Freedom of Religion is so Fragile
That is why we need to be vigilante everyday and fight for that freedom, otherwise you get places like the Maldives. See in this island nation, the constitution itself requires that all citizens of the Maldives must be Muslim, and non-Muslim houses of worship are banned. The practical result of forcing everyone to adhere to one religion are stories like the following:
Meet Mohamed Nazim, Maldives citizen, he was attending a Q&A session hosted by Islamic cleric Zakir Naik. When it was Mohamed's turn to ask a question, he stated as he didn't believe in any religion, and asked that according to Islam (and to Zakir Naik), what would be the verdict?
Zakir Naik, known for advocating the death penalty for "apostates", reiterated his "kill 'em all" stand on those he believes speak against Islam or propagates "non-Islamic faith". While he was answering, the angry crowd took it upon themselves to start kicking Mr. Nazim's ass. Fortunately the police manage to "escort" him to the relative safety of the police station. Unfortunately a crowd soon formed around that building demanding Mr. Nazim be turned over the them for a good old-fashioned beheading.
The government's solution was to supply "Islamic counseling" as they felt they at least owed him that before considering lopping his head off. How magnanimous. In an additional display of pointless state jackboot thuggery, government lawyers state he may be charged with the additional crime of "disrupting the religious unity of the country" under the Religious Unity Act, because "apostasy" with associated death penalty just isn't enough. However if Mr. Nazim repents and rejoins the True Faith™ then he will be spared (he may be a pariah, but an alive pariah, isn't the state just wonderful?).
Double plus bonus, the Maldives are on the UN Human Rights Council, you know, that same United Nations that promises freedom of conscience? Think the U.N. will intervene? Don't hold your breath. That is why one has to be vigilant to prevent religious freedom from dying in the first place, because no distant, impotent bureaucracy is going to ride in to the rescue of the oppressed. Once religious freedom goes, the cost to fight to get it back will be great bloodshed.
Meet Mohamed Nazim, Maldives citizen, he was attending a Q&A session hosted by Islamic cleric Zakir Naik. When it was Mohamed's turn to ask a question, he stated as he didn't believe in any religion, and asked that according to Islam (and to Zakir Naik), what would be the verdict?
Zakir Naik, known for advocating the death penalty for "apostates", reiterated his "kill 'em all" stand on those he believes speak against Islam or propagates "non-Islamic faith". While he was answering, the angry crowd took it upon themselves to start kicking Mr. Nazim's ass. Fortunately the police manage to "escort" him to the relative safety of the police station. Unfortunately a crowd soon formed around that building demanding Mr. Nazim be turned over the them for a good old-fashioned beheading.
The government's solution was to supply "Islamic counseling" as they felt they at least owed him that before considering lopping his head off. How magnanimous. In an additional display of pointless state jackboot thuggery, government lawyers state he may be charged with the additional crime of "disrupting the religious unity of the country" under the Religious Unity Act, because "apostasy" with associated death penalty just isn't enough. However if Mr. Nazim repents and rejoins the True Faith™ then he will be spared (he may be a pariah, but an alive pariah, isn't the state just wonderful?).
Double plus bonus, the Maldives are on the UN Human Rights Council, you know, that same United Nations that promises freedom of conscience? Think the U.N. will intervene? Don't hold your breath. That is why one has to be vigilant to prevent religious freedom from dying in the first place, because no distant, impotent bureaucracy is going to ride in to the rescue of the oppressed. Once religious freedom goes, the cost to fight to get it back will be great bloodshed.