Malaysian court denies religious status change

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Judges in Malaysia’s Court of Appeal announced Sept. 19 that Lina Joy, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity in the late 1980s, must apply to a sharia court for permission to legally renounce Islam. The court claimed that Joy, 41, was constitutionally free to practice the religion of her choice — even though the Muslim designation on her identity card prevents her from marrying a Christian and places other restrictions on her everyday life. Article 11 of the Malaysian Constitution gives every person the right to change his or her religion; but Article 3 declares Islam to be the official religion of the state. The dual court system — civil and sharia— in Malaysia also complicates matters.