5.4.16
Malaysian Court Rules Muslim Can Convert to Christianity
In a landmark ruling last week, a Malaysian court upheld the rights of a Christian to convert from Islam.
The judgment establishes a precedent in a country where
religious conversions, particularly from Islam to Christianity, have
been steeped in controversy. The verdict reaffirms the right of freedom of religion, guaranteed under Article 11 of Malaysia’s constitution.
Rooney Rebit, the plaintiff, argued that his belief in
Jesus was a fundamental human right, and the High Court in Kuching,
Sarawak state, agreed. The judge, Yew Ken Jie, said, “He is free to
exercise his right of freedom to religion, and he chose Christianity.”
Rebit was born into a Christian family in 1975, but his
parents converted to Islam when he was eight years old. His Muslim name
was Azmi Mohamad Azam Shah.
In 1999, Rebit embraced Christianity and was baptized.
In her decision, Yew ruled that since Rebit was underage
when he became a Muslim, he could not be considered an officially
professed Muslim. But when he became a Christian at the age of 24, he
was mature enough to make a conscious decision, she said.
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# posted by claus_kirche @ 21:04 
