Are there majority Muslim countries where apostasy is not illegal?

Factual Questions
1

I found conflicting info on the web.

Thanks,
Rob

2

Pew Research says that Turkey, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, various ex-Soviet republics, Albania, and most of the west/central Africa states except Mauretania have no apostasy laws.

3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam told me otherwise.

What is the straight dope?

Thanks,
Rob

4

It would be helpful if you identify the specific part of the Wikipedia page that you believe contradicts the Pew citation.

5

Agreed. The wiki entry says there are polls in various countries for which respondents are found to support apostasy laws, but that doesn’t mean a law is on the books.

6

Your link says a number of Muslim countries have no laws against apostasy.

If you’re not going to read your own link, why are you contradicting others on the subject?

7

For example, from your link:

8

My bad. I was misreading it. I was lumping in converting Muslims.

9

I dunno, christians used to execute heretics, and atheist states executed believers, so I don’t see Islam as being out of the ordinary in killing apostates.

10

I authored one of the studies mentioned in that Pew article, which was done in part to correct an earlier Pew article on the subject.

The map that is included in the Wikipedia page about “illegal to convert a Muslim” is misleading, since it includes “proposals for laws.” It is not illegal to convert to another religion in Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan, for example. The map also does not include Muslim-majority states such as Tunisia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, the various Balkan states, Bangladesh, and so on.

In general, apostates from Islam face significant consequences that range from social stigma to family disownment to legal punishments to violence and death. This is something that should not be minimized or ignored. However, it is also certainly not the universal experience in Islamic communities.

11

What on earth does that have to do with the question asked? And are you sure what intended to use the present tense of the verb “to be” in that last phrase?

12

There’s an implication our ( dismal ) muslim friends are uniquely barbaric in their attitude to apostasy. Try to think a little more before you speak.
I don’t know what ‘what intended to use’ even means. ‘Being out of the ordinary’’ is a common English phrase.
I apologize if English is not your first language.

13

The ironing is delicious.

14

Actually, I took the op as finding information to indicate that Muslim countries are, on the whole, more moderate than most people assume.

15

Yes, extrajudicial social stigma is common in most, if not all, countries for certain disfavored but legal behavior. For example, crossdressing is legal in most, if not all, parts of the USA, but it is not like you can simply start doing it and expect everyone to treat you the same way they always have. Your life could suddenly become more difficult in a practical sense, but that’s not the same thing as claiming that there is a specific offense that you could be charged and convicted of.

16

We’re asking about the modern world as in the year 2015. The many Islamic countries that torture and kill apostates (and homosexuals) are very much out of the ordinary in today’s world.