Woman decries children’s conversion to Islam

SEREMBAN: A mother of two has alleged that her children have been converted into Islam without her knowledge by her husband on April 2013.

S Deepa, 29, from Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan said her lorry-driver husband N Viran, 30, left her and her children 16 months ago and never supported her or their children financially.

“On April 4, this year, around 10am I went to the kindergarten to pick up my son, Mithran, 5. He was not there and I was told that my husband had taken him away.

“Coincidently I went to Pusat Dakwah Islamiah Negeri Sembilan in Paroi to collect the confirmation letter of Viran’s conversion into Islam to submit to the court for a divorce.

“I was shocked to see Mithran and my eight year old daughter, Sharmila, with my husband at Pusat Dakwah Islamiah Negeri Sembilan.

“An argument broke out between my husband and I when I found out that he had converted Sharmila and Mithran without my knowledge and permission.

“I then demanded an explanation from the officer in charge whose name was Ustaz Zul and he told me that he converted my children as my husband told him that I was having an affair with another man and that I sold my body and I was unable to take care of my children.

“This is absurd as he (Viran) is the one who neglected me and our children for the past 16 months. I asked Ustaz Zul to settle this matter and he asked me to come the next day to reverse the conversion of my children.

“When I returned the next day, Ustaz Zul told me the matter was out of his hands and that I have to go to Syariah Court to seek redress.

I then lodged a police report as the conversion of my children was done without my knowledge and permission. I’m also very worried that my children would be snatched from me while at school,” Deepa told a press conference.

Hindraf lawyer, S Karthigesan who is representing Deepa said he had no objections to the conversion but must be done according to the constitution.

“Converting kids without the consent and knowledge of the mother is a direct confrontation with the constitution and freedom of religion.

“They should not use any opportunity they get to convert minors. I will file an application in the civil court to reverse the decision,” said Karthigesan.

He said the names of the children too ,have been changed since they had converted. Sharmila’s Muslim name is Nurul Nabila while Mithran is now Nabil.

Negeri Sembilan Hindraf chief, S Sivakumar, urged the government to put a stop on these kinds of cases.

'They converted my underage kids forcefully'

Conversion of kids requires only one parent in NS

In Negeri Sembilan, the consent of only one parent who embraced Islam is needed to have their children converted to the faith, said the state's Islamic Affairs Department.

The department's director Johani Hassan said that this was clearly spelt out under laws of the state and other states.

“The law does not say that we need the consent of both parents before we can convert their children.

“When one parent embraces Islam, the children can be automatically converted,” he said, according to The Star.

This however contradicts a cabinet decision in April 2009 that child will maintain his or her original faith of the parents during the time of their marriage under civil law.
Approach Syariah Court

The policy was made following claims that some individuals had used the Syariah Courts in order to gain custodial rights.

Johani was comment on a claim by a mother, 29, from Jelebu that her estranged husband had secretly converted their two children, aged five and eight, in April.

The couple were married in 2004 but the husband, 30, embraced Islam after allegedly abandoning the family last year. Legally, the couple are still married under civil law.

She lodged a police report after the Islamic Affairs Department refused to entertain her appeal for a reversal of the decision to convert their children.

Johani said the women's only remedy now was to appeal to the Syariah Court, which may pose a problem for her since she is not a Muslim and is not subject to Syariah jurisdiction.