Misconception of Shari'a (Part 2)

According to the Shari'a law there is freedom of thought and religion.

1) Every person has the right to freedom of conscience and worship in accordance with his religious beliefs.
2) Every person has the right to express his thoughts and beliefs so long as he remains within the limits prescribed by the law. No one, however, is entitled to disseminate falsehood or to circulate reports which may outrage public decency, or to indulge in slander, innuendo or to cast defamatory aspersions on other persons.
3) Pursuit of knowledge and search after truth is not only a right but a duty if every Muslim.
4) It is the right of every Muslim to protest and strive (within limits set out by the law) against oppression even if it involves challenging the highest authority in state.
5) There should be no bar on the dissemination of information provided it does not endanger the security of the society or the state and is confined within the limits imposed by the law.
6) No one shall hold in contempt or ridicule the religious beliefs of others or incite public hospitality against them; respect for the religious feelings of others is obligatory on all Muslims.

"Say (O Mohammad, it is) the truth form the Lord of you (all). Then whosever will, let him believe, and whosever will, let him disbelieve…"
(Al Qur'an, Al Kahf 18:29)

When it comes to minorities these laws apply,

1) The Qur'anic principle "There is no compulsion in religion" shall govern religious rights of Non-Muslims minorities.
2) In a Muslim Country religious minorities shall have the choice to be governed in respect of their civil and personal matters by Islamic laws or by their own laws.


All the information is taken from a book called Human Rights in Islamic Law by Dr. Ibrahim Abdulla Al-Marzouqi.