Freedom of Religion and Apostasy under International Law: With Special Reference to Article 11 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution

• Author: Ahmad Masum & Nehaluddin Ahmad
• Pages: 435-457

Freedom of Religion and Apostasy

435

VI JEAIL 2 (2013)

Ahmad Masum

∗

& Nehaluddin Ahmad

∗∗

The right to freedom of religion is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed in

many international and regional human rights instruments. Several international

documents safeguard freedom of religion including the right to convert from one

faith to another. In Malaysia, the safeguard of this fundamental right is provided

under Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution with some limitations. The right

to convert out of one

’

s faith is not mentioned explicitly. However, for the non-

Muslims, this right to opt out of one

’

s faith and choose another has been regarded

as an implicit part of religious liberty guaranteed by Article 11. In relation to

the Muslims, the issue of apostasy is regarded as a taboo as well as a politically

explosive proposition. This paper aims to examine the concept of freedom of

religion under international law focusing mainly on the issue of apostasy in the

context of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. The paper concludes that the

position of Muslims especially in the context of embracing a new religion remains

unsettled.

Freedom of Religion and

Apostasy under

International Law:

With Special Reference to

Article 11 of the Malaysian

Federal Constitution

∗ Senior Lecturer, College of Law, Government and International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia LL.B., MCL,

Ph.D. (Int’l Islamic Univ. Malaysia). He may be contacted at: asmad@uum.edu.my / Address: Universiti Utara

Malaysia, 06010 UUM Sintok, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia.

∗∗ Professor at the College of Law, Government and International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia, LL.M., LL.D.

(Luck. India), LL.M. (Strathclyde, UK). He may be contacted at: ahmadnehal@yahoo.com / Address: 06010 UUM

Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14330/jeail.2013.6.2.05

NOTES & COMMENTS

436 Masum & Ahmad

Keywords

Declaration of Religion, Freedom of Religion, Muslim, Apostasy, UDHR,

ICCPR, Malaysian Constitution.

1. Introduction

    

   “”)



  “ 

”

2

      

     “”)

3

and has

       

      





      



5

 “ ”    

       

     

       

   



   

 

7

      

   



     

 ’  

       





  ‘’

1 G.A. Res. 217 (III), U.N. GAOR, 3rd Sess., Supp. No. 13, at 74, U.N. Doc. A/810 (1948).

2 UDHR art. 18.

3 Signed on Dec. 16, 1966. 6 I.L.M. 368, 374 (1967), 993 U.N.T.S. 14531:3, available at http://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/

UNTS/Volume%20999/volume-999-I-14668-English.pdf (last visited on Oct. 30, 2013).

4 G.A. Res. 36/55, U.N. GAOR, 36th Sess., Supp. 51, at 171, U.N. Doc. A/36/684 (Nov. 25, 1981). See R. Traer, Religion

and Human Rights: “Religion” in International Law, Religion and Human Rights, available at http://religionhumanrights.

com/Research/religion.intlaw.htm (last visited on Jul. 16, 2013).

5 Shad Faruqi, document oF destiny- the constitution oF malaysia 352 (2008).

6 Traer, supra note 4.

7 UDHR art. 18; ICCPR art 18.

8 Traer, supra note 4.