Federal Court Dismisses
Lina Joy's Appeal
To Drop Islam In IC

PUTRAJAYA, May 30 (Bernama) -- Azlina Jailani, the woman who converted to Christianity, today failed in her appeal to get the Federal Court to compel the National Registration Department (NRD) to drop the word "Islam" from her identity card.

In a 2-1 majority decision, the court ruled that Azlina, 42, who changed her name to Lina Joy, should obtain a Syariah Court order confirming her apostasy before the department could delete the word.

Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim said the NRD had the right to require Lina Joy to produce an order from the Syariah Court to confirm that she had renounced the Islamic religion if she wanted to delete the word "Islam" in her identity card.

Justice Ahmad Fairuz and Federal Court Judge Datuk Alauddin Mohd Sheriff rejected the appeal while the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Richard Malanjum gave a dissenting judgment.

Lina had appealed to the Federal Court after the Court to Appeal in a 2-1 majority decision on Sept 19, 2005, prevented her from deleting the word "Islam" from her identity card on the grounds that her renunciation of Islam had not been validated by the Syariah Court or any other lawful Islamic authorities.

She made the appeal to the Appeals Court after the High Court in April 2001 ruled that as a Muslim she could not renounce Islam and that the matter of renunciation must be decided by the Syariah Court.

Lina named the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Council, the government of Malaysia and NRD director-general Datuk Wan Ibrahim Wan Ahmad as the respondents in her appeal.

On Feb 2, 1997, she applied to the NRD to change her name to Lina Joy on the grounds that she had converted to Christianity but it was rejected on Aug 11, 1997.

Her second application to the NRD to change her name in Nov 1999, however, was approved but the new identity card issued listed her as a Muslim.

- BERNAMA May 30, 2007


‘Group Led Us To Renounce Islam’

Seven university undergraduates who had renounced Islam after being courted by an organised movement which used a non-governmental welfare organisation as a front.

The undergraduates gave similar accounts of how the movement, which was supposedly involved in welfare and community activities, offered help and cooperation to them.

The ‘welfare’ movement would impress on the undergraduates of the ‘negative’ aspects of Islam and how a certain religion was more ‘liberal’ and ‘forgiving’. Members of the movement offered money, treats and even love to make the mostly female students feel indebted and eventually convinced them to renounce Islam.

The seven undergraduates, however, admitted that they left Islam unwillingly.

He cited an example of an undergraduate of a university in the Klang Valley who felt indebted to the movement which paid for her studies and rent.

On weekends, Hanafi said the undergraduate was invited to participate in “welfare” activities and earned RM100 daily.

He said the movement raised certain issues to confuse the undergraduate about Islam and influenced her to leave Islam.

“After leaving Islam, she was asked to distribute religious brochures at Dataran Merdeka.

The Star, Monday, May 21, 2007


Swiss Against The Minaret

Minaret a symbol of aggressive Islam. The largest political party in Switzerland's parliament has begun a campaign to ban the building of minarets, saying the minaret is not necessarily a symbol of worship but a symbol of Islamic law.

"The move has shocked Switzerland's 350,000 Muslims, many of whom have been campaigning for decades for more recognition for their faith. In theory Switzerland is a secular state, whose constitution guarantees freedom of religious expression to all. In practice however mosques in Switzerland tend to be confined to disused warehouses and factories.
Across the country, there are only two small minarets, one in Zurich and one in Geneva, neither of which are permitted to make the call to prayer. In Switzerland's capital Berne, the largest mosque is a former underground car park."
[Read how the Swiss view Muslims here].

We think that the developed Western world is more tolerant to religious diversity. No way. But if the minaret is on the riyals and dinars - and Muslim sheikhs and oil-rich countries bank in billions of Euro and USD's worth in Swiss banks - I don't think the Swiss banks will be concerned.

http://rockybru.blogspot.com Tuesday, May 29, 2007