The Southern Baptists (speaking as a former SBC Sunday School Teacher) have an axiom, "Once saved, always saved."
The islamic counterpart might be distilled down to, "Once muslim, ALWAYS muslim."
The difference of course is that for a muslim to "backslide" to "infidel" state is essentially a death sentence.
I will not be surprised if these maniacs declare that the "conversion" of the two hostages, regardless of intention, was "real", because they used the correct words (i.e., such as the woman who was forced into a divorce by the sharia "courts" because her husband, mumbling in his sleep, said "I divorce you" three times, thus, FORCING them to divorce, even though NEITHER of them wanted it.)
Muslim "fundamentalists" are the ultimate legalists.
What I'm getting at might be summed up in the words, "Remember Salmon Rushdie."
(That poor guy tried everything, INCLUDING a "sincere conversion to islam", and even though his "conversion" was accepted, his "death sentence" remains, because the imam who issued it had since then died, and thus, it could NOT be revoked! To date, several others have been murdered, simply because they worked with him -- and he still has to live his life knowing that there's a global contract out on his life.)
So... now that they've "renounced islam" -- after "having converted to it", they are officially backslidden muslim infidels -- the lowest estate of any creature on earth so far as radical islamists are concerned.
I'd be looking over my shoulder for quite a long time if I were them -- and I'd be hiring the best 24/7 bodyguards money can buy.
Scary and interesting!
concur
Except for that little issue about blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Definitely not a good idea.