World Muslim Congress
Contact: Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
MikeGhouse@aol.com
Religious freedom wins in Malaysia, re-conversion to Christianity is a landmark ruling.
Washington, D.C., April 6, 2016 — The World Muslim Congress welcomes the landmark ruling by a High Court in Malaysia that recognized the freedom of religion is a fundamental human right.
The right to follow one’s conscience is the God given right of every human. When Adam was given the choice to eat or not eat the forbidden fruit with the given set of consequences, Adam ‘chose’ to eat the fruit. God could have stopped him, but God wanted to set an example of living up his own word and what freedom should mean until the human race lives on.
The court struck down a decades-long government policy that had made it tough for Christian converts to renounce their former Islamic faith without the consent of an Islamic court. The had another great judgment in the case of Lina Joy.
The Association of Churches in Sarawak praised the decision “as a ratification of the fundamental right to freedom of religion in Malaysia,” Herald Malaysia andChristian Today reported.
“This judgment reaffirms the supremacy of the Federal Constitution, which under Article 11 defends every Malaysian citizen’s right to freedom of religion,” the group said.
High Court judge Yew Jen Kie of the Kuching High Court, Sarawak state granted the petition of Rooney Rebit asking judicial authorities to declare that his belief in Jesus Christ was a fundamental human right.
Rebit, 41, from a village in Sarawak, was born a Christian but was converted to Islam by his parents when he was about 10 years old and renamed Azmi Mohamad Azam.
Judge Yew ruled that Rebit is “free to exercise his right to freedom of religion and he chose Christianity.”
Indeed, Mr. Rebit is free to exercise his right to freedom; the Quran says 2:256, “… Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error …” This is Islam’s unambiguous affirmation of freedom of faith, which also applies to changing of faith. The Qur’an illuminates before the humanity the two highways [90:10], one of which leads to salvation. Islam is an invitation to the highway toward salvation, but it is based on FREEDOM OF CHOICE (http://apostasyandislam.blogspot.com/).”
We applaud the ruling as it clarifies the propaganda that Muslims compel others to stay in their fold through coercion and compulsion, which was never true or Islamic, even though it was practiced by a few Muslims.
We appreciate the efforts of the Government of Malaysia to uphold the inalienable rights of her citizens, which are God given and inherently Islamic. We seek God’s guidance in helping us restore the pristine Islam of freedom, justice and mercy to mankind. Amen!
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a fellow at World Muslim Congress, a think tank committed to removing the dust Islamic practices has gathered over a period of time. To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker, who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful existence of humanity.
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