criticizing an Islamic tradition on Facebook. Despite Egypt’s secular government, the

country has been cracking down on religious insults. So what other countries are enforcing

laws against blasphemy?

Well, by definition, blasphemy is any act that undermines God or the sacredness of religion.

It could be anything from drawing offensive cartoons or wearing improper clothes, to disrespecting

religious scripture. This idea can be traced back to all three Western religions, where

the act is not only condemned, but represented as a just cause for death. Consequently, these

passages have been used to justify capital punishment for Christians, Jews, and Muslims

for centuries. One of the most famous blasphemy cases was when the Supreme religious leader

of Iran issued a “fatwa” or “order” to kill British-Indian Novelist Salman Rushdie.

Rushdie was accused of committing blasphemy in his 1988 book The Satanic Verses. The title

itself refers to the disputed legend that several of the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings

were mistakenly taken from the Devil.

According to a 2012 Pew Report, nearly a quarter of the world’s countries and territories

have anti-blasphemy laws, with punishments ranging from a fine to a death sentence. These

laws are most common in the Middle East and North Africa, where 70 percent of countries

still criminalize the act.

In general, those who commit blasphemy are arrested, charged and face prison time. However

in some countries, the offense is punishable by death. One example is Pakistan, which inherited

its anti-blasphemy laws from British rule, before the country gained independence in

1947. The laws were strengthened in the 1980s, in an attempt to ostracize the country’s

non-Muslim community. Since then, over a thousand Pakistanis have been accused or convicted

of blasphemy, many of whom are Muslims themselves. In the country today, just one blasphemy accusation,

with little or no evidence, can lead to an arrest.

And, anti-blasphemy laws are not unique to Islamic governments. Secular nations like

Canada and New Zealand still outlaw blasphemous libel, which in their case, is any published

material that disrespects Christianity. And while the United States doesn’t have a federal

anti-blasphemy law, several states do. In Michigan, wilfully blaspheming the holy name

of God is actually a misdemeanor. However these laws are nearly impossible to enforce,

as the US constitution and the UN’s International Covenant on Civil Rights protect free speech.

In the end, many of the West’s outdated anti-blasphemy laws are pretty much dormant.

One such law in the Netherlands went unenforced for half a century before it was eventually

dissolved. But for many in the Middle East and North Africa, blasphemy carries enormous

weight, as offenders face life in prison, exile or death. And despite public opposition

in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, the abusive laws will likely live on.

Saudi Arabia is one country where committing blasphemy can get you executed — publicly.

You can learn more about Saudi Arabia’s controversial capital punishment in our video

at the top. As the Muslim population rapidly grows, so does the population of the religiously

unaffiliated. Check out our video at the bottom to find out how this will affect the future

of religion. Thanks for watching Seeker Daily! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more

videos every day.