KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) said today it will seek the help of the country’s rulers to solve the legal-religious issue surrounding Indhira Ghandi and her Muslim-convert ex-husband immediately.
The group’s president, A Vaithilingam said the Rulers Conference, the body that holds the highest authority on Islamic matters in this country, should be able to provide a just solution to the matter.
“I am appealing to the rulers who rule everyone under the state to treat all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims equally.
“I don’t know who we should talk to but we will definitely try. I believe our rulers should be able to provide a just solution to this matter,” Vaithilingam told The Malaysian Insider.
Indhira’s husband Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah or formerly known as K Patmanathan, upon divorcing her, had applied for their three Hindu children to be converted, which the Syariah court subsequently granted alongside the legal rights to custody.
Ridzuan now has one of their three children with him while the rest remain under the care of the mother.
Vaithilingam alleged that Indhira had been constantly harassed by Syariah officials ever since the children were ‘officially’ converted by the Syariah court.
“I call on the government to provide an immediate solution to this matter and they can do that by returning the child to the mother and the Syariah officials should stop harassing her immediately,” stressed Vaithilingam.
Indhira’s case is one of many cases which have highlight the contradictions between Syariah and civil laws.
Vaithilingam said the group believes that since the marriage between Indhira and her husband was conducted within civil laws, it was legally rational that matters relating to their divorce be dealt with by the civil court.
“Therefore I urge the government to come up with a long term solution. They must make necessary amendments to the laws so that all issues concerning civil marriages must be settled by the civil courts,” he said.
Indhira’s lawyer, A Sivanesan said when contacted that he was preparing a civil suit against the Syariah authorities.
“We want to annul the conversion ruling by the Syariah court on the three children as illegal,” he said and added that the suit would be filed this week.
MI
22/04/09
The group’s president, A Vaithilingam said the Rulers Conference, the body that holds the highest authority on Islamic matters in this country, should be able to provide a just solution to the matter.
“I am appealing to the rulers who rule everyone under the state to treat all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims equally.
“I don’t know who we should talk to but we will definitely try. I believe our rulers should be able to provide a just solution to this matter,” Vaithilingam told The Malaysian Insider.
Indhira’s husband Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah or formerly known as K Patmanathan, upon divorcing her, had applied for their three Hindu children to be converted, which the Syariah court subsequently granted alongside the legal rights to custody.
Ridzuan now has one of their three children with him while the rest remain under the care of the mother.
Vaithilingam alleged that Indhira had been constantly harassed by Syariah officials ever since the children were ‘officially’ converted by the Syariah court.
“I call on the government to provide an immediate solution to this matter and they can do that by returning the child to the mother and the Syariah officials should stop harassing her immediately,” stressed Vaithilingam.
Indhira’s case is one of many cases which have highlight the contradictions between Syariah and civil laws.
Vaithilingam said the group believes that since the marriage between Indhira and her husband was conducted within civil laws, it was legally rational that matters relating to their divorce be dealt with by the civil court.
“Therefore I urge the government to come up with a long term solution. They must make necessary amendments to the laws so that all issues concerning civil marriages must be settled by the civil courts,” he said.
Indhira’s lawyer, A Sivanesan said when contacted that he was preparing a civil suit against the Syariah authorities.
“We want to annul the conversion ruling by the Syariah court on the three children as illegal,” he said and added that the suit would be filed this week.
MI
22/04/09
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