Malaysia Hindu Sangam: Hindus Should Not Be Forced to go to Islamic Courts

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, March 15, 2007: The Malaysia Court of Appeals recently ruled 2-1 that Subashini, wife of a Muslim-convert seeking to dissolve their marriage and convert their son to Islam, will have to state her case in the Syariah Court. The Malaysia Hindu Sangam President, Datuk A. Vaithilingam, has released the following press release. "With respect, it is gross injustice to ask Hindus to submit to the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court. The Syariah Court administers Islamic canonical law to which Hindus do not . It is a religious system which is not accepted universally. The Court of Appeal's majority decision in Subashini's case makes a mockery of the civil law which provides proper relief to the wife in a marriage registered under the civil law. The decision will cause much suffering and pain to the Hindu wife and throws the entire non-Muslim family law into uncertainty. It makes Hindu women feel very insecure because their husbands ca n convert to Islam and then convert minor children to Islam and leave the Hindu wife in the lurch. The Malaysia Hindu Sangam is concerned that our courts appear to be allowing popular prejudice and individual religious beliefs to interfere with the granting of relief to litigants according to law."