Penang mufti apologises for comments on children’s conversion
PETALING JAYA: Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor has apologised over comments he made yesterday on the conversion of a single mother’s children to Islam. Wan Salim said he did not wish for his comments to be interpreted as one-sided or in favour of the mother, Loh Siew Hong.…
PETALING JAYA: Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor has apologised over comments he made yesterday on the conversion of a single mother’s children to Islam.
Wan Salim said he did not wish for his comments to be interpreted as one-sided or in favour of the mother, Loh Siew Hong.
He said that after listening to the explanation of Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin, he now understood the situation entirely.
“I apologise if some of the comments I made earlier on the issue could be interpreted as being in favour of the child’s mother,” he told FMT.
However, Wan Salim stressed that the freedom to choose a religion must be respected as an absolute right of every person.
“My attitude will forever be that a person’s freedom to choose a religion to follow must be respected as the absolute right of every individual.
“I also oppose the extreme actions of any party who threatens the freedom to choose religion.
“Let a person choose the religion he wants without trouble because that is the right of every individual guaranteed by the constitution of our country,” he said.
Yesterday, during a live broadcast on Facebook, Asri said the conversion of Loh’s three children was legal under Perlis state law and cannot be disputed.
He said that under the Perlis Islamic Enactment, either a father, mother or guardian can convert a minor to Islam.
FMT previously reported Wan Salim saying the authorities could direct ulama and muftis to review existing fatwas on freedom of choice, after the Perlis Islamic religious department registered the three children as Muslims without the presence of their mother.
Wan Salim said he noted that there was pressure from some quarters to increase the age limit of choosing a religion to until a person reaches puberty.
Loh’s 14-year-old twin daughters and 10-year-old son are in the care of the social welfare department (JKM) in Perlis, while she awaits a habeas corpus hearing at the Kuala Lumpur High Court next Monday. — Free Malaysia Today