Family fights for right to cremate 'converted' Malaysian-Sikh

31 May 2009, 1810 hrs IST, PTI

KUALA LUMPUR: An ethnic Indian family is fighting with Islamic authorities in Malaysia for claiming the body of a Sikh art director who allegedly
converted to Islam 17 years ago.

The family of Mohan Singh, 41, who died last week, wants to cremate the body according to Sikh rites while the Islamic authorities want to bury him according to Muslim rituals.

Currently, Singh's body is in the hospital, family lawyer Rajesh Kumar said.

Islamic department officials claim that Singh had converted to Islam in 1992. The department has filed a case in the Shariah court while Singh's family members have filed a case at the high court.

The lawyer claimed that Mohan Singh was a practising Sikh and had gone to a Sikh temple with his sister recently.

The incident is the latest row over conversion in the Muslim-majority nation which had seen a number of recent legal disputes between converted Muslim husbands and Hindu wives over the faith of their children.

New Prime Minister Najib Razak had announced a landmark decision last month, declaring that minors could no longer be converted without both parents' consent.

Malaysia has also witnessed several cases when Islamic authorities have battled with relatives over the remains of people whose religion is disputed.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Family-fights-for-right-to-cremate-converted-Malaysian-Sikh/articleshow/4600694.cms

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