Court overturns conversion of minors to Islam

In a landmark decision today, the High Court in Ipoh has overturned the conversion of three minors, belonging to M Indira Gandhi, whose father converted them to Islam without her knowledge.

Justice Lee Swee Seng ruled that the children had not been converted as the kalimah syahadah (pronouncement to embrace Islam) was not performed on the children.

The judge also ruled that the conversion attempt went against the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

"This decision is no victory for anyone, but we have to learn to live in harmony," justice Lee said in reading his one-hour-40-minute judgment.

Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran, who represented Indira (right) and her children, took to Twitter to express his delight with the decision.

Indira's three children were converted in April 2009 by her estranged husband, Mohd Riduan Abdullah, without her knowledge.

She filed the civil case against the state registrar of conversions, the Perak Religious Department director, the state and federal governments, the Education Ministry and her husband K Patmanathan (now known as Riduan).

She has two daughters, now aged 16 and five years, and a 15-year-old son.

[More to follow]