Friday, March 22, 2013

A Vaithilingam: Laws still unfair to non-Muslims


"... I was told that in many states, assemblymen were given a thick file of many proposals at 9am and non-Muslim members of the ruling party voted in favour of the proposal for changes in the Islamic Enactment in the State Constitution -- all in one day!

When confronted by us they said they had no time to read the proposals and voted in favour because the leaders of the government had ‘assured’ them that the changes were for the Muslims and had nothing to do with non-Muslims!

Had the non-Muslims voted against the changes the respective amendments in 1988 in the Parliament and subsequently in states where non-Muslims were more than 1/3 the members, these laws will not be in existence today! It is interesting to note that only the non Muslims in the opposition voted against it.

The non-Muslims only felt the blow of Article 121(1A) in the early 2000s. First, was the case of Shamala Sathiyaseelan. Her husband converted to Islam, and secretly went to the Syariah Court for a divorce from his Hindu marriage.

He also secretly converted their children. The Courts said they could not interfere with the conversion.

Although they gave the mother custody, the High Court Judge imposed an impossible condition –the Court told the Hindu mother she cannot “expose” the children to her own religion!"

More:
http://www.mmail.com.my/story/laws-still-unfair-non-muslims-51379


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