A forced conversion occurs when someone adopts a religion or philosophy under the threat that a refusal would result in negative non-spiritual consequences. These consequences range from job loss and social isolation to incarceration, torture or death. Typically, such a conversion entails the repudiation of former religious or philosophical convictions. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Look up spiritual in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Torture, according to international law, is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Christianity

Christians usually reject the idea of forced conversion, citing a passage in the New Testament (Romans 10:9-10). However, Christians have not always followed the New Testament mandate, which posed the question of how to deal with such conversions under duress. Pope Innocent III, who denounced forced conversions, pronounced in 1201 that even if torture and intimidation had been employed, in receiving the sacrament one nevertheless: Pope Innocent III (c. ...

...does receive the impress of Christianity and may be forced to observe the Christian Faith as one who expressed a conditional willingness though, absolutely speaking, he was unwilling. ... [For] the grace of Baptism had been received, and they had been anointed with the sacred oil, and had participated in the body of the Lord, they might properly be forced to hold to the faith which they had accepted perforce, lest the name of the Lord be blasphemed, and lest they hold in contempt and consider vile the faith they had joined.^[1]

During the 15th century, Jews and Muslims in Iberia were frequently pressured into converting to Christianity. This culminated in their expulsion from Spain in 1492. Subsequently, in 1497, the Jews in Portugal were forcibly converted to Christianity. ^[2]

Islam

Islam usually forbids the use of forced conversion. However, in the past, such tactics have been used.

Some historians reject these ideas, asserting that the early sura 2:256 shows that "Islam is a religion of peace". ^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}

Albert Hourani writes of the spread of Islam that: "We know little of the process and can only speculate on the course it took".^[9] Albert Habib Hourani (Arabic: ألبرت حبيب حوراني) (March 31, 1915 – January 17, 1993) was a prominent scholar of Middle Eastern history through much of the 20th century. ...

Armstrong writes on forced conversions that after Muhammad's death, nobody in the Islamic empire was forced to accept the Islamic faith; indeed, for a century, conversion was not encouraged and, in about 700 CE, was actually forbidden by law.^[10] Even though occasionally, individual cases of forced conversions such as of Ibn Firāsa against Samaritans can be noticed under Islamic rule, Islamic law clearly forbade forced conversions.^[11][12] Forced conversions did play a key role in some later periods of Islamic history, mostly in the 12th century under the Almohad dynasty of North Africa and al-Andalus as well as in Persia where Shi'a Islam is dominant.^[13] Karen Armstrong (born November 14, 1944 in Wildmoor, Worcestershire, England) is an author who writes on Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... For other senses of this word, see Samaritan (disambiguation). ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i. ... North Africa is the Mediterranean, northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ...

While Jewish communities in Arab and Islamic countries fared better overall than those in Christian Europe, Jews were no strangers to persecution and humiliation among the Arabs and Muslim. Princeton University historian Bernard Lewis wrote that "The Golden Age of equal rights was a myth, and belief in it was a result, more than a cause, of Jewish sympathy for Islam." (Bernard Lewis, "The Pro-Islamic Jews," Judaism, (Fall 1968), p. 401.) For the founder of the River Island retail chain, see Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur). ... The Golden age of Jewish culture in the Iberian Peninsula, also known as the Golden Age of Arab or Moorish Rule in Iberia, refers to a period of history during the Muslim rule of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman and Visigothic Hispania) in which Jews were generally accepted in society...

Frood Fouladvand, a doctor of history and religious philosophy, strongly emphasizes the use of forced conversion in Islamic nature. He claims that the barbarity of forced conversion played a significant role of Islam’s development in early stages, relating to the Muslim conquests and modern inhumanity in several Islamic-ruling territories. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Age of the Caliphs The initial Muslim conquests (632–732), also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab conquests,[1] began after the death of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. ...

Twenty-first century allegations of forced conversion to Islam

In 2001 the Indonesian army evacuated hundreds of Christian refugees from the remote Kesui and Teor islands in Maluku province after the refugees said they had been forced to convert to Islam. It was reported that some of the men had been circumcised against their will, and a paramilitary group involved in the incident confirmed that circumcisions had taken place but denied any element of coercion. ^[14] Teor is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 60 km northwest of Trieste and about 30 km southwest of Udine. ... This page is about the geography and history of the island group in Indonesia — for the political entities encompassing the islands, see Maluku (Indonesian province) and North Maluku. ...

In 2004 Coptic Christians in Egypt for several days occupied the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo, angry at the disappearance of the wife of a priest in a village in the Nile delta who was rumoured to have been forced to convert to Islam. The BBC reported that allegations of forced conversions of Copts to Islam surface every year in Egypt.^[15] Christ - Coptic Art Coptic Orthodox Christianity is the indigenous form of Christianity that, according to tradition, the apostle Mark established in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century AD (approximately AD 60). ... Nickname: Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: , Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 214 km²  (82. ... NASA satellite photograph of the Nile Delta (shown in false colour) The Nile Delta (Arabic:دلتا النيل) is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ...

