useful inquiries into calls to improve the areas and the effort to protect apostates, as well to rethink immigration policies in the context of protecting the culture and national security.’ - Stephen C. Coughlin is an attorney, a decorated intelligence officer and specialist on Islamic law, and Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy 'Any discussion of individuals leaving Islam can be considered controversial, and may attract unwanted attention. The material is extremely timely. Interest in the subject is growing substantially at the government and NGO-level, while in universities it is growing cautiously. The subject area is not yet widely taught, but is beginning to be better addressed.' - Mateusz Stępień, Professor, Department of the Sociology of Law, Jagiellonian University, Poland 'The content is global as this is simply the nature of one of the main research problems under scrutiny today. Considering huge immigration from Muslim countries we should expect that acts of leaving Islam may happen any time anywhere and that the population of ex-Muslims would grow.' - Ryszard M. Machnikowski, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz, Poland

'Weronika Lenartowicz’ profound interviews with 80 ex-Muslims in Germany and Sweden reveal much of importance, especially the tragic truth that while leaving Islam ‘gained [them] the longed-for freedom, they did not gain a sense of safety’ in Europe but constantly fear for their lives. When will Europe's non-Muslims heed this cry of anguish and protect this, its most vulnerable population?' - Dr Daniel Pipes, President of the Middle East Forum 'The increasingly common phenomenon of Muslims, particularly in the West, growing disenchanted and leaving Islam has been insufficiently studied and its larger implications left unexamined. However, where fear (whether of jihadi reprisals or political ostracism) has hitherto prevailed, Weronika Lenartowicz has now courageously dared to shed light on why Muslims are leaving Islam, the consequences of their doing so, and what the significance of this could be for the future of Europe and the world at large. This all-important study should be required reading for policymakers and human rights advocates of all political persuasions.' - Robert Spencer, author of The History of Jihad and The Critical Qur’an 'Any discussion of individuals leaving Islam can be considered controversial, and may attract unwanted attention. The material is extremely timely. Interest in the subject is growing substantially at the government and NGO-level, while in universities it is growing cautiously. The subject area is not yet widely taught, but is beginning to be better addressed.' - Mateusz Stępień, Professor, Department of the Sociology of Law, Jagiellonian University, Poland 'The content is global as this is simply the nature of one of the main research problems under scrutiny today. Considering huge immigration from Muslim countries we should expect that acts of leaving Islam may happen any time anywhere and that the population of ex-Muslims would grow.' - Ryszard M. Machnikowski, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz, Poland

Author Information

Weronika Lenartowicz obtained her Ph.D. in the social sciences in the discipline of sociology at Warsaw University and graduated in cultural studies with a specialty in intercultural communication, and in public relations. Currently, she works as a senior specialist in the Office for Foreigners, as a national contact point in the European Migration Network, which provides objective, policy-relevant information in the area of migration and asylum in Europe. She has worked for the UN Migration mission during the Ukraine Refugee Emergency Response, and cooperated with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency that protects the external borders of the European Union and oversees operational cooperation between member states. She had a Ph.D. scholarship at Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Department of International Politics and an exchange program at J.F. Kennedy Institute at Freie Universität Berlin (Political Science). Over the years, she has experience planning and conducting research aimed at analyzing violations of human rights in minority and religious groups and defining major threats within societies. Social and cultural security, immigration policy, threats to security due to terrorism, risk analysis, and zemiology are the major areas of her research and interest.

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