Nigerian Man 'Beaten to a Pulp, Choked,' Then Committed to Psychiatric Ward for Atheism
A Nigerian man who came out as an atheist to his ultra-conservative Muslim family claims he was badly beaten, then committed to a psychiatric ward and placed on medication for his loss of faith, according to his lawyer.
A report by the International Humanist and Ethical Union said the man, Mubarak Bala, is being held against his will and has been on medication since June 13, at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital's psychiatric ward in Kano state, Nigeria.
The report said he contacted human rights activists through a secret smartphone, explaining that he was detained at the hospital for having a "personality change" which renounced Islam and adopted atheism.
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On his Twitter account where he last posted June 20, Bala describes himself as a chemical process engineer who "stand[s] for Truth&Justice."
He also proclaims that "religion insults human conscience & reason, duped me that I have another lifetime. AgnosticAtheist#ExMuslim."
In the first of a series of e-mails published by Godless Mom, Mubarak explained how he ended up in the psychiatric ward.
"This is Mubarak, (@mubarakbala) the ExMuslim from the Shari'ah State of Kano, Nigeria. I can only reach you today because I have been sedated (tranquilized) with an injection administered on those who are mentally unstable," he began in the e-mail.
"After being beaten to pulp, and choked by the neck until I passed out, (asphyxia), by my Dad and 3 of his male brothers. It was Friday evening, just waking up to see myself in a psychiatric hospital, among mad-men. The family had long been threatening my life," he wrote.
He said even though a doctor had assured his family that atheism was not a mental disease, his father told him that "whoever among his children abandons Islam is no longer a human being, but a monster."
He claimed that his family was able to get a different doctor to pronounce him mentally unstable and he is now worried the treatment is starting to affect him.
"I woke up only to realize their new doctor has prescribed drugs and injections for me as a psycho patient, on false account that I have been deluded telling people am a senator and governor and minister, so appallingly absurd! It is the same Doctor that told me last week on a 'mock' therapy, that 'everyone needs God')," he wrote.
"What I fear is; the injections and drugs have started shifting my facial orientation and affecting my speech and reasoning, my hands are now shivering on their own. It may end-up ruining my brain, my life, and if I am helpless and discharged home, they could fake something like my suicide, to rid themselves of the scum, they have been threatening such, ever since I declared openly I'm an ExMuslim," he explained.
According to IHEU, Bamidele Adeneye, secretary of the Lagos Humanists, instructed a lawyer to take on Mubarak's case.
"Kano is a Sharia state and there are many similar cases occurring, where people are forcefully oppressed just because of their beliefs or for conservative religious reasons, or for the 'honor' of their family. Often though you only hear about it afterwards, if at all. This is a rare chance to intervene while someone is in dire need and is still alive," Bamidele told IHEU.
"It appears that a warped notion of family honor is the motivation to pressure Mubarak in this appalling manner, to conform to religious views that he simply doesn't hold. This is an abhorrent violation of his freedom of thought and belief," said IHEU's Bob Churchill.
"In addition we are seriously concerned about Mubarak's deteriorating condition. At his request, the lawyer has tried to take him some decent food, because Mubarak is weak and his hands were shaking after a week under medication. Also Mubarak's messages, when he was still able to get messages out, have gone from almost bemused at his situation — saying 'how funny' it was that his family equated atheism with mental illness — to quite desperate in recent days as the prospect of a quick release has diminished," added Churchill.
A change.org petition calling for Mubarak's release has already amassed 2,500 signatures in just a few days.
