Convert cremated according to Hindu rites

Religious authorities failed to obtain consent of family to collect the body.

FMT

SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Department was unable to prevent a Muslim convert from being cremated by his family according to Hindu rites.

Razak Abdullah @ M Machap, Sinar Harian reported, converted to Islam when he married Kosnibatu Ibrahim, an Indian Muslim, in the 1970s. However, he did not change his religious status at the National Registration Department (NRD).

When Razak, 74, passed away at an old folks home at Taman Bunga Blossom in Negeri Sembilan at 7.30 pm on Sunday, his five children took his body home before the department could claim it.

The department had rushed to Razak’s home in Taman Seremban Jaya in Senawang on Monday but they were too late because the family had already taken the body to a crematorium in Jalan Templer for the final Hindu rites.

“It is all Allah’s will,” said Mohd Zulkarnain Abdullah, an officer with the department.

Zulkarnain disclosed that Razak’s religious status was also stated in the birth certificates of his children as his “Muslim” name was used and he was listed as an Indian Muslim.

Hindu masuk Islam

Seorang India masuk lslam meniggal d hospital lpoh. Keluarga bawa ke rumahnya untuk upacara terakhir. Jemaah masjid datang beritahu mendiang telah masuk lslam dan ingin buat tahalil. Kami dibenarkan buat tahalil. Anaknya janji hantar balik hospital besok untuk kebumikan cara lslam. Baru tadi pegawai hospital talipon kata hospital akan uruskn mandi n sembahyang dan kebumikan di Gurap. Semua perbelanjaan telah dibayar anaknya ke hospital. Mari kita ramai-ramai ke perkuburan Gurap bertelkin dan tahlil jam 3 petang esok Rabu.

Wassalam.

Shamsuddin
S/U Masjid Al Ittiahadiah.
Tg Husin Ipoh.


Innalillahi Wainna Ilaihi Roji'un ..
Ada yg lahir islam..matinya kafir.. Ada yg lahirnya belum Islam..matinya Islam...

MIC youth condemns JAIPP for ‘stealing’ ashes

Department must explain its action and disclose what it was going to do with alleged Muslim convert's cremated ashes, says its chief J Dhinagaran

NIBONG TEBAL: Penang MIC youth condemned the state Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIPP) for taking away the ashes of an alleged Muslim convert in Sungai Bakap last week.

Youth chief, J Dhinagaran said: “JAIPP practically stole the ashes of Nagamah without her family’s knowledge or consent, and did not show evidence that she was a convert.

“We strongly condemn the unlawful action,” he said today.

Nagamah passed away in Sungai Bakap hospital on Aug 14 and her family cremated her body at Batu Berapit Crematorium on the same day.

However, JAIPP officials took away her ashes despite objections from her family members, claiming that Nagamah was a convert.

Various Hindu bodies and rights groups, especially Hindraf Makkal Sakti, have condemned JAIPP for its high-handed insensitive action.

State executive councillor in charge of Islamic Religious Affairs, Abdul Malik Kassim, said on Thursday that Nagamah, 64, was converted to Islam by Ustaz Anuar Ismail in November 2006.

He said she was converted at JAIPP’s Seberang Perai Selatan district office after marrying one Ibrahim Noyan and had nine children registered as Muslims by the NRD.

Return Nagamah’s ashes

Nagamah’s family has lodged several police reports against JAIPP for taking away her ashes.

Dhinagaran said JAIPP’s high-handed action without due regard to the process of law has hurt the feelings of ethnic Indians in the state and country.

He demanded JAIPP to explain the rationale for its action and disclose what it was going to do with Nagamah’s ashes.

He said it was unfortunate that Nagamah’s eldest son M Kamasantheran, 46, could not fulfill his religious obligations to conduct Hindu obituary prayers for his late mother.

“Unfortunately her ashes are with JAIPP,” he said.

He hit out at Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s Pakatan Rakyat government for again failing to safeguard Hindu interests in the state.

