Apostasy in Islam

Progressive narratives on multiculturalism exhort individuals to reach out and learn about other cultures and religions. The great irony is that while most multi-culturalists are quite critical of western cultures, rarely do they honestly explore the reality of other cultures. Destructive behavior that occur within the context of non-western culture is usually written off an individual aberration or simply glossed over. This is most readily seen in the exploration of Islam. When presented with the abundant examples of violence and intolerance emanating from the Arab-Islamic world, most liberals respond "that's just Radical Islam," not seriously considering that perhaps such behavior does reflect fundamental tenants of Islamic Theology. An example is seen in the manner in which Shari'a addresses apostasy. Specifically, the majority of past and present Islamic Theologians affirm that leaving Islam is a crime that should be punishable by death. In most cases, the application of this law was eliminated by European colonial rule or in the case of the Ottoman Empire, strong external pressure. According to Wikipedia:

Apostasy in Islam (Arabic: ارتداد, irtidād or ridda‎) is commonly defined as the rejection in word or deed of their former religion (apostasy) by a person who was previously a follower of Islam. The traditional schools of Islamic jurisprudence are unanimous in holding that apostasy by a male Muslim is punishable by death. They differ on whether to execute the apostate immediately or grant the apostate a temporary reprieve in order to allow him to repent and avoid the penalty. The schools also differ on whether a female apostate is to be killed, or only imprisoned until she re-embraces the faith.[1]

In order to have peaceful relations with other cultures, we must approach them with intellectual honesty and if you are inclined towards Jeffersonian Thought, you won't interfere in their internal affairs and simply let them evolve in their own way, at their own pace. In other words no more American lives and American dollars should be wasted on "establishing democracy" in other nations, least of all the Islamic World.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam