KUALA LUMPUR – A man is suing the government to obtain a declaration that he is no longer a Muslim, or alternatively, that he was never one.
The 44-year-old, who wants to only known be as Adam, has named the Federal Territories Shariah Appeals Court, Shariah Court, the Federal Territories Islamic Council, and the federal government as respondents in his judicial review application filed on February 16.
According to the affidavit, he became a Muslim on July 2010 to marry his ex-wife and was registered as a muallaf.
However, he is now saying to the court that his ex-wife had never encouraged him to practise Islam, adding that when he recited the shahadah he lacked faith.
I had converted to Islam solely to marry my former wife then, so that we could live together as husband and wife,” the affidavit reads.
He contends that his faith still lies with Christianity and that he expressed interest in Buddhism in the past few years.
On Tuesday, he obtained leave for judicial review at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Based on the affidavit, it is understood that he had filed an application at the Shariah Court on November 2018 to seek a declaration that he is not a Muslim.
Prior to his trial, the Shariah Court had ordered him to attend 12 pre-trial faith counselling sessions from June 2019 to August 2019.
The Shariah Court then dismissed his application and he was ordered to undergo further faith counselling sessions.
He asserts in his affidavit that the Shariah Court’s decision was based on reasoning that they are prohibited from declaring that a person has converted out of Islam, there being a lack of evidence regarding his conversion out of Islam, and the court being of the view Adam’s faith could be restored.
Now, among other things, Adam seeks a declaration that he is entitled to profess Christianity and is no longer a Muslim.
He also seeks damages over what he claims to be “illegal” pre-trial faith counselling sessions that he was subjected to. – The Vibes, March 24, 2022
