While freedom of speech is something that we should defend, as responsible people we must know when to stop, when not to offend others.What was the goal or intention of Bar Council when they planned the froum on Conversion to Islam?
Was it to vent their dissatisfaction and tell the world that they think Malaysian laws regarding conversion to Islam is unfair?Or maybe they want to say that it is wrong fro Islam to try and stop Muslims from converting to other faiths. Do note that the operative there is ‘try’.
Let us look at the process of conversion to Islam and try to understand how it works.
First we have to understand that Malaysia has a rather peculiar method of dealing with people who want to convert into Islam – we make it hard for people to join the faith.
While I do not personally agree with this I can understand theri rationale, the religious authorities do not want conversion to be a petty and casual decision, they wanto to make sure that the person converting has really changed their faith
Go to any religious department office to tell them that you want to be a Muslim and they will grill you to make sure that you are serious.Even after you have expresed your determination to become a Muslim, they would continue with their probe by telling you all the restrictions of the religion. They will tell you; You can’t eat pork, you can’t drink alcohol, you can’t sleep around, you have to pray five times a day or you will end up in Hell and basically tell you that Islam is quite a demanding faith.
If you still think that Islam is for you after hearing all the restrictions, they make you sit for religious classes so that the potential convert would be better prepared for life as a Muslim.
To give you an impression of how rigorous the religious education is, most converts enter the faith better equipped than a born Muslim who goes through the normal education system.
If their best effort to persuade you to reconsider your decision is nto successful and you manage to endure months of religious classes then they will accept your two shahadah, or proclamations of faith.
I do understand there may be difficulties when it comes to minors but the legislation and case history is quite clear, no one can make the decision to convert until they have come of age, in the case of children, parents can make the decision for them.
If you don’t agree parents cannot make decision on faith then you also have to accept that parents cannot make decisions on behalf of their children on anything else and where would we end up if this is the case.
Back to the conversion process.
I don’t agree with this rigorous screening because I think people should be allowed to enter the faith by just expressing intent and then making the proclamation but the authorities figured if it is going to be hard to leave, they want to make sure that you are truly convinced before admitting you into Islam.
Once the convert enters the faith they fall under the jurusdiction of the syariah court and they remain there until the court release them from their jursidiction. That is the law of the country.
While the Bar’s executive council may think that the law governing conversion into Islam is not to their liking, they should probably for a committee and find out if Malaysian lawyers think this is a problem.
Just because a few people in office don’t like the law, it does not mean that most of the legal profession agree with them.
If they find that the majority of Malaysian lawyers do not agree with the law then they should make a representation to the Minister responsible. Since Zaid Ibrahim is chummy with the Bar council these days, it should not be a problem.
Once the matter has been brought up, let the minister do his work and bring it up with the cabinet and wait for your cue from there.
It is likely that cabinet will decide that this is a matter that does not bear public discussion and I agree with them.
The issue of conversion to Islam should be determined by Muslims and no one else because I am sure that no one would like Muslims to have a forum on the validity of the holy trinity or have the Malays old a forum on the rights of non Malays in Malaysia.
Who is to say the bar council’s topic for discussion is more valid than the two that I suggested?
The only thing we know for sure, these are sensistive subjects and we really do not want it to be discussed in public.
The Bar Council President is showing surprising shallowness by insisting that the forum goes ahead, as if she does not realise or perhaps does not care about who she offends.
Malays, rightly or wrongly, do not take issues that that concern their faith lightly. Conversion does not form the core of their concerns but it does mark the outer limits of their teolerance. I know no Muslim family that would allow a family member from leaving the religion without fighting it to the end. Conversion away from islam is probably the worst thing that could happen to a Muslim.
Conversion into Islam is celebrated as the end of ignorance, it is a happy occasion.
The thing is we understand if you want to convince your family members not to become a Muslim but don’t put your nose in the administration of Islam.
This is really not a subject for open discussion.