A dissenting voice and lessons learned

©The Malaysian Insider (Used by permission)
by Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Mohd Nazari Ahmad is one of the many who objected to this morning's Bar Council forum on "Conversion to Islam: Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution, Subashini & Shamala Revisited".

Like many of his Malay–Muslim brethren, he believed that the forum was a conspiracy among non–Muslims to discuss the Federal Constitution, question the status of Islam in this country and how to change the laws concerning Muslims.

"In Malaysia, religion is sensitive. It's not like in Indonesia, where they can marry freely. Like Suharto, he's Muslim, but his wife is Christian. In Malaysia, we have our Federal Constitution. What they are doing is trying to destroy it," Nazari said of the Bar Council–organised forum.

"For me, as a Muslim, I object to non–Muslims raising such a sensitive issue. Don't touch on the issue of religion. That's a personal matter," said the UK–educated engineer who is also the information chief of the Umno Overseas Alumni Club chaired by Datuk Noh Omar.

However, unlike his peers who decided to take part in the street demonstration outside the Bar Council headquarters here to protest the forum, Nazari opted to go inside and listen first to the views that opposed his own.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insider after the forum was abruptly called off three hours early, Nazari commented: "It's unfortunate that the forum coud not go on. There's no conclusion. For me, it's hanging."

He admitted that the way the forum was conducted was different from what he had expected. Certainly, he did not expect to see any representatives from the Islamic law side airing Muslim views.

Lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who represented Muhammad Shafi Abdullah (T. Saravanan before conversion to Islam) against R. Subashini in the now legendary 2006 family conflict over matrimonial rights and custody for their young children, was one of the panellists.

On the panel too were K. Shanmuga, the lawyer for Subashini and Ravi Nekoo who represented S. Shamala in her 2002 court case against her Muslim convert husband, Dr M. Jeyaganesh.

Nazari, like many others in the auditorium this morning, expressed regret that two Syariah scholars, Dr Naim Mokhtar and Dr Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad who had earlier confirmed their participation on the panel, pulled out at the eleventh hour.

"When you do a forum behind closed doors like this, the people outside don't know who are on the panel. They should have it outside, like Dataran Merdeka.

"When you talk about people coming into Islam, there will be issues. The people downstairs, they don't know that," he explained, referring to the unruly crowd outside the Bar Council headquarters.

He added: "They make assumptions. For those of us who are mature and educated, we can think for ourselves. But not everyone who came today are educated. So they become very emotional because of this sensitive issue."

Nazari seemed to think that the street protest outside was born of parties with vested interests whipping up the sentiments of the Malay–Muslim crowd and playing up the racial and religious cards.

"So today, there were political elements. There were some people who did not give correct information," he observed, somewhat cryptically.

However, he maintained his view that the topic of discussion was not suitable fodder for such a forum. Belief is inside, laws, are outside, and never the twain can meet, opined Nazari.

"We can give our views on religion but the focus should not only be on Islam. When you do a topic like that, the Muslims who are not here will question – why?

"Actually, this forum, the focus should be on all religions in Malaysia, not just Islam. When you want to talk about conversion, you see what happens?"

That was, of course, a rhetorical question.

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