Nigerian atheist’s case isn’t just about religion

[hrmjustin]

Chris Stedman

Mubarak Bala is free.

But the Nigerian atheist, who was forcibly hospitalized at the request of devoutly Muslim relatives, is still at risk—and the intersection of political religion and colonial-era laws is to blame.

If you’re unfamiliar with Bala’s case, that’s understandable: It didn’t receive much coverage in the U.S. Most of the details come from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), which intervened in the case.

IHEU reported that members of Bala’s family brutally beat him, sedated him, and brought him to the Aminu Kano hospital after he publicly declared his atheism and criticized religion. He was then medicated and retained against his will for over a week.

- See more at: http://chrisstedman.religionnews.com/2014/07/23/nigerian-atheists-case-isnt-just-religion/#sthash.1og2Bxz8.dpuf