Punishment of Apostasy, Confrontation with Conspirators Against the Cohesion of Islamic Society or the Restriction of Freedom of Speech

Apostasy and its punishments in Islamic jurisprudence is one of the challenging issues in the field of human rights. The current paper, through a descriptive-analytical method and with the help of library resources, has dealt with the conflict of this ruling with content of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which implicitly emphasizes freedom of thought and speech. The findings of this study suggest that the Holy Qur'an, narratives, and conduct of Ahlulbayt and words of Shia jurists clearly emphasize the denial of realization of atheism and apostasy. If the individual fights with Islam based on his logical doubt and not enmity and obstinacy and does not violate the rational and ethical approach, there will not be any penal ruling of apostasy for him. Freedom of speech is not an absolute, unconditional right, and it is doomed to be restricted and limited if it is opposed to spiritual freedoms and human dignity. In civil liberties, in addition to those restrictions, other social considerations such as national interests, national security, and public order must be taken into account. It is through these social and civic constraints that apostasy is seen as an act of persecution and punishment. If apostasy remains an individual and personal matter, it must have an external appearance in the public arena in the place of litigation and punishment enforcement.