Islam and Religious Freedom: A Sourcebook of Scriptural, Theological, and Legal Texts

Excerpt:

“As it stands today, religious freedom is a contested human right within Islam. While Qur’an 2:256 famously states that there is to be ‘no coercion in religion,’ other texts seem to endorse contradictory principles, appearing to enjoin coercion, sometimes even violent coercion, in matters of conscience and religious practice. Modernist Muslim interpreters increasingly advocate an approach toward the Qur’an and Islamic jurisprudence that would place Islam on a path toward broader appreciation of religious freedom, including equality under the law for all religious individuals and groups. On the other hand, some Islamists invoking these same texts urge a return to an earlier, ‘purer’ Islam that forbids conversion from Islam, as well as proselytization on the part of non-Muslims. This interpretation of Islam denies both non-Muslims and disfavored Muslims equal status in law and society.”

For more information, read Islam and Religious Freedom: A Sourcebook of Scriptural, Theological, and Legal Texts.