‘Refrain from converting under-21s’

‘Refrain from converting under-21s’

The yet-to-be-registered Human Rights Party (HRP) has written to the premier, asking him to prevent the “forced and unwitting conversion” of children to Islam.

Pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar said Najib Abdul Razak should issue an immediate circular to schools, educational institutions, welfare homes and related bodies, directing them not to convert those below 21.

He also said Najib should direct the Islamic authorities to enable those who have claimed to have been either forced or unwittingly converted to Islam, to revert to their original religion or to one of their choice.

In the letter dated Nov 28, Uthayakumar said ‘Islamised’ Malaysians should be granted their constitutional rights, including freedom of religion.

“Mr Prime Minister, these events of conversions are completely unnecessary. We should instead optimally utilise our time and energy to focus on nation-building in the true 1Malaysia spirit championed by your goodself,” he wrote.

Referring to the case of S Banggarma, 27, Uthayakumar said the Penang Islamic Religious Department and Islamic Religious Affairs Council should be made to reverse her conversion to Islam.

Now a mother of two, she claimed that she was unwittingly converted by two state religious authorities when she was seven and staying in the Taman Bakti children’s home in Kepala Batas.

Banggarma, whose Muslim name is Siti Hasnah Vangarama Abdullah, said she only discovered her religious status when she went back to the welfare home to collect her identity documents in 2000. She is now seeking to revert to Hinduism.

Uthayakumar described her predicition as a case of “poverty-linked conversion”, in that she ended up in a welfare home because she was from a poor family. He said the welfare department took advantage of this to convert her to Islam.

‘Don’t use force’

In claiming that this is not an isolated case, he said forced conversions are rampant in orphanages, welfare homes, fully-residential government schools and other educational institutions.

He cited a 2007 case in which a 17-year-old Hindu youth, who was studying at a residential vocational school, was “pressured and brainwashed” to convert to Islam.

“This youth was then told not to inform his parents or anyone else,” he said in the letter to Najib.

However, the boy’s friend informed the father, who removed his son from the school.

“That was the end of his vocational skills training and his future career,” said Uthayakumar.

Although a letter was sent to then premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the forced conversion has yet to be reversed.

Uthayakumar pointed out that even PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has said that no one should be forced to convert to Islam.

It is the responsibility of Muslims, who make up the majority, to safeguard the interests and rights of the minority, he said.

Although Article 11 of the federal constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Umno-trained Islamic officers have been known to take the law into their own hands.

“How can Malaysians interact, foster genuine national unity and national integration, and co-exist as fellow Malaysians or as human beings in the first place?” he posed in the letter.