Born Muslim

In Malaysia a young woman will soon be thrashed with a cane. Found by Malaysia’s morality police drinking a beer in a hotel bar, she was sentenced by the Islamic Sharia court to 6 strokes of the cane. Earlier this year Malaysian Muslims were initially banned- the decision was reversed- from attending a Black Eyed Peas rock concert.

Last year a Kelantan state council issued a directive seeking to discourage Muslim women from wearing make-up, loose-fitting blouses and high-heels. In a number of other states couples found to be sitting too close together or holding hands are prosecuted and fined for providing distractions to the ‘Islamic way.’

Non-Muslim Malaysians- they constitute about 45% of the population- can drink beer. Non-Muslim Malaysians can attend rock concerts. And non-Muslim Malaysians can dress much as they please, sit next to each other and hold hands.

Such freedom is surely attractive to at least some Malaysian Muslims and the temptation to leave the faith must be strong. But leaving Islam is all but impossible; a child born into the faith is automatically considered Muslim and their religious affiliation is noted on their national I.D. card, which is issued to every citizen upon reaching the age of twelve. To change this status a Muslim must apply to an Islamic court. These courts aren’t big on allowing people to leave their faith; they have yet to allow a single Malaysian Muslim to depart from the faith. Recourse to a civil court is not allowed.

So if they wish to change their faith; choose to have no faith; dress with freedom; hold hands in public; or simply have an icy-cold beer on a hot and humid day; they cannot. If a Malaysian is born into an Islamic family they are, from birth until death, considered by law to be Muslim. They are all but owned by Islam.