Malaysia: "There should be zero tolerance to apostates and apostasy from Islam"

"Have zero tolerance for apostasy," a letter by Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi to Malaysiakini, with thanks to Ali Dashti:

It is without a doubt that apostasy is a very serious offence in Islam, and there are no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ about it. However, individuals like Shairul are from the flock of ‘liberal Muslims’ who prefer to abandon the Qur'an and Sunnah injunction with regard to apostates in favour of their ‘values’ from the West concerning freedom of religion.

True, Islam does espouses the freedom of religion (Quran, 2:256). Freedom of religion, however, is not to be confused with freedom to simply leave the religion and put the Muslim ‘ummah’ in jeopardy.

Let's put it this way. Singapore is not Malaysia. If Muslims in Singapore want to tolerate apostasy at their whim and fancy, it is their business. That they are so far apart from the practice of Islam speaks for itself.

Shairul’s whimsical fancies about Islamic laws not being ‘relevant’ anymore in this day and age is a sign of how the liberal Muslims think. And just because there is no implementation of these laws is not an excuse to do away with them in totality. They claim that they accept the Qur'an as a Divine Book and yet they attempt to insult its laws at every juncture. It certainly sounds very hypocritical to me.

As a Muslim living and residing in Malaysia and one who believe in the implementation of Islamic values as a way of life, legitimising apostasy would be detrimental to the Islamic values as practiced by Muslims in Malaysia.

There should be zero tolerance to apostates and apostasy from Islam, and this should remain the official policy of the government of Malaysia.