What is so wrong in having discussions ?

Very sad!!!

Very very sad !!!

So, so very sad!!!

I cant begin to describe my feelings at the moment. Yes I am talking about the discussions on the problems of conversion to Islam conducted by the Malaysian Bar Council. I can only summarise by saying I am very sad. Plain sad !

I cant understand why discussions held in a civilised manner would be tantamount to questioning the rights of certain people under the constitution. There have been many occasions that I have not seen eye to eye with the policies and actions of the Bar Council. Sometimes in the past I had thought that the Bar Council should not have acted in the way they had acted in certain matters. This public forum scheduled for last Sunday is definitely not one such issue that I disagreed with the Bar Council.

Having said that I think the forum organised by the Bar Council would have done more good than harm for society as a whole. There are some very serious problems that arise when certain people convert to Islam when they are legally still married to non muslims. There are many reported cases that highlight the problems that can arise.

In some of these cases problems arose when some argue that the Civil courts do not have jurisdiction to hear any matters in cases where one party is a Muslim. They then argue that the proper forum would be the Syariah courts. These people conveniently forget that such people had contracted their marriages under the Civil laws in the first place. The Civil courts who are supposed to ensure that the proper forum should vest in the civil courts then state otherwise.

Anyway to put it in a nut shell there are many problems that need to be addressed rationally and with lots of compassion throw in for good measure. The Bar Council forum would have been one such avenue to explore the possible solutions for resolving such problems. Sadly some did not see it that way. They see it as a challenge against Islam. They then caused for the abandonment of the forum. Sad!

I speak for myself here. I think no one is questioning the right of any person to embrace Islam. I think problems arise only after conversions. Sadly, some conversions are not made known to family members and disputes arise later. When there is a dispute as to children, property etc. Where do parties go ? The Civil Courts or the Syariah Courts ? This problem needs to be addressed soon in a fair, rational and compassionate manner by the powers that be.

I believe that we Malaysians (Muslims and non muslims ) are a mature lot. A lot more mature than most politicians think we are. I am quite sure that we can all sit down and discuss matters with open hearts to see that all problems are sorted out in a civil manner. To say otherwise would be ....... real sad !!!

M V Nathan