Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology

Cases of ex-Muslims in Europe being punished by their former fellow Muslims constitute an unacceptable practice from the standpoint of democratic societies in which human rights are respected and individuals have the freedom to choose their religion, or none at all. Ex-Muslims’ fear of punishment by their former community should prompt an open, candid, and measured discussion of the issue.

Leaving Islam, Ex-Muslims and Zemiology presents the reasons for and consequences of consciously leaving Islam, based on interviews with 80 ex-Muslims currently living in Germany and Sweden. In their view, many of the practices and beliefs of Islam are harmful and unfair. Many parts of the Islamic world regard apostasy as treason or a crime. As a result, emphasis in the book is shifted from ＂crime＂ to ＂harm＂ and a thesis is put forward concerning the ＂decriminalization＂ of apostasy from the perspective of zemiology. The book highlights how a broader shift of interest in the democratic structures of Europe could allow ex-Muslims to join the discussion on the guaranteed right to religious liberties and freedom of speech in the context of the apostasy law in Islam. This should happen without fear for their own security and without facing potential suppression or social exclusion. It will appeal to scholars with interest in Islam and the conflict between religious values and an individual’s aspirations and needs.

Weronika Lenartowicz obtained her Ph.D. in the social sciences in the discipline of sociology at Warsaw University and graduated in cultural studies with a specialty in intercultural communication, and in public relations. Currently, she works as a senior specialist in the Office for Foreigners, as a national contact point in the European Migration Network, which provides objective, policy-relevant information in the area of migration and asylum in Europe. She has worked for the UN Migration mission during the Ukraine Refugee Emergency Response, and cooperated with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency that protects the external borders of the European Union and oversees operational cooperation between member states. She had a Ph.D. scholarship at Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Department of International Politics and an exchange program at J.F. Kennedy Institute at Freie Universität Berlin (Political Science). Over the years, she has experience planning and conducting research aimed at analyzing violations of human rights in minority and religious groups and defining major threats within societies. Social and cultural security, immigration policy, threats to security due to terrorism, risk analysis, and zemiology are the major areas of her research and interest.