As Malaysia experiences a recent wider shift towards a more conservative form of Islam, religious authorities in the culturally diverse and multi-ethnic Southeast Asian nation are stepping up moral policing efforts to crack down on those who are violating the country’s laws on breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
Raids and fines for Ramadan fast breaking spotlight rising religious conservatism in multicultural Malaysia. https://t.co/sP3TwqV7eJ
A major convenience store chain in Malaysia and its supplier are at the center of a controversy after a Malaysian court charged the store’s top executives and the supplier for hurting religious feelings after socks with the word “Allah” were found on sale in one of its shops.
More than a dozen Islamic laws enacted in a small Malaysian state were declared unconstitutional by Malaysia’s top court, a landmark decision that could affect how Sharia law is implemented across the Muslim-majority country.
A new but controversial landmark case has been created in Malaysia after a woman filed a lawsuit contesting the conversion of her three children to Islam, sparking a tense situation in a country sharply divided along ethnic and religious lines.
As companies and corporations worldwide prepare to celebrate Pride Month this June, Malaysian authorities crack down on what they perceive as LGBTQIA+ “agenda” by confiscating watches from a popular Swiss company for having elements associated with the LGBTQIA+ community.
The Malaysian government revealed its plans to counter Islamophobia by distributing copies of the Quran translated into several languages, setting aside more than $2 million in its 2023 budget.
Malaysia spends $2,000,000 USD to counter ‘Islamophobia’ by distributing copies of Qur’an worldwide https://t.co/dpBtgXhab1
In light of the recent events involving the burning of the Quran by far-right activist Rasmus Paludan, a senior Malaysian official suggested criminalizing Islamophobia and demanded a “firmer” response from Muslim countries towards such incidents.
Malaysia’s Islamic religious authorities raided a Halloween party attended by members of the LGBT community on October 29, where around 20 people were arrested for alleged violations under Sharia law.
Malaysian authorities detained 20 Muslim attendees at a Halloween event in Kuala Lumpur. The country's strict religious rules only apply to Muslim Malays.https://t.co/SwwpSw0AzL
Nur Sajat, a 36-year old cosmetics entrepreneur from Malaysia, is wanted after being charged by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department with violating Sharia law. In 2018, Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruz Zaman, popularly knwon as Nur Sajat, wore a baju kurung, a traditional custom worn by women. She left Malaysia in January 2021. A warrant was issued last February 23 after she failed to show for her hearing.
On February 25th, a gay Malaysian man won a breakthrough court battle against Salengor’s Islamic ban on sex “against the order of nature,” drawing the LGBTQ community one step closer to wider acceptance of gay rights in a predominantly Muslim country.
