The Rise of Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws

By Vishal Arora

A number of Islamic and Muslim-majority nations impose brutal punishments for apostasy and blasphemy. Reports of Muslims and non-Muslims being sentenced to years in prison and even death are becoming increasingly common in the media. Are these laws relevant only to Muslim societies? Or should they be an international concern? Asking these questions, and others, The Diplomat recently spoke with Dr. Paul Marshall, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Religious Freedom of the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., in the United States.