22 September, 2005   

MALAYSIA

Malaysia bishops worried: the shadow of the Sharia extends over 
non-Muslims too

by Paolo Nicelli

Islamic law in the country's 13 states clashes with the constitution
and creates difficulties for non-Muslims. In an interview with the
AsiaNews envoy, Leonard Teoh, a Malaysian Catholic lawyer describes
the restrictions and violence which are a fruit of Islamic law, and
comments on the alarm voiced by the bishops. 

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) - The bishops of Malaysia have voiced concern
about the increased islamisation of Malaysian society. In this south-
east Asian country, islamisation dates back to the sixties. In ensuing
decades, it has been used by the majority party, the UNMO (United
Malays National Organization) to reinforce the economic standing and
policies of the Malay ethnic group and to enhance national consensus.
However it has also served the PAS (Islamic Party of Malaysia) to
establish a real and proper Islamic state.

Despite the efforts of the current premier Badawi, which are oriented
towards inter-faith dialogue, a good 13 states in the country have
approved Sharia, the Islamic law, practically reducing minorities to
the status of dhimmi - non-Muslim religious groups protected by Islam
- discriminating against them in employment and freedom of worship.

A few weeks ago, the Catholic bishops of Malaysia published a document
in the weekly Catholic Herald (14 August 2005), entitled: "The legal
implications of conversions to Islam".  The pastors sought to put
believers on their guard against apostasy, against possible
conversions to Islam as means to an end without fully realizing the
consequences of this action. More and more, young Catholic men and
women are falling in love with Muslims and in order to get married,
they accept to become Muslims. Others become Muslim for the economic
advantages this will bring. The bishops warn believers of the gravity
of such a choice, which has radical outcomes not only on the level of
faith, but also on their legal and civil status. New converts would be
subject to Sharia, making it difficult for them to go back on their
decision. Although the federal constitution guarantees the individual
the freedom to choose his own religion, Muslims - and especially Malay
- are prohibited from doing so. 

To better understand the situation and contradictions inherent in
Malaysian legislation, AsiaNews caught up with Leonard Teoh, a member
of the Association of Catholic Lawyers and an expert in problems
linked to freedom of worship.

Dr Teoh, the most urgent theme of the bishops' documents is that of
apostasy in Islam. They fear that if neo-converts want to return to
Christianity, they will face fines, flogging and imprisonment. What is
your view on these Islamic laws which consider the return to one's own
faith as a "criminal offence"?

In many areas of Malaysia, if a person decides he no longer wishes to
be a Muslim, his declaration must be approved by the Sharia court. It
is the court which will decree whether you are a Muslim or not. Once
you are Muslim and your father and mother were Muslim, you will always
be a Muslim, you will live and die as one. For example, in the stateof
Sabah, if a Muslim declares he is no longer such, the Sharia court can
detain him for months to re-educate him, after which time he may be
sentenced to a year in prison if he has not repented as yet. In the
state of Malakka, a six-month imprisonment term has been fixed for the
same crime. Other states like Kelantan, Terengganu have promulgated
similar laws which punish apostasy cases in the Islamic faith. 

[...]

Full article at AsiaNews.it
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4169


Cheers, Steve..

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