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Malaysia

• Nine churches attacked

  Photo from church member's video

  Nine churches were recently targeted in Malaysia in a series of arson attacks sparked by religious tensions between Muslims and Christians over the use of the word "Allah." In the Malay-language, "Allah" is the common term Christians have used for God for hundreds of years. However, many Muslims believe the word "Allah" should be restricted to Muslims, as they believe its use by other religions could lead to confusion and possible conversions. The attacks, which began on January 8, came after a Supreme Court ruling on December 31 which overturned a government ban on the use of "Allah" by Christians -- a ruling the government has since appealed. One of the nine churches targeted in the violence, the Metro Tabernacle Church at Desa Melawati, was significantly damaged.

  Pray for guidance for Christians in Malaysia as they face opposition. Ask God to provide for and encourage those affected by these attacks. Pray that increased persecution will result in increased boldness among believers in Malaysia (Acts 4:29-31).

  For a video report on rising religions tensions in Malaysia, please click here. For more information on the suffering of Christians in Malaysia,click here.

• Christian's faith recognized by Islamic court

  Photo from New Straits Times

  In a rare victory for religious minorities in Malaysia, a Christian man was legally recognized as a non-Muslim by an Islamic court on March 6. Mohammad Shah (60), who goes by the alias Gilbert Freeman, brought his case to the Sharia court in Negeri Sembilan state after the National Registration Department refused to acknowledge his Christian faith when he applied for a new identity card. Freeman was raised a Christian by his mother after his Muslim father abandoned the family when Freeman was only two months old. As a result, the judge ruled that Freeman had never been a Muslim and his identity card could therefore be changed. The court also found no evidence that Freeman's parents were ever legally married.

  Praise the Lord that Freeman's faith has been recognized in this way. Pray for increased religious freedom in Malaysia.

  To find out more about the plight of Malaysian Christians, go to theMalaysia Country Report.

• Bibles Confiscated at Airport

  Kuala Lumpur Airport

  On January 28, a customs officer confiscated two boxes containing 32 Bibles from a Christian woman in the Kuala Lumpur airport as she was returning from the Philippines. When the officer asked Juliana Nichols to open the boxes she was carrying and declare their contents, she produced a letter from her parish priest stating that the English Bibles were meant for use in her church. The officer told her that thetexts needed to be cleared with the Internal Security Ministry's Control Division of Publications and Al-Quran Texts and seized them. The general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, ReverendHermen Shastri, issued a press statement on February 4 that called for the immediate release of the Bibles and asked for an official apology from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department. "The Council of Churches is flabbergasted that such acts are happening in our country with such frequency and impunity," said Shastri. "We want to state categorically that the Bible is Holy Scripture for Christians.... No authority on earth should deny Christians the right to possess, read and travel with their Bibles." The Bibles have since been returned to Nichols, according to reports received this week.

  This is only the most recent in a number of troubling incidents in Malaysia that would seem to signal a declining level of religious liberty for religious minorities. Pray that freedom of religion will be upheld for all people in Malaysia. Pray that Christians in Malaysia will rest in the promises of God's provision and strength as they serve Him amid rising opposition (Hebrews 10:32-39).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Malaysia, go to theMalasysia Country Report.

• Christian Children Books Seized

  

  According to the news website www.malaysiakini.com, state officials from the Internal Security Ministry recently confiscated English language Christian children's books from three Malaysian Publishing House (MPH) bookstores. The books were said to contain caricatures of prophets that "offend Muslim sensitivities." In mid-December, a total of 29 books were seized from the MPH outlet in the town of Senawang, reportedly after Islamic authorities complained about their offensive content. The six titles have been sent to the department's headquarters in Putrajaya for investigation. On January 3, at least ten books were taken off the shelves in the MPH bookstore in Ipoh Kinta City. Books were also recently seized from MPH stores in the city of Johor Bahru.
  Pray that God will strengthen Malaysian Christians to lovingly and boldly proclaim the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-20). Pray that the religious freedom of all people will be truly recognized in Malaysia.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Malaysia, go to theMalaysia Country Report.

• Church Demolished By Authorities

  Photos fromSalem Voice

  Government authorities demolished a church belonging to the "Orang Asli" tribe of indigenous Christians in Kuala Lumpur, Kentan State on June 8. The authorities claimed that the church was built without state permission. However, according to a local church leader, the land is owned by the village head and they have the lawful right to use it for their own purposes. Local Christians have rejected the district office's suggestion to rebuild a "community center" at another site and intend on reconstructing the church in its original location.

