Landmark Malaysian ruling on child conversion

Just one day after the Malaysian government announced a ban on the religious conversion of children without mutual parental consent, a potentially landmark court ruling took place. Indira Ghandhi, a Malaysian Hindu, was granted custody of her three children after her husband recently tried to convert them to Islam. Malaysia traditionally uses a two-tier legal system which employs both secular and Islamic courts to resolve family matters, with jurisdiction determined by the religious affiliation of the family in question. In inter-faith familial issues, however, it has been unclear where jurisdiction should lie, with non-Muslims frequently complaining of discrimination by Islamic courts typically ruling in favour of Muslims.The ruling concerning Ms. Ghandhi, combined with Law Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz’s assertion that cases where one of the spouses later converts to Islam should be decided in civil courts, has been met with enthusiasm by a number of religious and non-governmental organizations as a stepping stone to the easing of ethnic-religious tensions in the country.

Sources:
Malaysia tackles child conversion, BBC
Religious Council lauds decision, New Strait Times

Court Grants Custody to Hindu Mother, WSJ