Malaysian Woman Denied Permission To Leave Islam

Malaysia’s civil court has denied a woman permission to leave Islam.

Kamariah Ali says she should not be tried under Islamic law because she is no longer a Muslim and asked the civil courts to declare her freedom to worship, as guaranteed by the constitution.

But judges ruled that only Malaysia’s Islamic courts could decide on the case because she was born a Muslim. Malaysia’s Islamic courts have authority over Muslims, whereas the rest of the population are not bound by their rules. The panel of judges stated that she had to request permission from the Islamic system in order to renounce her faith.

The double standard system has induced problems for people who want to convert to another religion from Islam and in child-custody battles involving people of different religions.

The most notable case involved a Muslim father who secretly converted his children to Islam. In doing so he was able to gain custody through the Islamic courts while the mother, a Hindu, was granted guardianship under civil law.