Malaysia's High Court Permits Challenge To Selangor Sharia Enforcement

Malaysia's Federal Court today gave permission for a lawsuit to be filed by a Muslim who has been charged by Selangor state authorities with illegally claiming to be God's prophet. Both the International Herald Tribune and Sun2Surf report on the case. Abdul Kahar Ahmad received permission from Malaysia's highest court to bring a challenge to the power of Islamic authorities in Selangor state after authorities issued a fatwah declaring his teachings as deviationist beliefs and then filed charges against him. Ahmad's lawsuit claims that various provisions in the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995 and the Islamic Religious Administration (Selangor) Enactment 2003 violate his constitutionally protected freedom of religion. It also claims that under the Malaysian Constitution, only Parliament, and not state assemblies, have the right to make criminal laws. Finally Ahmad claims that some of the offences with which he is charged are not violations of Islamic law. Ahmad's lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said the suit is in part intended to challenge the narrow interpretation of Islam by Malaysian religious authorities.