| Muslims
throughout the world have asked for the ban of a number of books, written by both Muslims
and non-Muslims, and have even demanded the execution of authors like Salman Rushdie who
have criticized Islam, with only a small number of Muslims appearing to take a stand to
the contrary. Laws against criticizing Islam
(anti-blasphemy laws) are found not only in Bangladesh but in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and
the Gulf Countries, in fact in most Islamic countries, as such laws are part of
traditional Islamic legal codes which these countries subscribe to by declaring themselves
to be Islamic republics. Anti-apostasy laws are also found in most of these countries,
which forbid Muslims from becoming non-Muslims, sometimes at the cost of their lives. |
