Most Muslims will argue that the child must follow the religion of the father, not the religion of the mother. That is why a Christian woman need not convert to Islam if she marries a Muslim man while a Christian man must convert to Islam if he marries a Muslim woman. It is because the children have to follow the religion of the father so the non-Muslim man must convert to Islam while the non-Muslim woman need not.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
If you think Malaysia is facing a serious race-relations problem (which it is) wait until Islam takes over as the number one problem for Malaysia. And it can come to that if issues regarding Islam are not handled properly.
Before we go on, take note of one thing, the Federal Constitution of Malaysia says that Islam is the religion of the Federation and that the Rulers are head of Islam. And perish the thought if you think that all you need is a two-thirds majority in Parliament to amend the Constitution to change this.
First of all, the non-Muslims will never control a two-thirds majority in Parliament. And if you think that the non-Muslims can combine their minority with some of the Muslim members of Parliament to get the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution, perish that thought as well. No Muslim who is a true Muslim would risk hell by doing that, not even the more ‘un-Islamic’ Umno or PKR Muslims.
Have you noticed that some Muslims drink, gamble, do not fast or pray, or even take bribes, but they will not eat pork? Why do you think that is so? And would these fasiq Muslims dare declare that Prophet Muhammad never existed or that the Qur’an is a fake? They would rather die than do that blasphemous thing.
They may be the worst Muslims on earth but there are certain compromises they will not make. And removing Islam as the religion of the Federation is one of those compromises they would not make.
Anyway, the issue of Islam needs to be discussed by the Conference of Rulers, not in Parliament. And do you think the Rulers will dare remove Islam as the religion of the Federation? Doing that would spell the end of the Monarchy as well. Islam is the only thing that is keeping the Monarchy alive.
So, Islam is still going to remain the religion of the Federation and the Rulers are still going to be head of Islam long after you and I are dead and buried and rotting in our graves. Hence learn to live what that and don’t try to fight it because it is futile to resist something that is never going to change.
And as I said in my previous article regarding the Palace and the Rulers: learn how to delicately navigate the very complex and sensitive shark-infested waters regarding Islam. Or else prepare yourself for doom.
The issue of the religion of minors, in particular if the parents are divorced and one parent has left Islam, promises to be an explosive issue. Do you remember the Maria Hertogh riots that erupted in Singapore in 1950 regarding this issue? Many people died because someone wanted to convert a Muslim child out of Islam. (Read more here).
That was in 1950, you may say. That can never happen today. You think so? Soon after WWII and around the time of Merdeka the Malays were more liberal than they are today. Just go watch the old Malay black-and-white movies of the 1950s to see what I mean. And those movies showed ‘real life’ of 60 years ago. Today, the Malays are more conservative than the Malays of 60 years ago.
There are two conflicting reports as follows:
Anak bertukar agama perlu diserah kepada ibu, kata Anwar
Pakatan mum on child conversion law, says needs further scrutiny
One report quotes Anwar as saying that the child must follow the religion of the mother and the other report says Pakatan Rakyat has not taken a stand on the matter.
Most Muslims will argue that the child must follow the religion of the father, not the religion of the mother. That is why a Christian woman need not convert to Islam if she marries a Muslim man while a Christian man must convert to Islam if he marries a Muslim woman. It is because the children have to follow the religion of the father so the non-Muslim man must convert to Islam while the non-Muslim woman need not.
I feel Pakatan Rakyat will not be able to reach a consensus on this matter. They can’t because this issue will override party lines. If this is tabled in Parliament the Muslim Members of Parliament from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat will unite against the non-Muslims from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.
This is going to a be a good ‘test’ to see whether the Muslim MPs are going to be Muslims first or politicians first. And if PAS shows loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat and votes against Umno, then PAS is finished and for sure it is going to lose the coming Kuala Besut by-election.
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