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JOHOR BAHRU: Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, the ruler of Johor, has weighed in on a recent affair involving a Malay Muslim woman whose wedding ceremony in India was conducted in accordance with Sikh customs.
In a statement issued on Monday (December 21), the Sultan said: “I would like to advise all parties not to jump to conclusions or act prematurely in addressing this issue. The woman is being tried by the media although not yet. has done”. declared that he wants to leave Islam. ”
“If we are in a rush in our actions to punish her, then we will build a huge barrier for her to return to our country and widen the gap between her family in Malaysia and her life in India,” he added.
While the Sultan did not identify the woman in question, it is believed that she refers to Ms Illi Najwa Saddique, who came under fire recently after photos of her wedding ceremony in Punjab, with the hockey captain of India, Manpreet Singh Pawar, will circulate on social media.
Netizens questioned his religious status because the ceremony was not performed in accordance with Muslim customs.
There were also questions about how he was allowed to travel to India during the Movement Control Order (MCO) amid COVID-19 border restrictions, and whether he was relying on his political connections.
She is the niece of the Minister of National Unity, Halimah Mohamed Sadique, a legislator for the United Malaysia National Organization (UMNO) for the Kota Tinggi constituency in Johor.
The sultan added on Monday that he ordered the Johor Islamic Religious Department to verify the religious status of the woman through her family members and the Malaysian embassy in India.
She explained that as she comes from Johor, and in her role as the head of Islam in the state, she wants to ensure that the lives of the residents of Johor are protected by the provisions of the law where Islam is the “pillar of our life from the state “.
File photo of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. (Photo: Facebook / Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar)
In his statement, the Johor ruler also advised “the woman” to ensure that the decision she makes is approved by her parents and does not “violate the norms established by Islam.”
“I am confident that the Johor Islamic Religious Department and the Johor Mufti Department will provide all necessary assistance to women to keep their faith within the scope of Islamic law,” he said.
“Any news that we receive related to the relationship between Muslims must be examined without prejudice. We must have an open mind and think positively,” he added.
Malaysian media reported on Monday that the federal government is still awaiting a full report from the Johor Islamic Religious Department.
“We will only know the full story after we hear it from the woman herself,” Deputy Prime Minister (Religious Affairs) Department Deputy Minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary reportedly said.
“From the information we have received so far, the woman in question is still Muslim and there has been no request from her to change her religious status,” he added.
Local media also reported a statement, allegedly written by Ms Illi Najwa and published by Mdm Halimah’s aide. In the statement, Ms Illi Najwa maintained that she has never changed her religion and remains Muslim.
She also reportedly apologized for her “ignorance” and explained that she and her husband had been married via an Islamic nikah ceremony in December 2019.
