Apostasy bill could make Pakistan one of ‘world’s worst violators of fundamental rights’

Pakistan’s National Assembly is currently considering a new apostasy draft bill, according to an Institute on Religion and Public Policy press release Wednesday. If passed, the release says the bill “would sentence to death all Muslim men found guilty of leaving Islam. Muslim women would face life in prison for the same crime.”

One section of the bill states that two adults testifying that an individual has renounced his or her Muslim faith is all that is needed for a conviction. “Denounced by many in the minority religious community in Pakistan, including the Archbishop of Lahore, the draft bill would commit Pakistan as one of the world’s worst violators of fundamental rights,” the release says.

“This legislation is a clear demonstration that fundamental freedoms are of no importance to the National Assembly of Pakistan. Passage of this bill would usher in a new age of religious bigotry in a county that prides itself on being a strong and committed ally in combating global terrorism,” said Institute on Religion and Public Policy President Joseph K. Grieboski.

For additional information on the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, click here.