MalaysiaA Malaysian citizen has been battling for years for official recognition of her conversion to Christianity from Islam.  Lina Joy was born into an ethnic Malay family and raised a Muslim; but, at the age of 26, she embraced Christ.  That was over fifteen years ago.

She took her fight all the way to Malaysia’s highest court, which has now announced a date for rendering judgment.  Whatever decision is made will have repercussions throughout Malaysian society.

The Federal Court, the country's highest civil judicial authority, will announce on May 30 if it has decided to acknowledge the decision of Lina Joy to convert to Christianity and give up Islam, the faith she was born into.

"We're all awaiting with bated breath a case which has a great impact on the course that the country will take," Benjamin Dawson, Joy's lawyer, told Reuters.

Although Malaysia’s constitution promises religious freedom, jurisdiction over religious issues involving Muslims falls to sharia courts, which have steadfastly refused to recognize Lina Joy’s conversion.  Officially, therefore, she remains a Muslim and, as such, legally barred from marrying a non-Muslim.

A ruling in her favour will agitate Muslims and perhaps spark anti-Christian violence.  On the other hand, Christians and other religious minorities could regard a rejection of her petition as confirmation of fears that Islamic law is gaining excessive influence in Malaysia.

h/t: Religion News Blog

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UPDATE (29 May): The court found against Lina.