Intolerance Wins in Malaysia

Yesterday, Malaysia's highest court announced its verdict in the Lina Joy case. The Guardian has the details:

Lina Joy, 42, had fought the decisions of Malaysia's lower courts in an effort to have the word "Islam" removed from her identity card, arguing that the constitution guaranteed her religious freedom.

But the panel of three judges decided, in a majority verdict, that it had no power to intervene in cases of apostasy. These cases fall under the jurisdiction of Malaysia's Sharia courts, which run in tandem with the country's civil courts.

However, it has never been made clear which branch of the court takes precedence. The Malaysian constitution guarantees freedom of worship, but ethnic Malays must be Muslim by law. "She cannot simply, at her own whim, enter or leave her religion," Judge Ahmad Fairuz said during yesterday's ruling. "She must follow rules."

But Judge Richard Malanjum, the only non-Muslim on the panel, said it was "unreasonable" to ask Ms Joy to turn to the Sharia court as she could face criminal prosecution because abandoning Islam is punishable by a fine or jail. Critics of the verdict expressed dismay and said it failed to uphold the legal rights of Malaysians.

Two-hundred Muslim protesters who gathered in a prayer vigil outside the court yesterday greeted the verdict with cries of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).

(Emphasis added-DD)


In other words, in order to fulfill her wish to no longer be considered a Muslim, Miss Joy will now have to go before an Islamic Sharia court that considers leaving Islam to be a crime. As noted by the non-Muslim judge, this would be tantamount to volunteering to go to prison.

This decision makes a mockery of Malaysia's claim to uphold freedom of religion, and will only hasten the creeping Islamization of that country.