Apostophobia

What is Apostophobia?

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Apostophobia (n.)

The irrational fear, hatred or punishment of people who leave their religion.

End Apostophobia

Freedom of belief is a fundamental right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees every individual the liberty to adopt, change, or reject any faith or belief system without fear of persecution or discrimination. This principle is essential to the preservation of human dignity and the advancement of inclusive societies. Discrimination based on religion or belief is a grave violation of this right and must be unequivocally condemned, as it undermines the fabric of equality and justice.

At the same time, we recognise that individuals who outwardly appear to belong to certain religious groups, such as Muslims, have occasionally been subject to acts of prejudice and hostility in various parts of the world. Such incidents, while not representative of broader societal trends in all cases, highlight the urgent need for a united stance against intolerance in all its forms. Our commitment remains to defend the freedom of belief for all individuals and to advocate for a world where no one faces discrimination or hostility based on their religious choices, or lack thereof.

Governmental and societal persecution of individuals who leave Islam remains a harsh reality in many predominantly Muslim countries and, alarmingly, sometimes even in Western nations. Apostates often face a spectrum of discrimination, starting with social ostracism, exclusion, and contempt, and escalating to legal actions, imprisonment, and, in some cases, even death. In numerous Middle Eastern nations, apostasy is criminalised, with penalties that include prolonged detention or capital punishment, as evidenced by execution cases reported just last year. These practices represent grave violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of belief and the right to change one’s religion or reject faith altogether.

In alignment with these principles, we—a global coalition of ExMuslim organizations and individuals—have launched the campaign #EndApostophobia to raise awareness of the societal and institutional hostility towards apostates in Muslim-majority communities. We urge Muslims who support the right to freedom of belief to stand with us in promoting awareness of this fundamental right—that every Muslim has the freedom to leave Islam, whether to embrace another faith or to identify as an atheist.

We particularly value the involvement of Muslims in addressing their own communities to foster understanding and acceptance. We encourage supporters to engage with this conversation on social media using the Arabic hashtag #فوبيا_الردة or the English hashtag #EndApostophobia to highlight the issue and advocate for change. Together, we believe it is possible to build bridges and find allies who genuinely uphold the freedom of every individual to choose or abandon their beliefs without fear.