In August 2006 two journalists, Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig, were kidnapped by Holy Jihad Brigades in Gaza City, and were apparently forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint. The Palestinian news service Ramattan and Fox News reported that they were released unharmed, shortly after a new video was released.^[16] In the video, both journalists, wearing beige robes, read statements saying that they had converted to Islam, with Centanni stating "Islam is not just meant for some people; it is the true religion for all people at all times."^[17] After being freed Steve Centanni stated "We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, and don't get me wrong here, I have the highest respect for Islam, and learned a lot of very good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do, because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."^[18][19][20] Photo of Steve Centanni reporting for the Fox News Channel. ... Olaf Eric Wiig[1] is a New Zealander who is a freelance camera operator for CNN, Fox News Channel and Television New Zealand. ... The Holy Jihad Brigades is a Palestinian organization that suddenly gained prominence in August 2006 by kidnapping two journalists in the Gaza Strip. ... The article is about the Middle Eastern city. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

It was reported in February 2007 that Hindu and Sikh organisations in the UK believe that young women of these faiths are being coerced by young men they meet at university into converting to Islam. The chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair attended a conference where the allegations were made. A spokeswoman for the police said: "We are aware of it as an issue that concerns the Hindu community but are not aware, without further research, of any specific incidents reported to police. We would encourage anyone who has been targeted in this way to seek help.^[21] Metropolitan Police redirects here. ... Sir Ian Blair, QPM (born 19 March 1953) is the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London. ...

There have been numerous reports of Islamic attempts to forcibly convert religious minorities in Iraq. In Baghdad, Christians have been told to convert to Islam, pay the jizya or die.^{[22] [23] [24]} In March 2007 the BBC reported that people in the Mandaean religious minority in Iraq alleged that they were being targeted by Islamist insurgents and being offered the choice of conversion or death.^[25] Mandaeanism is a pre-Christian religion which has been classified by scholars as Gnostic. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ...

In May of 2007, the Christian community of Charsadda in Pakistan received letters threatening bombings if they do not convert, local authorities did not take the threat seriously claiming that "someone is joking with us by writing these letters". ^[26]

Buddhism

In Buddhism forced conversion is also forbidden usually,but sometimes Buddhists tried to convert people who believe other religions to Buddhism.In Edo period Tokugawa shogunate forced Christians in Japan to convert to Buddhism with "fumie".People who rejected conversion were killed.Some Christians kept their religion secretly, who were called "kakure kirishitan".

References

1. ^ Grayzel, Solomon, The Church and the Jews in the Thirteenth Century, rev. ed., New York: Hermon, 1966, p. 103
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ Sir Thomas W. Arnold, The Preaching of Islam
4. ^ Marshall G. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam
5. ^ Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples
6. ^ Ira Lapidus, History of Islamic Societies
7. ^ L.S. Starorianos, A Global History, the Human Heritage
8. ^ [2] Islam Spread by the Sword? The Myth and The Reality]
9. ^ Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, London: Faber & Faber, 1991, pp. 28-29.
10. ^ Armstrong(1993), A History of God: from Abraham to the Present: the 4000-year Quest for God, pp.185
11. ^ Levy-Rubin, M. "NEW EVIDENCE RELATING TO THE PROCESS OF ISLAMIZATION IN PALESTINE IN THE EARLY MUSLIM PERIOD THE CASE OF SAMARIA", Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 43(3), 257--276, 2000, Springer
12. ^ Fattal, A.(1958) Le statut légal des non-Musulman en pays d'Islam, (Beyrouth: Imprimerie Catholique), pp. 72-73
13. ^ Lewis (1984), pp. 17, 18, 94, 95
14. ^ Maluku refugees allege forced circumcision, BBC News Online, Wednesday, 31 January, 2001 [3]
15. ^ Heba Saleh (BBC News, Cairo), 'Conversion' sparks Copt protest. BBC News Online 9 December 2004. [4]
16. ^ Kidnapped Fox journalists released. CNN. Retrieved on August 27, 2006.
17. ^ Kidnapped Fox journalists released. CNN. Retrieved on August 27, 2006.
18. ^ Kidnapped Fox journalists released. CNN. Retrieved on August 27, 2006.
19. ^ [5]
20. ^ [6]
21. ^ Times Online
22. ^ [7]
23. ^ [8]
24. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/rn/religionreport/stories/2007/1937124.htm]
25. ^ BBC News on-line 7 March 2007
26. ^ [9]