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Malaysia Will Bar Conversion of Children Where One Spouse Changes Religion

By Howard M. Friedman

Islam Online reports that the government of Malaysia yesterday decided that civil marriage laws and other laws should be amended to require that children be raised in the religion that both their parents shared at the time of their marriage. If one spouse converts after the marriage, he or she will not have the right to have the children converted as well. To the extent this will require changes in Islamic law, the issue will be brought to the attention of the Sultans who are in charge of religious affairs. The issue has come up in a recent high profile case in which a Hindu husband converted to Islam and then apparently converted the children as well without the consent of his still-Hindu wife. The wife is suing for custody of the children.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on April 24, 2009 (boomark / email).