Curious About Restrictions on Public Worship in Some Muslim Countries
As-salamu alaykum, I’m a Muslim sister living in Canada and I’ve been wondering about something. Why do some Muslim-majority countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Maldives, Afghanistan, and others restrict or even ban public practice of religions other than Islam? I’m interested to understand how this actually works on the ground. I’ve heard that in places like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, leaving Islam can lead to serious consequences, even persecution or the death penalty-can anyone confirm if this is true? I understand that these rules might be in place to protect the Islamic faith and that having religion and state connected can be good from an Islamic perspective. But shouldn’t people be able to peacefully practice their own faith wherever they live? We talk about supporting Palestine where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived peacefully together with their churches and synagogues, but in many Muslim countries, public worship of other religions is either banned or only allowed in private. Muslims living abroad want to be able to pray together openly without fear or trouble, but then sometimes it seems like there’s silence or defense when similar freedoms aren’t allowed in Muslim countries. Islam teaches us to protect and respect our Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters, to welcome one another and even share prayer spaces, so what I’ve heard about these restrictions doesn’t seem to align with that spirit. I’m hoping to learn more and if I’m mistaken about anything, please kindly correct me. JazakAllahu khair for any insight you can share.