Two Protestant Christians Accused of Proselytising Released in Malaysia

Two American Protestant Christians, Ricky Ruperd and Zachry Harris, who were accused and arrested on 25 April, for passing out pamphlets with religious content to Muslims, have been freed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They were considered to be proselytising and were sentenced to 14 days in jail despite a great outcry from Christian groups.

Islam is the official and favoured religion in Malaysia, and the law of the country makes it very difficult for other religions to spread, as it is illegal and considered as a crime to attempt to convert a Muslim.

The Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, recently said that the Bibles published in the Malay language will not be banned as long as they contain a clear warning that it is 'Not for Muslims'.

In a meeting with former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan, and former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, it was reassured that there was no danger that Islamic fundamentalism might enter into Malaysia.

The two Americans were originally arrested in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and were ordered to be held in custody for 2 weeks.

According to the spokesperson for the US Embassy, after ten days in custody, "All the accusations were withdrawn and the two were released."