Marriage between Muslim and non-Muslim illegal, says Jakim

(Bernama) - Any marriage between a Muslim and a non-Muslim is disallowed and is not recognized in this country and action can be taken by the state Islamic religious authorities, said Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha.

He said Islamic family laws state no Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman and no Muslim woman can marry a non-Muslim man.

“A marriage between spouses of different religions is completed prohibited and against the principle of beliefs of the Shafie sect (Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah) in Malaysia,” he said in a statement here today.

He was commenting on a Universiti Malaya study on the issue of liberalism in Muslim marriages with non-Muslim spouses not having to convert from their religions.

Two days ago, Universiti Malaya Academy of Islamic Studies, Department of Akidah and Islamic Thought Associate Prof Dr Khadijah Hambali told religious authorities in the country to carry out specific measures to curb the phenomenon.