Nigeria atheist Bala 'deemed mentally ill in Kano state'
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A Nigerian man has been sent to a mental institute in Kano state after he declared that he did not believe in God, according to a humanist charity.

Mubarak Bala, 29, is said to have been forcibly medicated by his Muslim relatives, despite being given a clean bill of health by a doctor.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union say a Lagos-based group has asked a lawyer to take up his case.

Kano is a mainly Muslim state and adopted Sharia (Islamic law) in 2000.

The IHEU says that when Mr Bala told relatives he did not believe in God, they asked a doctor if he was mentally ill.

Despite being told that he was not unwell, Mr Bala's family then went to a second doctor, who declared that his atheism was a side-effect of suffering a personality change, the group says.
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The case Mubarak Bala, a Nigerian who renounced Islam and became an atheist is a clear indication of the precarious situation of ex-Muslims in the region. Bala is from the sharia state of Kano where islamic theocracy rules. Bala's renunciation of muslim faith did not go down well with the family members. They thought he was out of his senses and forcefully took him to a mental hospital for treatment.

Fortunately, Bala, from his hospital bed, managed to get out some message asking for help. He drew the attention of his online friends to his predicament. His friends responded by mobilizing local and international support. Bala was eventually released from the hospital. He lives in hiding and continues to fear for his life. Yes, Bala, we can say to some degree is free but other ex-muslims in Nigeria, and in other parts of Africa are not. Ex-muslims in the region live in bondage. Leaving Islam is like passing a death sentence on oneself. Ex-Muslims are invisible thanks to sharia law that rules in the minds and shapes the morals people in muslim communities.

Bala was lucky that some freethought and human rights groups got to know about his situation on time and came to his help. Other ex-muslims are not that fortunate. They suffer and die in silence without anyone's knowledge. Should we allow this to continue? No, we should not.

Ex-Muslims are tortured and abused with impunity. They are treated as persons without human rights.Ex-muslims in Africa live anonymous life. They cannot openly identify themselves as ex-muslims. They live in constant fear of their lives. Ex-Muslims are always worried that friends or family members might get to know that they have abandoned their faith in Islam- that they no longer believe in Allah- or in the prophethood of Muhammed.

Ex-muslims do not enjoy the right to freedom of religion or belief because there is no freedom of religion under sharia. Instead what obtains in sharia states is 'unfreedom' of religion or rather freedom to profess one religion, and that is Islam. Muslims are compelled to profess islamic faith for life and forever. Renouncing Islam is apostasy. And apostasy is a crime punishable by death.