Ostracising those born out of wedlock un-Islamic, says group
Robin Augustin, Free Malaysia Today
It is un-Islamic to judge or ostracise unwed pregnant women and their children, says a volunteer group which combats baby dumping and sale.
In calling on society to be more accepting, the founder of Kami Sanggup Ambil Anak Angkat (KSAAA), Hamidah (not her real name), said the stigma against unwed mothers and their children was detrimental to them.
She said this stigma could lead to baby dumping or mother and child being forced to face tough times without support from their friends or families.
“When a girl gets pregnant, people will brand her as being ‘sleazy’, while the child will be labelled as ‘naughty’ because his or her mother is ‘sleazy, and both mother and child will be ostracised,” she said, adding this was more prevalent in the Malay-Muslim community.
She lamented that even children who were adopted faced such pressure from society, but was glad that the National Registration Department (JPN) had now allowed adopted Muslim children to use other names aside from “bin Abdullah” as their surname.
