Cover-up about forced conversions of non-Muslims?

Is there a hidden hand of the PM's Department behind the new reason being given that there are defects in documentation?

COMMENT

by P. Ramasamy

About a month ago, a NGO called Hindu Conversion Action Team (Hicoat) came out with a controversial announcement that more than 7,000 Hindus have been clandestinely converted to Islam.

Such a statement came in the wake of the raging controversy surrounding two cases of unilateral conversions.

There were already reports of non-Muslims “converting” to Islam without their knowledge, even before the president of Hicoat, Arun Doriasamy, brought to fore the issue of forcible conversions to Islam,

What Arun Doraisamy said merely confirmed some of the worst fears of non-Muslims in the country, that certain Muslim organisations, perhaps in league with certain state agencies, were converting non-Muslims without their knowledge.

After the first announcement, Arun “disappeared” from the scene. Nothing was heard of him. But suddenly, out of blue, he emerged yesterday with another Muslim NGO to say that the 7,000 cases of Hindus becoming Muslims was not so much about religious conversion but about defects in documentation.

Arun’s statements were supported by Zainal Rijal Abu Bakar, president of the Muslim Lawyers Association at a joint press conference.

Zainal said that since Islam is a religion of peace, it would not tolerate forcible conversions of non-Muslims. In other words, Zainal was saying that since Islam does not forcibly engage in conversions, the cases of “conversions” might not be true.

He supported the stand of Hicoat that the 7,000 cases of Hindus converting to Islam were not true and these are a result of defects in the documents.

Both of them said that they would form a technical committee to work closely with Nancy Shukri, minister in the Prime Minister’s department, to rectify the mistakes.

Are those 7000 cases about wrong documentation or clandestine conversions? Why has Hicoat, despite its initial bravado, suddenly “chickened” out? Was there pressure applied by the authorities to reverse its position?

Why was there a need to tag along with PPMM to pour cold water on the issue of forcible conversions? It is an insult for them to say it was nothing but wrong documentation.

Forcible conversions do not seem to happen among Muslims. Why is it happening only to non-Muslims only? Surely, there must be something wrong with the nature of the trajectory of Islam in this country.

I hope that Arun Doraisamy and his newfound friend do not take Hindus or non-Muslims to be fools or idiots.

If there were only a few cases, then this might be acceptable, but not when there are more than 7,000. What about Buddhists, Christians and members of other non-Muslim faiths?

Clandestine religious conversions, directly or indirectly condoned by the authorities, are a menace to the wellbeing and dignity of non-Muslims.

Sorry, I can see a hidden hand of the PM’s department in ensuring that these two NGOs are saying the “right” thing! The revelation of “defects or wrong documentation’ does not make sense at all.

P. Ramasamy is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang.