Malaysian Court Dismisses Prosecutions Against Shias On Technical Grounds

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that in Malaysia, Shia Muslims are heartened by the dismissal on technical grounds of a prosecution against 3 men for violating a local fatwa requiring Malaysians to follow Sunni teachings. The fatwa, issued in 2012 by the Perak state fatwa council, is similar to ones adopted in 11 of the country's 14 states after the National Fatwa Council issued a similar ruling in 1996. The 3 men were charged with possessing books and other items relating to Shia Islam, but a Sharia Lower Court judge ruled that two of the charges against the defendants were unclear. Two other Shias were released on similar grounds several weeks ago. However over the last year there have been a growing number of cases against Shias and practitioners of other minority religions.