Muslims for Progressive Values Condemns Sentencing of Raif Badawi

LOS ANGELES - July 30, 2013 - PRLog -- Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) denounces the arrest, conviction and sentence of Raif Badawi, pronounced July 29th, 2013, consisting of seven years in prison and 600 lashes for the crime of criticizing the religious police (http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/07/29/saudi-website-founder-to-be-imprisoned-lashed/), and calling for "religious liberalization". Badawi was the editor of the website Free Saudi Liberals and founder of the Liberal Muslim Network.

We call on international leaders and Muslim organizations in particular, to stand up for human rights and for freedom of expression and demand Badawi’s charges, conviction, sentence be quashed and for his release to join his wife and three young children.

Muslims for Progressive Values supports freedom of expression and freedom of dissent, whether political, artistic, social or religious, even when that expression may be offensive and that dissent may be considered blasphemous. No one should be legally prosecuted, imprisoned or detained for declaring or promoting unpopular opinions.

We further condemn the government of Saudi Arabia for failure to abide by its agreements including:

- Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on Human Rights which provides that  “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

As a Muslim organization composed of international affiliates we declare that the failure on the part of the government of Saudi Arabia to abide by its agreements and the persecution of  Badawi and other activists for expressing religious dissent is both contrary to the example of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who permitted debate, discussion and dissent (ikhtilaf and ijtihad) and against the teachings of the Holy Quran, including 42:41-43, which provides:

“And those who stand up for their rights and defend themselves when they have been wronged there is no blame. The blame is on those who oppress people and cause disorder on earth, resorting to aggression, unprovoked. They are the ones on whom there is an awful doom. Certainly whoever is patient and forgives, that is from strength of character.”

In defense of freedom of conscience, expression and association, we must also not forget others unjustly condemned namely - Hamza Kashgari, who remains imprisoned and charged with blasphamy, punishable by death, as well as, Wajeha Al-Huwaider and Fawzia Al-Oyouni, who await their sentencing for takbib - inciting separation between a Saudi husband and his Canadian wife, Nathalie Morin.

Muslims for Progressive Values – USA – France – Chile –Australia - Canada.

To learn more about MPV in the U.S. please visit www.mpvusa.org

In Canada: www.mpvottawa.com

In France: http://www.musulmans-progressistes-france.org/

In Chile: http://mpvchile.wordpress.com/

In Australia: https://www.facebook.com/mpvaustralia

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Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) is a 501 (c) (3) founded in 2007.  MPV asserts that Islam is inherently progressive, inclusive and egalitarian which is an understanding that informs the ten principles by which the organization is guided. In the short years since its inception, MPV has expanded to include chapter and affiliates in Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, Ohio, Atlanta, Ottawa and Toronto, Canada, France, Chile and Australia. More information can be found at www.mpvusa.org.