  Pray that these Christians will be encouraged to meet together for worship and prayer, despite opposition. Pray that Christians in Malaysia will continue to remain faithful, united in heart and mind.

  The feature article of the July edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will focus on the difficulties facing Christians in Malaysia. To subscribe today, click here. Recently, the Malaysian government banned a number of Christian books on the grounds that they "undermined the faith of Muslims." To view a list of these books, click here.

  For more information on persecution in Malaysia,click here.

• High Court Rules that Lina Joy Cannot Change Religions

  On May 30, the federal court of Malaysia denied Lina Joy legal recognition of her conversion from Islam to Christianity in 1998 (click here for more details). According to a May 30 report from Asia News, it was decided that only the Islamic court may remove the word "Islam" from her documents. Her case has been the subject of internal debate and pressure from Muslim militants. Following the ruling, hundreds of Islamic demonstrators celebrated outside the courthouse.

  The feature article of the July edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will focus on the difficulties facing Christians in Malaysia. To subscribe today, click here.

• Lina Joy in Hiding

  In 1998, Azalina Jailani converted to Christianity and changed her name to Lina Joy. She went to court to force the National Registration Department to change her religious status from Islam to Christian so that she could be married in a civil ceremony to her Christian husband.  Her request was rejected when the judge ruled, "As a Malay, the plaintiff exists under the tenets of Islam until her death" (for more details on Lina Joy's situation, follow the links on Malaysia's Country Report). According to reports received this week, Joy and her fiancé have gone into hiding after they received numerous death threats. Joy's lawyer, Benjamin Dawson, told the New York Times that the only chance of the two living together in peace may be for them to leave their country.

• Prime Minister Weighs In as Malaysia Awaits Court Ruling

  Malaysia's Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

  As Christians in Malaysia await a high court ruling on the legality of Malay citizens becoming Christians (follow the links on Malaysia's Country Report), the country's Prime Minister has entered the debate and called for stricter enforcement of laws barring the preaching of other faiths to Malaysia's Muslims. On August 21, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called on states to "take whatever actions are needed" to prevent the proselytizing of Muslims. 

  While most Malaysian states have laws outlawing any attempt to convert Muslims to another religion, there is no such law in three states and in federal laws. Badawi urged all states to consider instituting such laws to "preserve racial harmony."

  Pray that Malaysians will recognize that Christ is only one source of true peace (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray that the Christians in Malaysia will be bold regardless of the pressures facing them (Acts 4:29).

  For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Malaysia,click here.

• High Court to Hear Arguments on Conversion

  

  On September 19, 2005, a superior court in Malaysia upheld an earlier decision that ethnic Malay people cannot convert from Islam.  The decision was in response to a case involving a Malay woman who converted to Christianity in 1998 and wished to change her religious designation so she could be married in a civil ceremony to her Christian husband (click here for more details). On April 13, Malaysia's highest court agreed to hear her case.  It is expected to take months before the Federal Court releases its ruling. The decision will have a profound effect on religious freedom in this country whose constitution states that "a Malay citizen is a person who professes Islam."

• Update: Malaysian Court Rules Against Right to Convert

  

  The country of Malaysia consists of four main ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, Indians and tribal peoples.  On September 19, a superior court upheld an earlier judgment that the Malay people cannot renounce Islam.  According to the Malaysian constitution, "A Malay citizen is a person who professes Islam."  For the approximately 15,000 Malay converts to Christianity, this means that they retain the official status of a Muslim, regardless of their religious beliefs. 

  In 1998, Azalina Jailani converted to Christianity and changed her name to Lina Joy. She went to court to force the National Registration Department to change her religious status from Islam to Christian so that she could be married in a civil ceremony to her Christian husband.  Her request was rejected when the judge ruled, "As a Malay, the plaintiff exists under the tenets of Islam until her death." (click here for details). Two of the three judges on the panel ruled that she could only change her status with the permission of Muslim religious authorities.  The third judge, a Hindu, held that she had the right to renounce Islam without permission, since the Malaysian constitution guarantees the freedom of religion.

  Pray for Lina and the other Malay Christians living in a state of constitutional limbo.  Pray for them as they experience social rejection and legal discrimination.  As one Christian woman told AsiaNews on September 21, "We are discriminated and virtually live underground lives. Our parents, siblings and friends all shun us like lepers."

  For more information on persecution of Christians in Malaysia,click here.