In many countries, a person converting to Islam from other religion is treated just like a person born into a Muslim family. He is not allowed to change his new Islamic faith, and is locked into Islam till he dies. But in a very rare move, a syariah court in Penang, Malaysia last year allowed a Muslim convert to revert back to her previous religion.
Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah, an ethnic Chinese, fell in love with an Iranian Muslim man. She married him, and in accordance with the requirements of Islam, she converted to become a Muslim.
But problem soon surfaced in this marriage. And despite all attempts at making the marriage work, it failed. Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah then petitioned the Syariah Court, asking to be allowed to revert back to her previous religion and becoming a Buddhist.
In a surprise ruling, the judge agreed to her request. The judge was told that she never practised Islam after conversion. In fact she continued to pray as a Buddhist. Judge Othman Ibrahim said: “The court has no choice but to declare that Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah is no longer a Muslim as she has never practised the teachings of Islam.”
Who is to be blamed for this? Judge Othman Ibrahim thinks the blame lies with the state Islamic Council for failing to counsel and guide new converts.
This rare decision was challenged by the state Islamic Religious Council. Earlier this year, the Penang Syariah Appeals Court upheld the earlier order made by the High Court here to allow Muslim convert Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah to revert to Buddhism.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Datuk Ibrahim Lembut said it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah whose birth name is Tan Ean Huang, 39, from Nibong Tebal, did not practise Islam and had not embraced the religion sincerely.
Think about it. We all know it is impossible for any Muslim to leave his faith. Now that the Syariah Appeals Court has ruled that Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah can legally leave Islam and revert back to her previous faith, does it necessarily mean that a door is open to allow conversion to other faith? Can this case be used as a legal precedent?
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