Have you left Islam and then suffered any hate crime or persecution? We want to hear from you for a study we are conducting

The British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) are looking into the experiences in the UK or the west of those who have apostasized from the Islamic religion – who have publicly made a split from Islam, whether it be that they announced it in some way, or people in the community sussed they no longer believe (or even, if they still remain Muslim in some way, but others in the community hold that they have apostasized). It doesn’t matter if they have converted to Christianity, to another major branch of Islam (eg Sunni to Shia), to atheism or to humanism, or any other religion. Of course welcome Muslim Background Believers for this study.

Please complete our survey by (clicking here)

If you meet this criteria we would like you to get in contact with us if you are prepared to be interviewed about what you have experienced for a study
we are doing. You can be be UK born and bred or from any other western nation, or an asylum seeker – the sole criteria must be that you have lived
as a known ex-Muslim (or ex Sunni/Shia) in the UK. We would also be willing to consider the experiences of non-converts who face similar situations
– for instance Asian or Middle Eastern Christians who are shunned because it is perceived you should be Muslim. We will respect security concerns and
anonymize as appropriate in any published material.

We will also soon (in the next week or so) be releasing an online survey.

Whilst we will be interested in any type of experience, good or bad, we currently URGENTLY need to hear from those who have suffered any form of hate
crime as a result of their leaving Islam (or being perceived to have left Islam). This means violence, threats of violence, restraint (eg, being
locked in rooms), overt levels of monitoring, intimidation, derogatory name-calling and so on.

We also urgently need to hear from people whose experience has involved incitement to hatred on social media, and what, if anything was done about
such activity, and from those who have gone to the police or authorities and have had their situation handled in a less than satisfactory way.

Please pass this message on to people you know who are ‘apostates’ from Islam, and to churches or Christian charities or equivalent groups – such as
humanist societies, for example – who may have contact with ‘apostates’ from Islam.

‘Apostates’ who are willing to participate in phone or email interviews about their experience are invited to email us at admin@britishpakistanichristians.org

Please note that contacting us does not guarantee we can contact you – it is dependent on resources. In the initial email we to us, we would ask them
to supply the following

1) Full Name, contact details (phone)

2) If you have any really serious security concerns regarding initial contact (eg times they are normally safe and can speak freely, if we should use
a code word)

3) Whether you would be willing to test an online survey to help us make sure it is as fit for purpose as it we can practically make it.

4) Very brief outline of the level of hate crime or persecution they have suffered in the UK – eg attempted murder, threats to loved ones, verbal abuse
and intimidation, actual violence, vicious shaming etc.

5) Whether to their knowledge social media has been used in any significant way to incite hatred against them

6) If they have gone to the police or authorities (social services etc) and if so, whether the found the responses or action taken satisfactory or
not.

You can also complete our survey by (clicking here)