He said Lim should direct JAIPP to stipulate a standard operating procedure that must be strictly adhered in future cases of ‘body-snatching’ or taking away of ashes.

He also slammed Pakatan Indian elected representatives for being busy in securing seats to contest in the next general election, rather than addressing and resolving Indian issues.

He suggested that JAIPP should return Nagamah’s ashes to her grieving family members to enable them to perform the final rites in accordance to the Hindu practices

“We hope goodwill would prevail,” said Dhinagaran.

Police reports against JAIPP for 'body-snatching'

A total of 18 police reports have been lodged by a group of Hindu devotees against the Penang Islamic Affairs Department (JAIPP) for snatching the remains of a woman it believed to be a Muslim without proper documentation.
One report was lodged at the Nibong Tebal police station by the deceased's son M Kamasanthren and 17 other relatives and friends of the family.
In his report, Kamasanthren said his family received information by telephone from the crematorium on Aug 14 that several officers claiming to be from JAIPP wanted to take possession of the cremated remains of his mother, M Nagamah.
He added that his uncle R Raja, who spoke to the person from the crematorium on the telephone, had categorically stated that the family would not allow JAIPP to do so.
He stressed that unless JAIPP has gone through the due process of the law, the officers have no legal authority to take possession of his mother’s remains which rightfully and lawfully belongs to the family.
"As it turned out, the JAIPP officers forced the issue and eventually took possession of the remains of my mother. In fact, they had stolen her remains from us," said Kamasanthren, 46, from Sungai Jawi.
"My mother and the rest of my family are Malaysians and our rights and interests should be protected by the federal constitution and the laws of Malaysia.
"This act of stealing the cremated remains of my mother is blatantly unlawful and is in serious and clear violation of rights guaranteed us in Article 11 on freedom of religion," he stressed.
Kamasanthren said he lodged the report as he wanted police to investigate the matter, adding that he wants the problem with JAIPP resolved "amicably" so that he could carry out his final Hindu funeral rites as the eldest son, on Aug 28.
The rite known as ‘Karumakirei’ ceremony is to be held 14 days after the death, after which her ashes are to be strewn into a nearby river.
Nagamah, who hailed from Bryam estate had passed away on Aug 14, where her remains were brought home from the Sungai Bakap hospital.
According to the family, they prepared to give her a Hindu funeral as she lived a life as a Hindu and died a Hindu.
However, JAIPP officers came to her house following her death and allegedly demanded the family surrender her body for a Muslim funeral, Kamasanthren said.
"The family refused as the officers did not provide documentary evidence about the claim. So, Nagamah was cremated according to Hindu rites at the Batu Berapit crematorium".

JAIPP told to go to civil court

Hindraf national advisor N Ganesan, who accompanied the son to the police station on Sunday, claimed the incident is clearly a state-sanctioned act as the police had accompanied the JAIPP officers at the crematorium.
Ganesan questioned by what superior law or authority can JAIPP order the crematorium and the family to turn over the cremated remains to them.
He said that, based on the federal constitution, Kamasanthren is guaranteed his rights to practise his religion and to perform the last rites for his mother.
He added that this is one of the most important obligations of a son to his parents in Hinduism, and accused JAIPP of acting "unilaterally and with impunity in violating all these rights".
"If JAIPP feels that they do have rights over the cremated remains, they should go to the civil courts which protect the rights of non-Muslims for adjudication on the matter.
"Unilateral pronouncements by the Syariah court does not apply to non-Muslims, therefore this effectively becomes a theft by JAIPP," he added.
Malaysiakini has been unable to obtain comment from JAIPP or the state mufti Hassan Ahmad.

Meanwhile, state exco member in charge of Islamic affairs Abdul Malik Abul Kassim told the media that he was aware of the incident.

"We will be making a statement on the matter in a few days time," said Abdul Malik, who is also Batu Maung assemblyperson.