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Thursday, March 26, 2015

'I never thought this would happen to us' - Sabah dad hopes daughter will return to Christianity after Muslim conversion uproar

'I never thought this would happen to us' - Sabah dad hopes daughter will return to Christianity after Muslim conversion uproar
KOTA KINABALU - The teenager embroiled recently in a controversy over her decision to embrace Islam without her parents’ consent is now in a new school and enrolled in a Catholic-run hostel, which her father hopes will help lure her back into a more Christian lifestyle.
Jilius Yapoo, a 46-year-old Dusun, said today he is relieved that his second daughter, who was still sporting the “tudung” on Monday, is now in a different environment that he believes could remove any remaining Muslim influences from her life.
“She had initially refused to take off her tudung and enrol, but after talking and crying she finally relented and got registered. I am hoping that the new school, new friends, and environment will help her change back into her old self.
“Her siblings are really happy with the new school,” Jilius said when met at his home in Papar.
The rubber tapper said the new school is “ideal” because the hostels are all run by Catholic nuns.
Students at the school, he said, are also expected to observe prayers and attend masses, and on Sundays, they are allowed to go to their own churches.
“Hopefully this will lead her back to Christianity,” a female relative said.
The 16-year-old form four student and her three younger siblings — two brothers and a sister — were enrolled into SMK Tun Fuad in Kiulu, after leaving SMK Kinarut where news broke early February that she had “converted” into Islam without her parent’s consent.
The girl, who is second of eight siblings, had reportedly recited the “khalimah syahadah”, the Muslim declaration of faith, to a female Muslim teacher and donned the tudung without her parent’s knowledge.
When Jilius found out, he lodged a police report and took the school to task for not upholding his rights as a parent.
As a result of public pressure, the state Education department has since transferred the teacher to a Muslim religious school.
Thanks to efforts from the non-governmental group Pertubuhan Angkatan Gabungan Rakyat Asli Sabah, the family attracted the attention of former chief minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who is now sponsoring the siblings’ fees and board at the school.
Group president Michael Frederick said that he was glad the case was resolved and Jilius can finally rest assured that his children would not be lured without his knowledge to embrace different faiths.
The family has also received donations amounting to RM10,000 from people who sympathised with his plight.
Jilius earns about RM350 a month from his rubber tapping job to support his family of 10, including eight children aged between two and 17 years, who live with him in a sparsely furnished wooden hut in Kampung Kaiduan, Papar.
In the few weeks before enrolment, Jilius said his daughter appeared cheerful at home and engaged with the family for the most part.
“She occasionally goes away and talks on her phone for a bit, and then she comes back a bit moody and quiet, but after a few days, she is back to normal and plays with her younger siblings again,” said Jilius.
“This has been the biggest thing that has ever happened to our family. Until now, we’ve had a simple life.
“Enough food on the table, roof over our heads. I never thought this would happen to us. I just hope we get to be a peaceful, happy family again,” he said. - Malay Mail

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