COMMENT | The big elephant in the room in the issue of unilateral conversion is its grievous outcome of breaking families apart – and it comes down to whether it is justified or not.

Is the denying of the rights of the non-Muslim parent justified? Is the confusion experienced by the children justified? Is this method of expanding the ummah justified?

As a Muslim, using Islam, which stands for justice and compassion, causing any form of hurt or abuse is unacceptable and conversion by force is unacceptable (Quran 2:256).

For this reason, I resent the suggestion of using Islam as a reason to tear families apart and to deny any member of the family their rights, when numerous other hadith tell us that we should maintain relations with family members (Tarikh Dimashq 56/317, reported by Ibn Mas’ud)...