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Death of religious tolerance in Malaysia - Ruggedtouch - 12-28-2006
Death of religious tolerance in Malaysia
Greg Sheridan, Kuala Lumpur
December 27, 2006
Declaring that one is explicitly free to make personal decisions about the religious faith they embrace is a hallmark of Western liberal democracy. It’s also a hallmark of an ethical and moral society that does not compel that all <i>must</i> Kowtow to any specific religion, In the free world, we often call forced religion <i>eccentric</i> or <i>hateful</i> or even <i>totalitarian</i>. In the happy fun moderate Muslim state™ of Indonesia, freedom of religion is dealt with as an imprisonable offense (or a capital offense, if the right people get their hands on you).
Here in a secular, Christian majority nations, Muslim provocateurs screech with indignation about infidel intolerance for being removed from an airplane after behaving in a provocative and threatening manner. Meanwhile, in states where there is a Muslim majority, there is actually <i>real</i> religious persecution. Places like Malaysia
, among a host of others.
Quote:LAWYER Malik Imtiaz Sawar seems a most unlikely person to attract death threats. A small, softly spoken, friendly man, the impression he gives is above all one of consideration.
What has earned him the death threats is his appearance in court on behalf of Lina Joy, a case that has become a battleground of Malaysian political and cultural identity, and of freedom of religion.
The case highlights what some analysts believe is the Arabisation of Malaysian Islam, a dynamic that can also be seen in Indonesia.
Lina Joy was once a Muslim but has converted to Christianity. She didn't do so to make any broad point or to lead any social movement. It was entirely a private decision. But in Malaysia the state takes official notice of your race and religion.
Lina Joy tried to get herself deregistered as a Muslim and reregistered as a Christian. As a Muslim she is not allowed to marry a Christian man and any children she has must be brought up as Muslims.
When the state authorities refused to accept her conversion she appealed to the courts on the basis of Article 11 of the Malaysian constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.
The case, in which judgment could be given at any time, has polarised Malaysia. Many Muslims believe apostasy - changing your religion - is not only a sin but should be punishable by death.
Yes, yes, yes. Threats, forced religious belief, dogma that one is compelled to accept under duress… how nice. I think the piece above has hit upon the one intellectual phenomenon that Islamosupremacist dogma cannot withstand: freedom to choose!