Malaysia's Civil Federal Supreme Court Hands Over Non-Muslim to the Religious Syariah Courts

Western media 'bashing Islam'

Zam blasts reports on court ruling against converted Christian

MALAYSIA'S Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin has accused some Western media of 'Islamic bashing' following the Federal Court's decision on Wednesday not to allow a Malay woman to have the word 'Islam' deleted from her identity card.

He cited, among other Western reports, a headline on BBC Online that went 'Malaysia Rejects Christian Appeal' as running down the country as an Islamic one that practises injustice.

'This is clear proof that the Western media will use any opportunity for 'Islamic bashing' without regard for any country as long as it practises Islamic law,' he said.

He added that the separation of civil and syariah laws in Malaysia had been so since the British colonised the country.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, when asked for his view on the BBC report, said: 'If Malaysia rejects Christianity, there wouldn't be any Christians in this country.'

He added that the report was probably written out of ignorance but, if not, 'then that is being naughty'.

The woman in question, Ms Lina Joy, 43, was born Azlina Jailani to Malay parents and brought up a Muslim. In 1998, she converted to Christianity and changed her name.

But the National Registration Department here refused to reflect her change of religion in her identity card.

Asked if the three-judge verdict on her would give non-Muslims the wrong perception, the Prime Minister said: 'If they have the wrong perception, what can we do? The court made a decision and I don't question that.

'There are many decisions the court had made which many of us are not happy with.'

But he said he did not think there was a widening religious divide in the country.

In recent years, the civil courts have been hearing more inter-religious disputes, sparked mainly by the religious authorities trying to separate Muslims from their non-Muslim spouses and children.

Datuk Seri Abdullah has also urged everyone in the country to understand and accept the court's decision on Ms Lina.

Malaysian laws require non- Muslims to convert to Islam before they can marry Muslims. Ms Lina's Christian boyfriend is unwilling to do so, so she is unable to marry him legally in her home country.

It is understood that Ms Lina, who said through her lawyer that she was 'disappointed' with the verdict, is now out of the country and may leave it for good.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who is the de facto law minister, urged everyone to respect the decision and not to speculate that Ms Lina would not stand a chance in the Syariah Court.

'What is the point of keeping a person a Muslim if they no longer believed in the faith and made that publicly known?' he asked. - BERNAMA

• Malaysian Lina Joy and the Malaysian Federal Supreme Court Decision and the issue of Jurisdiction