Transmenu powered by JoomlArt.com - Mambo Joomla Professional Templates Club

• Bar Council: Islamic authorities should inform the families

The Bar Council welcomes the Government’s proposal to impose an obligation on individuals wishing to convert to Islam, to inform their family members of their intention. This represents an important first step as the rights of an intending convert’s immediate family members like the spouse, parents, children or siblings may be affected by the conversion.

The Islamic religious authorities must be satisfied that the family members have been duly notified. They should require documented proof of such notification. A self-declaratory document from the intending convert will not suffice.

Alternatively it is suggested that consideration be given to the proposal that the responsibility of informing the family can also rest with the Islamic religious authority.

Non-converting family members face many other difficult issues that must also be looked into. Laws addressing the consequences of conversions to Islam, particularly in the areas of divorce, custody, guardianship and religion of children, division of assets, inheritance, and death, must be urgently considered.

We urge the Government to promptly enact the necessary legislation. Press reports in April 2006 indicated that such legislation was already under discussion then.

Ambiga Sreenevasan
President
Malaysian Bar

11 April 2008

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed