Think carefully before you convert to Islam

If you have any intention to convert to Islam, do so only if you truly believe in the teachings of the religion, you are prepared to be subject to its rules and requirements, you intend to practice it and to follow its teachings. Do not do it just because you want to marry a Muslim. This advice is especially directed towards woman who may want to marry a Muslim man. While Islam discourage divorce, it is very easy for a Muslim man to divorce his wife. A Muslim husband can divorce his wife by pronouncing divorce orally three times on his wife. The divorced woman will then be faced with a very difficult situation as she will not be able to remarry a person of another faith without first having succeeded in renouncing Islam.

Now if the divorced wife want to renouce Islam, she will have to go the the Syariah court and I believe in every case, the court will order compulsory conseling. There had been cases of forced detention for long period for conselling. And there will be a very high possibility that her wish to renouce Islam will not be granted even after counselling. Plus apostasy (renounciation of a religion) is considered a crime in some Malaysian states. So asking a Muslim to go the the Syariah court to get permission to renounce Islam is as good as asking him/her to incriminate himself/herself.

Google the terms Revathi Islam or Lina Joy and you will see what a Muslim who wants to renounce the religion have to go through. So refer to Candleligth vigil for Revathi (and for Malaysia) (click BACK button to get back to this page).

Recently there is another case. A religious court has ordered a Malaysian woman, Siti Fatimah who is an ethnic Chinese whose original name was Tan Ean Huang, and is trying to renounce Islam, to undergo three months of counseling. Siti Fatimah says she converted from Buddhism to Islam in 1998 because married an Iranian, but she never truly practiced Islamic teachings. The Iranian left her after nearly two years of marriage.

So think very carefully before you decide to convert to Islam as it is a very important decision deserving much delibration and heart searching. Be wise.