FORTY-two years ago, a baby girl was born and named Azlina Jailani by her Malay parents. The girl was brought up as a Muslim but at the age of 26 she decided to become a Christian.
In 1999, she managed to change the name in her identity card to Lina Joy but her religion remained stated as Islam.
Now having waited many years for the word "Islam" to be deleted from her IC so she could have a legitimate marriage or offspring, the issue may finally be resolved once and for all.
Renunciation of a religion or preference for any religion is a matter of constitutional right.No one should be forced to practice a religion that is not of their choice.
Lina Joy had appealed to delete the word “Islam” from her identity card and to claim that she was free to practice the religion of her choice.
The case first entered the legal arena on April 23, 2001 when the High Court refused to decide on Lina's application to renounce Islam as her religion on the ground that the issue should be decided by the Syariah Court.It also dismissed Lina's application for an order to direct the department to drop the word “Islam” from her identity card.
What Islam truly says - Qur'an 2:256: "There is no compulsion in religion."
Who are we to judge anyone who embraces any religion or becomes an apostate.In the end we only have to fear one God and answer to Him and Him alone.
