Zarina, an adult, should have say over her faith

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YOURSAY 'Religion is a personal matter, why should it be determined by the court?'

Unconstitutional to ask Zarina to go to court

 

Tupaibesi: Hindu bride Zarina Abdul Majid is an adult and can make her own decision on her faith. No dad or mom's approval is needed. I read that her father had refused to sign on her attempt to change her religious status, this religion she does not profess. How can followers of a "beautiful" religion behave not beautiful at all?

 

Anonymous_1ingrate : Religion is a personal matter and a personal choice. Why should it be determined by the court? It doesn't make sense at all. Since it involves a Hindu, why can't the Indian temple do it?

 

Senior: If she is not a Muslim, why should she go to Syariah High Court?

 

Apapunboleh: Why is the Muslim authority so obsessed in preventing an unwilling convert a way out of a mess that was created by an irresponsible parent?

 

Apa Nama: Ngeh Kooh Ham, do not simply issue a statement. If you want to fight for her as you mentioned, go and help her to revert her religious status back to Hinduism. We also know Article 11(1) of the federal constitution. But it is not respected in the very first place by Jais and it was this reason why they dare to raid during the wedding.

 

You are elected to do the work and not issue statements. If NRD rejects her statutory declaration, are you going to just issue another statement?

 

Anonymous_3f94: Apa Nama, if the NRD rejects Zarina's statement, then she can go to a secular court and compel the NRD to accept her statutory declaration.

 

What4: Apa Nama, what Ngeh said is correct. This is how the constitution is written and interpreted. Whether NRD refuses to act is another matter. The people must be made to first understand the constitution in order to take further action.

 

Samurai: It is important for Ngeh to remind the authorities of the constitution, the highest law. The authorities often ignore or forget, or assume we are ignorant, of the laws. That is why it is important for this to be said as many times as necessary.

 

Anonymous #20513663: Ngeh Kooh Ham, thank you for speaking up for the voiceless and defenceless. These kinds of repressive laws always affect the poor more than others. Rich Malaysians can just emigrate or 'disappear' when they run into these kinds of 'religious' problems.

 

But where does this leave honest working class folk like Zarina? On another note, so far we have seen Hindu and Muslim leaders speaking up for Zarina, but what about Christian and Buddhist organisations? Do they only speak up for their 'own people'?

 

Where are Malaysia's dozen or so bishops? Where is the NECF, CFM, CCM? This seems to be a general trend: while Muslim organisations like Sisters in Islam, Islamic Renaissance Front and Assajjad Movement speak up for all, the Buddhists and Christians in particular are quiet unless they themselves are attacked.

 

In particular, they have not spoken up for the Shias, Ahmadiyahs etc. Where is the reciprocity? We must learn to speak as one against injustices done to any Malaysian.

 

Fair Play: The truth is that this issue is far from being resolved. Whether by accident or by design, Zarina's father by his disclosure has further clouded the already muddy water. His declaration might give Jais the reason and the justification to do what they did.

 

It is rather sad that after 50 over years of living in harmony and tolerance, we have to deal with such issues that are really simple to solve ‑ with patience, understanding, tolerance and respect of an individual's right lead the life that he or she chooses.

 

Anonymous #32789809: Just wondering if there are many people who are born in a family with a particular religion whose manmade law prohibits him/her to convert into other religion, yet he/she totally does not practise that religion and is completely not interested in his/her law‑decided religion when reaching adulthood?

 

Isn't choosing of a religion which we really have faith in a basic human right? This is the 21st century.

 

A.A: I have come across this Quranic verse: "There is no compulsion in religion". I understand this to mean that no one can be forced into a religion that he or she is not willing to accept.

 

In view of this, I cannot understand why Zarina has to go through such a big fuss in correcting the religious status in her identity card, especially since it is obvious that she has not been and is not a practising Muslim at any point in her life.

 

Paul Warren: Agreed! Very soon each and everyone of us may be required to seek out the Syariah Court to issue us a certificate that certifies that we are not Muslim, otherwise.

In fact the mere fact that my I/C says 'Kristian' on it may be useless, Jakim may, if they wish, refuse to accept it.


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