Isma backs Jais raid on Hindu wedding, says in line with Islamic moral code

(Malay Mail Online) – Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) defended today the action by Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers who interrupted a Hindu wedding in Petaling Jaya Sunday, saying it was an act in line with “syarak”, the Islamic moral code.

In a report on its website, the chairman of the Malay-Muslim group’s ulama council, Dr Aznan Hasan said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) act in escorting Zarinah Abdul Majid out during her Hindu wedding was not a “raid”, but an act that fulfilled the Islamic moral code in marriage matters.

“In fact, it is the responsibility of parties like religious institutions to ensure that the syarak is not violated, like the marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim spouse,” Aznan was quoted saying.

“In this case, Jais’ actions were ‘saddu al-zarai’ (the prevention of a violation),” he added.

He stressed that it would have been better if Jais had investigated before the wedding ceremony, but said that if the authorities received information at the last minute, then its actions were necessary.

Aznan also said the problem was not with “syarak”, but with Zarinah’s father who did not fulfil his responsibilities as a good Muslim and a responsible father.

“The issue is with the father, not syarak. So the solution in this case is to improve the management of Muslim converts, so as to ensure that they will get a thorough and holistic education to be good Muslims, which will prevent such cases from happening again,” he said.

Zarinah has alleged that she was converted to Islam as a child by her estranged father, a Muslim convert, without the permission of her Hindu mother.

On Sunday, Jais arrived unannounced at Zarinah’s Hindu wedding ceremony in a temple in Sungai Way, after it received a tip-off that the 32-year-old bride is a Muslim, and escorted her out before the reception at the temple.

Zarinah had reportedly tried to have her marriage registered under the Malaysian Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 before pushing ahead with the Hindu marriage ritual, but it was rejected as the law does not apply to Muslims.

She has claimed that she and her siblings were secretly converted by her Muslim convert father when they were children, but they have long been practising Hindus since their father divorced their mother and abandoned the family over 20 years ago.

The Selangor government, which oversees Jais, admonished the religious authority recently for the “embarrassing” episode and has instructed it to assist Zarinah in changing her religious status as the woman “was never a practising Muslim”.