Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Muslim Professionals Forum press statement on the Saturday demonstration

Muslim Professionals Forum press statement on the Saturday demonstration

13 Aug, 2008


Muslim Professionals Forum regrets the unruly action of protestors that forced an abrupt end to the Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam on 9th August 2008.

We acknowledge that as a nation with two justice systems as accorded by the Federal Constitution, there would be outstanding issues that remain unresolved, one of them being the subject of the Saturday forum.

It is quite understandable that when a divorce case between a Muslim and a non-Muslim spouse is brought to the Syariah Court, the non Muslim would see this as an infringement of Islamic law against their rights. This may be due to a number of factors, among which are lack of knowledge and misconceptions of Islam and Islamic law based on precedent cases. It would not be inconceivable that there would be some degree of animosity and prejudice that the religion has directly or indirectly contributed to the dissolution of their marriage.

As much as we hold that the Syariah is an indivisible part of Islam, the functioning of the Syariah courts and the intricacies of specific enactments are human endeavours that will always have room for improvement.

The recommendation by a former SUHAKAM Commissioner, Dr. Mehrun Siraj that the Syariah court should not unilaterally make any decisions that might affect the rights of non-Muslims, is a sound initiative towards resolving the issue and should be seriously considered by all states.

The Saturday incident, similar to the disruption of Article 11 Forum not long ago, showed that Islam and the administration of Islamic Law in this country is still very much a sensitive issue, one that touches many a Muslim across party lines. However, from the viewpoint of non-Muslim rights on these outstanding issues and freedom of expression, there is a valid reason for holding such a public forum, with the possible consequences taken into consideration.

Meanwhile, we urge the government to reactivate the joint committee of civil and Syariah lawyers which had been tasked to discuss matters relating to marriage and family issues, to work towards an amicable solution.

Dr. Mazeni Alwi
Chairman
Muslim Professionals Forum

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