YOURSAY | ‘Can such cruelty be justified in the name of race and religion?’

Mother seeks police's help to reunite with three children

Mother reunites with her three children after alleged unilateral conversion

Vijay47: We must, of course, rejoice that after months and years of terrified anguish, a mother is finally able to be with her children again, to lavish on them the hugs and kisses they were all long deprived of.

Let us also not forget to thank assemblyman Satees Muniandy and NGO leader David Marcel for their dedicated application to bringing matters to a happy ending for the family.

Yet while men of common decency and justice celebrate, we must remember that the issue is far from settled. Those convenient days of “It was all a misunderstanding” must end, those who break the law whatever cause they serve must be brought to face justice.

That vile woman who allegedly kidnapped the children must be arrested and charged in court, let her also suffer like she made the Loh family suffer. Has this country reached a stage where anything made in the name of religion, however illegal it be, can be overlooked?

The excesses of Muslim bodies must be brought to heel. But who can we turn to - the mountains? The prime minister despite his pathetic ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ sloganeering has again revealed he is good for nothing.

The IGP (inspector-general of police) is worse. Perhaps we should seek the intervention of the rulers to ensure that all peoples in the country can live here without fear of abuse and denial of their rights.

Let us also not forget the other poor woman in similar but much longer plight. The promises have been countless but when will Indira Gandhi also be able to hug and kiss her daughter kidnapped by a criminal husband? How about the Raymond Koh and other abductions? Still investigating, Mr IGP?

And in case you did not see the nexus – the Loh-kidnappings are along the lines of the earlier ones. This time by a sick woman.

Aren't you all mothers? Aren't you all fathers? Don't you love your children?

What is terrifying is that from the almost universal silence, most of you seem committed to the belief that conversion into Islam, by whatever means achieved, places you in God's favour. God is not this cruel.

OrangeQuokka1944: The Federal Court on Jan 29, 2018, nullified the conversion of M Indira Gandhi's three children, Tevi Darshiny, 20; Karan Dinesh, 18; and Prasana Diksa, 8.

The ex-husband, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, had unilaterally converted their children to Islam.

The country’s highest court had stated that consent of both parents must be sought and the word “parent” in Article 12 (4) should not be construed literally. It now reads as must require the consent of both parents.

Our Constitution is supreme and the apex court had interpreted the article as to mean both parents.

Following the law laid out above by the highest court in Malaysia, the conversions of Loh Siew Hong's three children are void ab initio. This means invalid conversions from the beginning. The children were never Muslims.

The mother was given sole custody by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 2021 and as such had every right to bring them home as soon as possible.

The NGO and the woman hiding the children should be investigated and prosecuted for kidnapping or for unlawful restraint/false imprisonment.

Federal Bakery: Personal tragedies such as this will continue to happen in this country as long as the laws of the state allow religion to be used as a means to exact personal vengeance.

A warring husband converts his children to another religion to deny the wife her rights over the children. It is a vile act. It forcibly separates the mother from her children. It changes the identity of the children at a time when they lack the mental capacity to make decisions on such matters.

No religion or legal system must condone such a heinous act. But this is what is happening in this country. Religion preys on people when they are most vulnerable and have no means to defend themselves.

And the law dances along with that, as if it is all such great fun. And religious men (always men) sitting in councils think they have defended their religion.

IndigoKite6964: It was body snatching that hit the news some time ago. A person who was purportedly Muslim but had never practised or believed in the religion had their body-snatched for a Muslim burial against the will of those who survived him.

It is meaningless to all of us but somehow holds enough meaning to religious authorities to break the hearts of the loved ones who survived.

Now, it is children snatching? The decision had gone to the highest courts that unilateral conversions are not allowed, especially when a couple had a civil marriage.

If the children are not returned to the rightful parent, charge these people with wrongful detention and contempt of court. How not to be Islamophobic?

The Wakandan: This is a heart-wrenching case that no words can describe.

Just imagine those children, innocent and vulnerable and at an impressible age, being ‘detained’ to be brainwashed and mentally tortured, perhaps being asked to hate their own mother in order to do things against her will just to spite her.

How they must be traumatised with the dilemma. The trauma can last in a lifetime if not healed sufficiently through counselling and psychiatric help. The perpetrators must be punished accordingly.

Never that this should happen in our nation again. Our leaders and our policymakers must have a heart of humanity and compassion to do everything they can to stop this practice.

Enough is enough. Shame on you if you should condone this or even keep quiet.

Koel: Some happy news for this poor mother. These children are pawns in a messed-up game of adults involving institutions and individuals.

Religious departments should stop adding to the trauma of young lives by participating in unilateral conversions. There are legal ramifications when a child is snatched by third parties and kept in institutions like in this case.

Religious departments involved in conversions, institutions that house such children and individuals refusing access to the parent could all be seen as participating in this abduction or kidnap.

In the Indira Gandhi case as well, it should be clarified which institutions aided and abetted the abduction of that child.

MS: With Jakim's (Department of Islamic Development) characteristic silence each time families are broken apart and children kidnapped and converted, is it wrong for the public to conclude that it is Jakim which is facilitating these crimes?

OCT: It is good to note that this case was resolved fast and amicably.

Now PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) should resolve the other long outstanding case after more than 10 years outstanding even after the High Court has given their order to PDRM. When there is a will, there's always a way.

All these religious bodies are conniving to obstruct justice. It always ends up that the religious authorities are never at fault and are deemed innocent. However, if a non-Malay does this, hell will break loose.

Mario T: Why show hostility and intolerance when there should be compassion and love? A mother already tormented by abuse has to now be subjected to unlawful detention of her children.

I wonder if religion is the real cause of it or just human authorities trying to implement their own rule of law under the pretext of religion.

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