Mark Overstreet

In a recent post, I mentioned the possibility that Malaysia’s high court could forge a new direction toward free exercise in the largely Muslim country. The decision has received pressure from many sides, religious and otherwise, but Malay Muslim forces prevailed in the deliberation chambers.

Unfortunately, the court decided against Lina Joy and liberty today. Three judges heard her appeal, one for, two against  her request.  Chief Justices Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Federal Judges Alauddin Mohd Sheriff . The verdict comes after many years of increased pressure from Islamic fundamentalists to deny the woman the permission to marry a Christian.  Instead she will be forced to marry a Muslim man in a ritual ceremony that subjects her to highly discriminatory Islamic family and inheritance laws.

More from the press:  She was refused in both cases because as ethnic Malay she was legally Muslim and “could not change religion”. Religious issues involving Malays, including conversions to other religions, fall under the jurisdiction of Islamic courts and not the country’s general laws. De facto, two legal systems coexist in the country: one based on Islam; the other, on the constitution. And the two are often in conflict. Lina Joy’s case illustrates this clearly. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion; Islamic law prohibits conversion to any other religion. 

Pray for these, and others, around the world who suffer under the hand of their fellow citizens, lacking the ability to worship with their liberty protected by law.  Also, pray the gospel will continue to move with swiftness through the streets of this nation that outlaws religious liberty.

Read more here.